William Hatcher, a former player of Partizan, was at the Belgrade Stark Arena last Thursday during the eternal derby and took the opportunity to speak with Sportklub.
Hatcher was a member of the black-and-white team during the 2016/2017 season, which was perhaps one of the weakest in the 21st century for the Partizan – not so much in terms of results, but in terms of organization and the individual quality of the players recruited.
At that time, Aleksandar Dzikic was the head coach of Partizan, and the black and whites were competing in the FIBA Champions League. Now, seven years later, the legendary Zeljko Obradovic is at the helm, and Partizan is competing in the EuroLeague.
“It’s nice to be back in Belgrade. A lot of time has passed, but the feeling is still the same – the energy, the fans… The Serbian derby in the EuroLeague, it’s one of the most exciting games in European basketball. I’m glad I had the opportunity to come to this particular match – it brings back memories of some games I played against Crvena Zvezda. It’s nice; I feel like I’m at home,” said the 39-year-old William Hatcher.
Hatcher arrived at Partizan from PAOK Thessaloniki, having previously built a respectable European career by “burning the court” in obscure competitions.
“The season at Partizan was one of the best years of my life and one of the best seasons in my career. I was doing well at that time, but Partizan was going through a tough period. I was glad to bring some excitement to the club, make the fans happy, and help the team achieve some victories. I still maintain many friendships from that time. Above all, with coach Aleksandar Dzikic, and I stay in touch with some teammates from that squad. I will remember that year for a long time,” emphasized the American point guard.
Of course, after the derby, Hatcher was asked for his opinion on the current Partizan team.
“Partizan has a solid team. Some players are in their first season in Europe – Kaminsky, Dozier… And they are good players, man. They need to adapt and switch from the American style to the European style, especially at such a high level as the EuroLeague. I think they will adapt and find their rhythm and confidence.
Last year was the same; the team slowly progressed, and by the end of the season, they played excellent basketball and came very close to the Final Four. I hope it will be the same this season,” said the 39-year-old American.
What is William Hatcher doing today?
“I ended my career two and a half years ago. I played in Europe for 15 years. Now, I’m at home and involved in real estate, but I’m transitioning into the role of a basketball agent. I’m helping young players from the US find opportunities in Europe and helping clubs find good basketball players. I’m just getting started, and I hope to be as successful as I was in playing basketball,” concluded Hatcher.