The domestic player is not worried that Europeans are not successful in Israel ("Katsch's style suits me") • knows that the injuries have hurt his career, and wants to win the Champions League ("We play basketball for a reason")
Luca Mitrovic.
Knows the injuries have hurt his career
Photography:
Danny Maron
Luca Mitrovic grew up in the incubator for young development of the Muparm Versace, from which excellent tall men like Boban Marianovic and Nikola Milutinov came out.
At the beginning of his career he was considered a great potential, and already at the age of 21 he was appointed captain of the Red Star Belgrade, but then the injuries came and disrupted his promising career path.
In 2015 he missed about six months in the Red Star uniform, and also in the 2017/18 season in Bamberg he was absent for a few months due to injury, following which he also took a break from basketball for about six months to take care of the body.
"The injuries affected me, of course," he said in an interview with Israel Today, asking if that was why he failed to live up to the enormous expectations placed on him, "Honestly, I try not to think about it. I just enjoy playing basketball where I am. "And the question 'what could have happened' is not in my mind. I take the opportunity that I can play at a high level and for a big team like Hapoel Jerusalem."
Mitrovic may enjoy Jerusalem, but the list of European players - especially domestic players - who did not enjoy playing in Israel, and in Jerusalem in particular, is long.
Just last year, the Lithuanian Mindaugas Kupashas, who did not fit Oded Katash's method of play, did not register once in the Israeli league games (which is not suitable for players of his height) and left without leaving a mark.
"I like Katsch's method of play and the style he tries to teach us," Mitrovic claims, "I think it suits me and I try to fulfill his requests, to be a successful part of the team."
A lot of tall Europeans have failed here, why would you be different?
"I'm sure I can succeed in Israel and I will do everything to make the situation with me different from others. I do not have to think about it so as not to put extra pressure on myself. I have to do what the coach says and what the team needs, and hope with the set of abilities I have I will succeed here. "
Did you think about it before you signed?
"Honestly, before I signed I did not know much about what you are saying now."
In the summer of 2015, after finishing the peak season of his career and at the age of 21 averaging 8.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in the Euroleague, Mitrovic signed for a draft and was even interviewed by several teams and eventually selected 60th and last in the second round.
In a way that might indicate his different nature, the Serb chose not to watch the draft "because no team promised to pick me."
At that time he even went out with friends.
"We followed while on the phone, but when I saw that teams that interviewed me did not pick me in the first 40-50 places so I gave up and even stopped following on the phone. Suddenly I started getting messages from friends and so I found out I was selected. It was a big moment for me and it was a privilege to be among 60 players. "Honestly, I was not stressed before and flowed with the situation. I told myself that if it happened I would enjoy it and if not, not terrible. In the end it happened so I was happy."
Last season Mitrovic recovered with a handsome averages of 8.5 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game in the Manresa uniform in the strong Spanish league.
Now he knows that winning the Champions League can restart his career, and maybe even leave him in Jerusalem until the end of the season.
"We play basketball for a reason - to win titles," he says ahead of the Champions League quarter-final against Burgos tomorrow. "It's weird that in the first official game this season we're playing for a title. "But we will try to do our best. We have a high motivation to do beautiful things."
Would you like to continue in Jerusalem until the end of the season?
"I hope it happens. I gave it my all last month, and I hope to help the team in the coming week. It's a short period and I'm trying to be the best I can in every game and every training session. I have a short contract (with an extension option, YM), so I hope I will help the team reach its goals, and from there we will see what happens. "
