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Ivkovic–Former Yugoslavia Might Have Beat Dream Team
Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic hasn't been blowing his own trumpet, or exaggerating the success of the young national squad he led this year in a successful EuroBasket 2009 qualifying campaign.
With just a single defeat in Group A of Division A, though, there's no dispute that Ivkovic's Blues rekindled the enthusiasm of the fans in the "Land of Basketball".
The last medal achieved by the country came in 2002 at the FIBA World Championship.
It wasn't so long ago that the team that won that gold was known as Yugoslavia.
Ivkovic, with the year drawing to a close, spoke this week to the Sportska Centrala news agency.
Instead of focusing on the here and now, Ivkovic turned the clock back and remembered some of the former Yugoslavia's past successes when he was in first stint as coach. At the time, the Blues were the kings of Europe.
During that period, Yugoslavia won three European titles and one World Championship, in Argentina in 1990.
Had the breakup of the country not occurred, he says, even the Dream Team might have fallen victim to his Blues at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
"That was our goal, to reach gold in Barcelona," Ivkovic said, referring to a squad that included Serbian greats Vlade Divac, Zoran Savic and Zarko Paspalj, Croatian legends Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc and Slovenian Jure Zdovc.
"And we were on the right path. Our team was outstanding.
"With those guys, and all others (Velimir Perasovic, Zoran Cutura, Zeljko Obradovic, Arijan Komazec, Radisav Curcic and Zoran Jovanovic, who won the trophy in Argentina), I think we were ready for the biggest clash, with the Americans at the Olympics.
"For years we'd been preparing. We'd organized so-called "November tours" during which our selections faced the best college teams from the United States.
"And then, in one moment, we've overcome our goal of development and adapted to their (USA's) style. I don't want to sound arrogant, but I'm quite sure we would have defeated that "Dream Team" squad that wasn't, in my opinion, the best American team."
A lot of people have wondered why a European great like Ivkovic has never coached in the NBA.
While working as head coach of CSKA Moscow, in fact, Ivkovic says he got a call from an NBA team but refused to leave. Even nowadays, he's happy with his decision.
"I don't think I made a mistake when I said "thanks, but no thanks," he said.
"Indeed, we'd been close to a deal, and only details that I insisted on kept us apart. Meanwhile, I signed a contract in Russia, and when the NBA club agreed on my terms, it was already too late. I didn't want to break my new contract for one in the USA but for me - shaking hands is more than a contract.
"That's the man I am. I've stayed at a club I've signed for.
"There is a different style of work in the NBA, but I still think I would be successful there. Of course, I don't know how players would react to my style, but I'm sure that I wouldn't be comfortable with their attitude that ‘only play-offs are important'. That's not my way of understanding basketball."
Even now, Ivkovic has offers to lead club sides but shaking hands with authorities of the Serbian Basketball Association is more important than a new, lucrative contract.
"I've came back to my homeland to help, and I've accepted that job with a promise that I'll be there until the end (2012 Olympics in London)," Ivkovic said.
"A lot of work is in front of us and I've declined some offers from clubs as I want to stay with our national team," Ivkovic said to Sportska Centrala.
Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic hasn't been blowing his own trumpet, or exaggerating the success of the young national squad he led this year in a successful EuroBasket 2009 qualifying campaign.
With just a single defeat in Group A of Division A, though, there's no dispute that Ivkovic's Blues rekindled the enthusiasm of the fans in the "Land of Basketball".
The last medal achieved by the country came in 2002 at the FIBA World Championship.
It wasn't so long ago that the team that won that gold was known as Yugoslavia.
Ivkovic, with the year drawing to a close, spoke this week to the Sportska Centrala news agency.
Instead of focusing on the here and now, Ivkovic turned the clock back and remembered some of the former Yugoslavia's past successes when he was in first stint as coach. At the time, the Blues were the kings of Europe.
During that period, Yugoslavia won three European titles and one World Championship, in Argentina in 1990.
Had the breakup of the country not occurred, he says, even the Dream Team might have fallen victim to his Blues at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
"That was our goal, to reach gold in Barcelona," Ivkovic said, referring to a squad that included Serbian greats Vlade Divac, Zoran Savic and Zarko Paspalj, Croatian legends Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc and Slovenian Jure Zdovc.
"And we were on the right path. Our team was outstanding.
"With those guys, and all others (Velimir Perasovic, Zoran Cutura, Zeljko Obradovic, Arijan Komazec, Radisav Curcic and Zoran Jovanovic, who won the trophy in Argentina), I think we were ready for the biggest clash, with the Americans at the Olympics.
"For years we'd been preparing. We'd organized so-called "November tours" during which our selections faced the best college teams from the United States.
"And then, in one moment, we've overcome our goal of development and adapted to their (USA's) style. I don't want to sound arrogant, but I'm quite sure we would have defeated that "Dream Team" squad that wasn't, in my opinion, the best American team."
A lot of people have wondered why a European great like Ivkovic has never coached in the NBA.
While working as head coach of CSKA Moscow, in fact, Ivkovic says he got a call from an NBA team but refused to leave. Even nowadays, he's happy with his decision.
"I don't think I made a mistake when I said "thanks, but no thanks," he said.
"Indeed, we'd been close to a deal, and only details that I insisted on kept us apart. Meanwhile, I signed a contract in Russia, and when the NBA club agreed on my terms, it was already too late. I didn't want to break my new contract for one in the USA but for me - shaking hands is more than a contract.
"That's the man I am. I've stayed at a club I've signed for.
"There is a different style of work in the NBA, but I still think I would be successful there. Of course, I don't know how players would react to my style, but I'm sure that I wouldn't be comfortable with their attitude that ‘only play-offs are important'. That's not my way of understanding basketball."
Even now, Ivkovic has offers to lead club sides but shaking hands with authorities of the Serbian Basketball Association is more important than a new, lucrative contract.
"I've came back to my homeland to help, and I've accepted that job with a promise that I'll be there until the end (2012 Olympics in London)," Ivkovic said.
"A lot of work is in front of us and I've declined some offers from clubs as I want to stay with our national team," Ivkovic said to Sportska Centrala.
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