Everyone loves BobanMarjanovic, and there's good reason. AlSaracevic talked with the NBA 's beloved big man in his native language. Topics included: who were the best Balkan basketball players of all-time?
Mavericks center Boban Marjanović speaks with The Examiner’s Al Saracevic at the Mavericks practice facility ahead of the upcoming Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors.
Due to my own Balkan background, I was excited when Dallas advanced to the conference finals. I hoped to meet Boban and get to know him. I asked him if we could conduct the interview in his native tongue, Serbo-Croatian. He said, “Sure!” My parents both hail from the Balkans and I was raised speaking the language. Sadly, I’m a bit rusty. But Boban was gracious and we got through it just fine. So, this interview has been edited for brevity and clarity and for my language deficiencies.
Let’s talk about your career arc. You’ve become a leading face of the NBA. You’re everywhere on TV. What was that journey like for you? He’s an amazing guy. Everything he does, he does with his heart. That’s his biggest quality. His big heart. Not to mention how beautiful it is to watch him play. All the kids are his biggest fans. They want to be just like him.He’s already accomplished a lot, for us, for his team. And for himself, which is important.