In Croatia, the success of Cedevita was not appreciated
The merger of Cedevita with Olimpija
On June 4, 2019, it was announced that the Croatian club Cedevita and the Slovenian club Olimpija were preparing to merge and form Cedevita Olimpija, a new men’s professional basketball club based in Ljubljana. Cedevita plans to compete in the Croatian League in the future as “Cedevita Junior.” Tedeschi simply had enough of the lack of recognition after years of great success.
“It’s an incredible tragedy for Croatian basketball and the players to see Cedevita leaving Zagreb. The project had continuity and should have continued in that direction. I’m sorry that the club moved to Ljubljana because our players lost so much.
I’ll take the example of Luka Bozic. It would have been normal for him to go to Cedevita at the time and start playing in the EuroLeague or EuroCup. On the other hand, he could reached the finals of the ABA League, playing the toughest games. That’s a normal path. When you move on from Cedevita you’re much more prepared. Now that’s gone and it’s a big loss.
Personally, playing for Cedevita helped me for the later part of my career. Especially the last two seasons where I had a role that suited me. I mean that the game flowed through me. Whether you’re the first or second player in the team, you’re basically the game changer. It was clear that if I didn’t play well at that moment, we would have a very hard time winning the game.
Today, you have some extraordinary players in Partizan and Crvena Zvezda which wasn’t the case before due to budget constraints. However, when you play one game in Spain, the next in Turkey, and the third in France – you see all kinds of players, different team setups, tactics… That’s when you see where you stand compared to them and what you need to do. As a coach, you ‘steal’ something from those teams or ask what they do and how they train. You can learn a lot in those cases” stated Miro Bilan.
Dzanan Musa surprised him
At the time when Cedevita had already become a serious regional force, a young player was developing in their laboratory who would lead the new generation of Real Madrid alongside Mario Hezonja in the coming years. You know you’re valued when the likes of Sergio Llull, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez pass the torch to you. Dzanan Musa not only accepted this important role but elevated it to a higher level.
“Musa came to us at the age of 16, just after winning the U-16 EuroBasket where they were greeted by around 20,000 people. He came as the biggest talent from this region alongside Luka Doncic and he immediately showed things that are not quite common for someone at 16. He had those scoring abilities as soon as he arrived, regardless of being the youngest on the team.
To be honest, I didn’t think he would lead Real Madrid and dominate. Hats off to him for everything he’s done. At one point, when he got stuck in the NBA, he faced a lot of criticism. A phenomenal move for him was going to Breogan where he reset himself to zero. He showed how to come back when you hit a wall in your career. You take a step back and move forward. A great example for young players.”
The final between Zagreb teams in Belgrade
When you talk to Miro Bilan, the first thing that comes to mind is the Belgrade Final Four where two Zagreb teams played against each other. Against all odds, everything was set for a big Belgrade showdown between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda in the ABA League final. However, Cedevita, with the legendary buzzer-beater three-pointer from Nolan Smith, made it to the final. On the other hand, Cibona, led by the unstoppable 20-year-old Dario Saric, who had 21 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists, shocked Crvena Zvezda.
In that final, Cibona was a huge underdog. Bilan’s fellow citizen, Saric, once again played for the ages, contributing 23 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists to the win.
“At the same time, one of the dearest wins was achieved then, but also one of the hardest defeats. It all happened in the three days we were there. The game against Partizan was something phenomenal, I recently reminisced and watched clips because it’s been ten years since that event. And then the final, playing against Cibona where it was expected that we would win it. However, Saric played that Final Four, just under 20 years old, out of his mind, maybe unprecedented for someone to play so well, like a superstar.
For us, it was a tough loss because somehow everyone, even ourselves, saw it as our year and that we would finally win it. We simply exhausted ourselves, Cibona played on Thursday against Crvena Zvezda, we played on Friday against Partizan, and then Saturday was a day off, with the final on Sunday.
We were physically drained. The win in the last second, running, celebrating. We were so exhausted for that final and still, we thought we could do it, but it ended as it did. Saric really played phenomenally, he made such a difference for them that we didn’t stand a chance,” recalls Miro Bilan.
Defeat against Serbia
Speaking about the national team, an unavoidable topic was the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It was the peak of Bilan’s career in terms of representing his country. The journey to the tournament was rocky. Head coach Aleksandar Petrovic assembled a respectable team that, through the pre-qualification tournament in Turin and wins over Tunisia, Italy, and Greece, secured a spot in the final tournament.
“50 appearances for the national team, for me, that’s a solid number, because as much as I was considered a talent, there wasn’t much talk about me achieving something big. I’m quite proud of those 50 appearances, especially the ones at the Olympic Games, which was an incredible experience. And there we had the chance to reach the semifinals, but we lost to Serbia, so I can also list that as one of the most painful defeats.
