Jovan Bikic (2008), one of the most promising young players in Serbia, spoke to Basketball Sphere about his career.
Jovan Bikic played for Crvena Zvezda in March at the Next Gen EuroLeague, where he stood out as one of the best players at the tournament held in Belgrade.
He finished the tournament averaging 15.8 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.2 steals (PIR 19).
His best performance came against Anadolu Efes. In the win over the Turkish side, he recorded 26 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals (PIR 38).
Next Gen EuroLeague
Bikic reflected on Crvena Zvezda’s showing at the tournament, as well as his own individual performance…
,,First of all, it is a great honor and privilege that I received an invitation to play for Crvena Zvezda as a guest player. As a team, I’m satisfied with how we looked in the first three games, although maybe we could and should have “put up a bit more of a fight” against INSEP in the final.
As for me, I think I helped the team in the way that was expected of me, but I also believe that at times I could have been more focused and played at a slightly higher level. Overall, the impression of the tournament is that we showed ourselves well as a team, which is the most important thing.”
Beko
Jovan Bikic has primarily been playing for Beko this season in the Serbian Second League, and when asked how much senior-level experience helps when competing in the EuroLeague Next Gen tournament, he said:
,,I believe I have a certain advantage in experience compared to my peers, mainly because this is my second season of playing senior basketball in Beko at an intensive level.
I think that through training with more experienced and physically stronger players, I can learn a lot of useful things, especially through games, because the league is full of experienced players.”
Training, focus, idols…
We asked Bikic which aspect of his game he is currently focusing on the most:
,,At the moment, I’m placing the biggest emphasis on my physical preparation, and I believe that overall it is the area where I have the most room for improvement and what I need the most right now.
Along with that, I would add shooting, as those are the two areas I’m definitely working on the most at the moment.”
On his idols…
,,I’ve never really had a specific idol, but I could say that my favorite player, and someone I look up to, is Marko Guduric.
His performances at Crvena Zvezda won me over, and he’s the player I enjoy watching the most…”
Serbian national team
Jovan Bikic first represented Serbia internationally with the U16 national team in 2024. At the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2024, he appeared in all six games and delivered consistent performances, averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while playing approximately 17.5 minutes per contest.
The following year he advanced to the U18 level and was part of the Serbian roster at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2025 in Belgrade, appearing in all seven matches. Most recently, in April 2026, Bikic competed for the Serbian U18 team at the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany, where he played in seven games and averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in nearly 20 minutes per game, contributing to Serbia’s 4th-place finish.
,,A call-up to the Serbia men’s national basketball team represents, first and foremost, a great honor for me, and on top of that, it feels like the icing on the cake after a good season. It means a lot to me and gives me additional motivation to show myself in the best possible light during the preparations, and later at the tournament.
With every gathering, even the smallest ones, I feel excited and look forward to them as if they were my first.
Some of my best memories, as well as many friendships, have come from those gatherings, and I eagerly look forward to each new one.”
We also asked Jovan Bikic which coaches have had the biggest impact on him throughout his career.
,,I’ve worked with many excellent coaches and mentors, but I would single out two. They may not be the most well-known names I’ve worked with, but they have definitely had the biggest impact on my development so far.
The first is Dejan Jevtovic, my first coach, who worked with me during the first ten years of my basketball training and who managed to instill in me, as a six-year-old, that love for basketball and competition. From him, I learned not only about basketball, but also how I should behave off the court and what values I need to uphold.
I’m still in constant contact with him, and I believe he will always remain in my life as, first and foremost, a friend, and only then a coach.
The second is my current coach, Nenad Petronic, with whom I’ve been working for the past few years. Through the hours we spend together in the gym every day, we’ve grown very close, and I’ve learned a lot from him. I believe his greatest quality, and what has helped me the most so far, is his calmness and dedication to basketball.
He never finds it difficult to explain something multiple times, and with him I know I have the right to make mistakes, which I consider extremely important. Through individual work with him, I think I’ve made the most progress in my career so far.”
To conclude the interview, Bikic shared his vision and ambitions for the future…
,,Honestly, I don’t have any specific plans for the future. I’m striving to play for the Serbia men’s national basketball team (at the senior level), and aside from that, I try to enjoy the moment and follow my own path.”
