Vanja Marinkovic, Partizan guard and member of Serbian national team spoke exclusively to Basketball Sphere.
While the Serbian guard spent the last five years playing in Spain, where he played for Valencia and Baskonia, much has changed in the Serbian capital when Partizan is the topic of conversation.
What is in some way common to both the black-and-whites and Vanja Marinkovic is certainly an improvement in all areas. The Serbian has greatly enhanced his repertoire, as he himself mentioned in an interview for Basketball Sphere, while Partizan has been a member of the most elite European competition – the EuroLeague – for the third year in a row.
Return to a well-known place
His first step in his career after Partizan was Valencia, and problems with injury and shoulder surgery contributed to his maturation. Baskonia is the team where he established himself as a classy EuroLeague player capable of making a difference on both ends of the court. This is precisely what he highlighted as the biggest difference compared to the period when he left Serbia:
“The primary difference is that I have matured mentally. Physically, that comes with age if you are dedicated and work hard. A lot of things have happened to me in life since I left, both privately and in basketball. I changed two clubs, went through some tougher years, shoulder surgery… There was a period when I didn’t play, but that was a process I had to go through to be where I am now.”
“The NBA and EuroLeague can’t be compared…”
Given Vanja Marinkovic’s five years spent on the Iberian Peninsula, where he gained experience playing numerous demanding games, we were curious to hear his perspective.
Recently, in an interview with Basketball Sphere, we heard from the captain of the Serbian national team, Bogdan Bogdanovic, who discussed how any break between club and national team commitments doesn’t suit him and he prefers to maintain his practicing process uninterrupted. A similar sentiment was echoed by the returnee to the ranks of Partizan:
“It’s quite tough, but the NBA and EuroLeague can’t be compared. They are two different worlds, completely different dimensions. It’s much easier for them to adjust because it’s one country. This has been the toughest season for me in terms of the number of games and how often they were played. There were a lot of double rounds, finishing EuroLeague and then playing Liga Endesa isn’t easy. In Spain, there are no easy games, whether at home or away. You have to be at 100% to win.
When it comes to work, I try to push myself as much as my body allows, whether I’m tired or rested. I’ve tried to come before practices and work on some things that I think have benefited me a lot, aside from team practices. Many times I stayed after games to hit the gym because I knew I wouldn’t have time for a week afterward. Playing games is one thing, but it’s not the same as training. I maintain muscle tone with gym sessions after games, which isn’t easy at all, but that’s how I adapted.”
“If you’re here, you have to know that it follows you…”
It’s crystal clear why the highest level of basketball in Spain has been ‘numero uno’ in Europe for years. The demanding physical and mental nature of delivering maximum performance from game to game in the Liga Endesa is part of the job. Looking at the previous season, the Serbian guard with Baskonia had no issues with that.
“The Liga Endesa is a fantastic competition – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Baskonia, Gran Canaria – there simply are no weak teams. Anyone can beat anyone. Real Madrid was unbeaten in the EuroLeague until New Year’s, yet in Spain they had already suffered three losses. That’s why the Liga Endesa is the best in the world after the NBA. It’s phenomenal for all players, tough both physically and mentally, but it’s part of the job, and that’s why you’re where you are. If you’re here, you have to know that it follows you,” explained Vanja Marinkovic.
Great coaching names in his career
Dusko Vujosevic, Andrea Trinchieri, Joan Penarroya, Dusko Ivanovic, Svetislav Pesic – these are the coaching names Vanja Marinkovic has worked with in his career so far. Now, in this hierarchy, he will collaborate with a man who has conquered the EuroLeague nine times and returned Partizan to its recognizable path—Zeljko Obradovic.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with great coaches, and now Zeljko Obradovic is here. Not many have that opportunity. I think it’s an experience for a lifetime, both basketball-wise and personally. Whether you want it or not, you gain experience. Every coach teaches you something that you use later on. It was the same with Dusko Vujosevic and Dusko Ivanovic, as well as with Svetislav Pesic, even though I spend two months a year with him. I can include Andrea Trinchieri in that as well, because it’s a privilege I’ve had and will continue to have.
Basketball is something I love immensely, and each of these coaches has given me something. I’m immensely grateful to them for that. Each of them gave me something that I probably didn’t fully grasp at the time, but it becomes clear with time. That’s when you realize how rich you are in basketball terms.”
“This year, if we don’t just look at the numbers, might be my best…”
After winning silver medal at the FIBA World Cup, Vanja Marinkovic, as he himself says, played his most complete season:
“I had that feeling when I was a younger player, playing for the U18 and U19 national teams of Serbia. It always gave me more confidence on the court. This year, if we don’t look at the numbers, might be my best because I felt physically and mentally strong. I played a complete season, and we welcomed a new coach, Dusko Ivanovic, whom I had full trust in. He believed in me, and I am immensely grateful to him for that.
I carried everything from the World Cup that I could take from the Serbian players and coach Pesic, as well as the experience of competing against the best in the world. When you play all summer, without a break, and you’re in good playing shape, it’s easier to start the season well. Not many have that luxury because most don’t play for national teams. For me, it has always been easier to play after the summer with the national team.”
Markus Howard
Markus Howard, a teammate of Serbian player at Baskonia, was one of the top shooters in the EuroLeague. Given that three-point shooting is one of Vanja Marinkovic’s deadliest weapons, we were interested to know if they ever competed in shooting drills as two “snipers” beyond the three-point line:
“I never had a shooting contest with him. He always stayed later to shoot while I went to the gym, and I arrived earlier to do my routine. I never thought about that. Markus Howard is an excellent shooter, and I learned a lot from him. Even if we had competed, I don’t think I would have had any chance (laughter).”
The number 9 on the jersey
“I have loved that number my whole life. I was born on January 9th, just like my older brother. Number nine is a big day in our house. When I met my girlfriend, now wife, she lived on the ninth floor. I don’t know why, but I always see that number, there are many nines in my life. When I entered the first team, Leo Westermann was injured, so I took his number nine and it continued like that.”
“Right to the core!”
“Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of the sports pyramid in basketball. Let’s go compete against the best, and everyone should absolutely enjoy that success,” said Bogdan Bogdanovic for Basketball Sphere.
The captain of the Serbian national team will be there again, alongside the three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic. Interestingly, Bogdanovic and Jokic are the only individuals with Olympic medals in this generation. It’s clear that everyone else dreams of expanding their collection with that piece of “iron,” preferably one that bears the symbol “Au” in the periodic table of elements. The journey to the medal starts in the toughest possible way – a game against the United States.