Zlatko Jovanovic, the Serbian coach at the helm of Hungarian side Honved Budapest, spoke for Basketball Sphere after another major club achievement.
Over the previous two seasons, the youngest team in the competition reached the playoffs twice, once directly and once through the play-in, continuing a strong run of consistent results.
Already at the halfway point of the 2025/2026 season, it can be said that they have achieved a significant success by qualifying for the Hungarian Cup. Following the model of many European leagues, the top eight teams at midseason earn a spot in the Cup. Honved had not been part of that elite group for a full 26 years, and now, during the draw, the name of the most decorated club in Hungarian basketball history will once again appear in one of the bowls.
Your decision to stay at Honved despite some offers has proven to be the right one, which we can already see. Tell us more about that decision and the season so far.
“The decision to stay looks like the best possible option, and that is what guided me, but coaching is a job where decisions are questioned on a daily basis. With this result, it certainly seems like the right move, but the decision was not made based on results from previous seasons. It was made because of the genuine support from the people in the club and everyone involved in the process. I was fortunate to have such management, everything came together in the best possible way, and I fully stand behind that decision.
We achieved the best result and the best start in the club’s history. After 26 years, we qualified for the Cup, and over the last three seasons we have been in the playoffs. Being in the Cup is a huge success, as it includes the top eight teams at midseason. We managed to finish ahead of teams with much bigger budgets and squads full of high-quality individuals and foreign players. We followed our own system, without using the maximum number of foreign players, while pushing domestic players to reach this result.” said Zlatko Jovanovic.
Claim Now You officially secured the Cup qualification with a win against Sopron, and then followed it up with another victory over Debrecen, the second time this season, putting you at 8–6 and in the fight for the upper part of the table.
“The win against Sopron was decisive, but I want to emphasize our strong start to the season, when we managed to beat Debrecen and Paks at home. Those are teams aiming for the very top of the standings, with very serious budgets, foreign players, and domestic talent. That allowed us to close one very demanding stretch of home games. The Sopron game was important, but that early start laid the foundation for everything that followed.
For the first time during my tenure, we also beat Kormend, which is a very significant result. The team has grown, developed team spirit and character. When you earn tough road wins like the one against Sopron, it is a clear sign of growth and positive momentum. That victory brought us to the Cup, but the entire process leading up to it was crucial.”
At the halfway point of the season, Honved managed to be among the top eight, which is a huge success for such a young team and secured their ticket to the Hungarian Cup. Zachary Simmons delivered one of the best games of his career with 23 points and 21 rebounds when it mattered most. Given the limited number of foreign players allowed on the roster, how do you approach selecting imports, considering the difficult decisions, extensive scouting, and the search for a winning formula?
“That was the best game of his career, and I am very proud of him. It is also proof that I do not make big mistakes when it comes to selection, so part of the answer is already in your question. There is very serious scouting during the summer, a lot of information gathering, and I was fortunate to sign players who had previously worked with coaches from our region. Brandon Rush played for my former club, and Djordje Dimitrijevic is someone I have known for a long time from Serbia.
Zachary Simmons also played in Serbia, while Chuck O’Bannon played in Slovakia under a coach I know very well, from whom I received all the necessary information. Those details are key factors when making decisions on who to sign. In our first year, we made one change, last year we replaced a foreign player only due to injury, and this year everyone has been here from the start. Summer work is the foundation for about 70 percent of success in that sense, while the remaining 30 percent is earned through daily work.”
As in previous seasons, you always have at least one Serbian player on the roster. This year it is Djordje Dimitrijevic, who is having a very solid season. Even though coaches do not like to single out individuals, his performances certainly deserve additional attention.
“As I have said in previous interviews, I always try to create a connection between some foreign players and our players, along with domestic Hungarian players. This season I also considered some players from the Baltics, but this is how it turned out, with three Americans and one of our own. I usually want that Serbian player to be a point guard, someone who can be an extension of the coach on the floor. I tried to bring Dimitrijevic in for the last three years. He is a true professional and a hard worker.
Two years ago, an injury kept him off the court, but he returned very quickly thanks to his character. Playing for Vrsac, he won the KLS title, he is a proven winner, and there was no dilemma. He was the first piece we wanted to bring in. He has my trust both on and off the court, and he understands that this also comes with great responsibility. It is very important to play on a winning team, not just to put up numbers. I hope he stays healthy and continues at the same pace so that we can achieve good results together and keep growing as a team.”
How far can Honved go in the Cup and by the end of the season?
“We finished fifth at midseason, so if we draw one of the teams below us, we will play a single game at home. If we draw a team that finished above us, then we will play on the road. After that comes the Final Four. In the Cup, everything is possible. We dreamed of qualifying for the Cup, and we achieved that, so now we continue to live that dream. We keep dreaming, and what will happen in that one game depends on the draw and current form.
Whoever we face, it will certainly be difficult, but one game, 40 minutes, anything can happen. We have already exceeded expectations, because just one win could take us to the Final Four, but we will think about that when the time comes. We still have several league games to play, then the draw, and we will see what we can do. The second part of the season has already begun. The league is more balanced than ever, with the rule requiring two Hungarian players on the court at all times. I want us to continue working this way, because even if we do not reach the playoffs, I would still consider the season successful.
If we manage to make the playoffs, that would be a huge step forward, considering the competition that invests significantly more money and has much larger budgets than Honved. I wish my players good health, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone happy holidays, with much luck and success in the year ahead.” concluded Zlatko Jovanovic in an interview for Basketball Sphere.