We had this unity in the team, everything seemed to be leading towards us making a big result. People in Croatia were waking up in the middle of the night to watch the national team, there was this euphoria that hadn’t been there before, it was something phenomenal,” recalls the Brescia center with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
How Aleksandar Petrovic stopped Giannis Antetokounmpo
At the pre-qualification tournament in Turin, the biggest threat came from the emerging star Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Croatia played a defensively perfect game, and the ‘Greek Freak’ was held to just nine points in the game.
“Head coach Petrovic immediately realized that we should let him shoot. They had Calathes at point guard and he was a player you could let shoot, as well as Thanasis, although he didn’t play that much. That was the tactic, we crowded one side of the paint so there was no way through, Giannis shot 0-5, Calathes 1-4. Today it’s different, he has adapted much better to FIBA competitions, he has worked a lot on that.”
It’s unimaginable for me to be mentioned in the same sentence as Toni Kukoc
“Through acquaintances, I know that head coach has been requesting video analyses of some players in Europe who don’t have such a good shot and he watches what they do, how they move, and how they manage to get out of that so-called zoning, or risk of shooting. He is quite focused on that. He is willing to change something in his game to help his team. In addition, in the EuroBasket qualifiers, I made history, alongside Kukoc, I am the only player with a 30+10 game in an official game for Croatia.
After the game, these stats came out and when someone told me that, I was surprised. It was unimaginable to me to be mentioned in the same sentence as Toni Kukoc. Somehow you can’t imagine that you’ve actually managed to do it. We also won that game against Turkey and qualified for the EuroBasket. Everything turned out perfectly. There were some things I could have done better, but overall, I am satisfied” Miro Bilan remembered.
How to compete against Antetokounmpo, Doncic and Towns?
Having retired from the national team, it’s much easier for him to comment on current events. Croatia faces another tough pre-qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Croatia is grouped with the tough New Zealand, Dominican Republic led by Karl-Anthony Towns, Greece with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Slovenia with Luka Doncic.
“We’re not coming to that tournament as favorites of the group, so it’s automatically easier for the team. We have nothing to lose. There will be special pressure on Greece as the host and Slovenia with Luka Doncic as one of the favorites. We have a situation where Croatia won’t be talked about, nor will they be seen in the final, so it’s much easier to work and prepare in such conditions. The Croatian team has often played its best when completely written off.
We’ll see, we need to see if Croatia will come healthy and complete, as well as the others. Giannis got injured for Greece, but I see it’s not his Achilles tendon but his calf. It shouldn’t be a big injury, but such a small one if it happens at an inconvenient moment can turn the story and the whole picture of the tournament. We’ll see, we’re waiting for the start of the tournament, then we’ll be able to give a better predictions when we see the rosters, who’s starting, and so on. It’s important that we make it to the semifinals and then we’ll see further” said Miro Bilan.
The quality of Croatia in the center positions
Croatian basketball is seen through the lens of it being at its lowest point. Clubs aren’t playing in Europe, the national team hasn’t won a medal in almost three decades and it’s considered a success just to qualify. Cibona was on the brink of extinction and there are fewer young talents. However, the brightest spot currently is the center positions that head coach Josip Sesar has at his disposal.
First and foremost, there are NBA stalwarts Ivica Zubac, Dario Saric, Luka Samanic, and Karlo Matkovic. EuroLeague centers include Ante Zizic, Danko Brankovic, and Kresimir Nikic. Furthermore, there’s Roko Prkacin, Matej Rudan, Andrija Jelavic, Dario Dreznjak, Lovro Mazalin, among others. Despite someone saying these are good problems to have, head coach Sesar surely has headaches.
“It all depends on the head coach, he has a vision and arranges everything according to his discretion. There’s a burden where you’ll choose Dreznjak from Zadar ahead of Samanic, who’s in Utah Jazz and you know that if you don’t succeed, you’ll be under fire from journalists and fans. I somehow think it’s best for the head coach to always stick to his vision and try to implement it. It’s important to give your all and call who you want. It’s better than making compromises. We’ll call up the best and then you end up regretting because you experience poor results and you tell yourself that you should have followed your vision.”
Nikola Jokic is definitely the MVP
To end on a lighter note, Miro Bilan is a passionate sports fanatic. He follows practically all football and basketball leagues, and we were interested in his view on the expansion of European players in the NBA.
“I think the NBA is now more open to Europeans. They are given a lot more opportunities there than before. I believe the best is Jokic. He’s a player who plays without relying too much on physical aspects, it’s all about technique and intelligence. I love watching these differences. Jokic is a center and when he plays against the Golden State Warriors where the best player is a three-point shooter, it’s phenomenal for me to watch these tactical clashes.
I think he is definitely the MVP this season, despite Doncic’s excellent performances. I love players who think and do something that no one else in the arena will see. It will be tough for the Denver Nuggets, they have all the tools to win the championship again, but it’s much easier to be the hunter than the hunted,” concluded Miro Bilan in this interview for Basketball Sphere.