Gordan Giricek talked about his successful basketball career in an interview for Basketball Sphere.
The Croatian basketball player started his career in Cibona, after which he signed with CSKA. After a season in Moscow, Gordan Giricek moved to the NBA, where he spent the majority of his career. He signed his first NBA contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
He played for the Orlando Magic, where his coach was Doc Rivers. He was a part of the Utah Jazz, collaborating with Jerry Sloan. He was also a member of the renowned Phoenix Suns, coached by Mike D’Antoni. He played for Fenerbahce for a while, an injury prevented him from playing for several more seasons.
“I was never afraid of competition…”
“At the end of 1992, I came to Cibona. I played for the junior team, and in my first senior seasons, I played for the second team. That team was called Dona for a while and later Frank. I played my first senior season wearing Cibona’s jersey in the 1997/1998 season. I was 20 years old back then, and we played in the EuroLeague against Partizan, and we managed to secure two victories.”
During Giricek’s time with Cibona, the team from Zagreb had an excellent lineup. Our interviewee emphasizes that he was never afraid of competition but regrets that the team didn’t achieve more.
“I was never afraid of competition, if it was fair. It’s simple: the better player gets to play. It was a challenge for me to prove myself and earn my place alongside more experienced players. At that time, Zdravko Radulovic and Slaven Rimac were in Cibona. However, I had no fear, and it was challenging for me to compete for minutes alongside such players.
We motivated each other and, in a way, helped each other become better. Since I had watched most of them on television, it was interesting to be on the team with them and to have the chance to become even better.
I had a great time in Cibona, but there’s regret that we didn’t achieve significant results in Europe like they did during the time when Drazen Petrovic was there. We had several excellent seasons. We reached the Top 16 stage twice. In the season when we beat Partizan twice and had a fantastic team, Anadolu Efes stopped us. I’m sad we didn’t make it to the Final Four back then.”
The best duo since the inception of the EuroLeague
After Cibona, he moved abroad. In the 2001/2002 season, Giricek played for CSKA, where he teamed up with players like Mirsad Turkcan. He also collaborated with the legendary Valery Tikhonenko, who won gold with the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
,,Mirsad Turkcan is an outstanding person above all. He was a great teammate, very interesting off the court, and an exceptionally useful player. Since we came from similar backgrounds and had similar mindsets, we got along wonderfully. Mirsad was capable of scoring a lot of points and grabbing numerous rebounds. He positioned himself brilliantly when it came to rebounding.
We crossed paths later in our careers when we were part of Fenerbahce. Even to this day, we stay in touch, which brings me great joy. As for our time in CSKA, we were young, but we collaborated phenomenally. We averaged over 40 points together, which I believe made us the best duo since the inception of the EuroLeague.
Valery Tikhonenko is an incredible person and a great coach. When I went to Kazakhstan with Junior NBA to coach kids there, I met him. I’m always happy to see him. The period in CSKA was my first departure from Croatia. When you’re a foreigner, how you’re accepted is very important. He gave me a chance and believed in me. I hope I justified his trust.”
NBA League
After Moscow, he moved to the NBA league. The first team he played for was the Memphis Grizzlies. There, he played alongside one of the most exciting players of his time, Jason Williams.
“I was fortunate to play with many excellent basketball players throughout my NBA career. In Memphis Grizzlies, I played with Pau Gasol, about whom there’s no need for many words. His career speaks for itself, and all the medals he won. There are some players who would fare better in today’s era than in the period they played.
Jason Williams is one of those players. He was an outstanding playmaker and had a distinctive style of play. He didn’t win much, but the way he played fascinated the audience, and many younger guys tried to emulate him.”
“There are various stories when it comes to Doc Rivers…”
Orlando Magic was the next destination for the Croatian. He joined this team during the 2003/2004 season and once again had interesting teammates like Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady. The coach of the team was Doc Rivers, so we had a conversation with our interviewee about what kind of professional he really is.
“There are various stories when it comes to Doc Rivers. Some criticize him too much, while others sing his praises. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, he’s neither fantastic nor a bad coach. He can achieve good results in a short time. In my second year in Orlando, I sought a trade because I wanted more playing time.
I felt harassed, and that’s why I wasn’t getting opportunities. I’m not talking about the coach but the players. The big three were Tracy McGrady, Tyronn Lue, and Juwan Howard. Regardless of everything, it was an experience to be part of that team. I watched Tracy McGrady’s masterpieces, was in the company of Shawn Kemp. Grant Hill was there too, but during that period, he had significant injury problems.”
“Jerry Sloan and I had certain disagreements…”
Gordan Giricek spent a significant period of his career wearing the Utah Jazz jersey from 2004 to 2007. His coach was the legendary Jerry Sloan, and among his teammates were Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko, among others.
“Jerry Sloan and I had certain disagreements, but I respect him a lot, and I can’t say anything bad about him. I always sought my chance, we didn’t have the same mindset. He was the coach, I was the player, and it’s clear who would suffer more in such situations. But despite everything, I have praises for him. He lived as he spoke.
Kirilenko was a fantastic teammate, it’s always easy to play with such players. As for Deron Williams, his character prevented him from achieving more in his career. He was stubborn and similar to me, I often fought against windmills. Unlike me, he had all the authority and opportunities.
However, he could sometimes overdo it. If I had such a role, I would never clash with the coach. Because the team was built around him, he was supposed to be the face of the franchise. Maybe he asked for too much, but that’s my opinion, and I can’t know how it was for him.”
Arizona
The last team in the NBA league that Gordan Giricek played for was the Phoenix Suns.
“I’ve been through a lot in the NBA and played for several teams. Each team had something unique and its own charm. Perhaps the Phoenix Suns had the most top-notch players, at least from the teams I played for. It was nice to meet all those people and spend time with them; some things can’t be forgotten.”
Issues with Bogdan Tanjević
After a six-year stint in the NBA, Gordan Giricek returned to Europe. He signed with Fenerbahce, where he collaborated with Bogdan Tanjevic. However, everything wasn’t ideal.
“There were issues because the team doctors didn’t give the correct diagnosis, and I had problems with an injury during the first season. Communication problems arose with Bogdan Tanjevic. I missed, I think, around four months in the first season. When I returned, I played through pain. Simply put, the diagnosis wasn’t accurate, and that’s why I felt the pain. On the other hand, I was well-paid, and it felt silly to be paid while not playing.
I decided to play despite the pain because I felt uncomfortable not playing given my salary. After that, I played two to three months in pain and suffered a muscle rupture. The doctors again made the wrong diagnosis and said it was a calf strain. I went to see my doctor in America, whom I trusted. He determined it was a rupture and that I needed surgery. A month after the surgery, I felt perfectly normal.”
“No one believed me…”
“When I came to Fenerbahce to play the second season, no one believed me despite the documentation I had. Tanjevic treated me the same way, and that second season was perhaps the worst in my career. I played little, and if I made one mistake, I was taken out of the game. In the end, they released me.
I don’t blame myself for anything, maybe it had to be that way. I tried to explain and convince them that their doctors were wrong. But the attitude towards me was poor, and those two years were torture.”
An injury prevented Gordan Giricek from playing for several more seasons.
“I had a hip surgery, didn’t undergo proper rehabilitation, and the recovery didn’t go as planned. It’s worth mentioning that after the ordeal I went through with the club and the coach in Fenerbahce, basketball started to lose its appeal for me.
Then came the hip injury, and I didn’t want to suffer anymore. I had achieved enough in basketball to live a normal life. I have a lot of interests outside of basketball, so transitioning wasn’t a problem for me. I can say that I’m living a good life today,” concluded Gordan Giricek.