Mundobasket number two for Montenegro is slowly approaching - a championship where our basketball team will be stronger again thanks to NBA star Nikola Vučević.
The Chicago Bulls center skipped Eurobasket last summer, but now he's back and wants more victories in a red jersey.
"I'm glad to be back, especially because of the guys I played with before. So far, everything is going as it should, we've been training well and now we're starting the matches," said Vučević before the trip to Montpellier, where our boys will have their first friendly match with France.
Now there are some new players...
"The younger guys I met are excellent, I think the mix of more experienced and younger guys is excellent, so we have good energy," added Vučević for the Basketball Association of Montenegro.
He also revealed what most influenced him to return to the national team.
"I came back the most because I saw the relationship that was created between the players last year at Eurobasket, and I heard about it from the guys I knew before," said the Chicago ace.
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Montenegro will play its first test match tomorrow (Wednesday, 20.30:8 p.m.) with France, followed by duels with Slovenia (August 12), then a tournament in Tbilisi (13 and 20) with Georgia and Iran, and finally with one of host Mundobasket to the Philippines on August XNUMX.
"Each game means to us, through them we can get the best of each other and prepare. We will give everything to beat them, but we don't need to focus on the result itself, but on our game and to arrange everything from training properly," says Vučević.
The first two matches will be duels with top European teams.
"Perhaps it is better for us to immediately play against strong national teams," pointed out Vucevic.
At the Mundobasket, Montenegro will play in Manila, and its rivals in the group will be Lithuania, Mexico and Egypt. The first match will be played against the "Sombreros" on August 25.
"I know Juan Toscano Andreson (Uta basketball player) from that selection, I played against him several times, I haven't met the others yet. I certainly think that the coaches will do a good scouting, that we will get to know the rival well. But we are not thinking about them yet, now the focus is in preparation," he added.
What would be success at Mundobasket?
"Going to the World Championship itself is a great success, but we also have a chance to pass the group at Mundobasket, and that would be a huge success. That's our goal, but we're going one game at a time," concluded Vucevic.
Radović: We start with strong rivals, the right form at Mundobasket
Coach Boško Radović, after a good performance at Eurobasket, is preparing for his second big competition on the bench of Montenegro.
"We have completed the physical and most demanding part of the preparations. Now there will be a series of friendly matches, and we will play all matches away from home. So, the next part of the preparations will be where we will see what we have done and how much we have done, what we need to change," said Radović.
He says about the rivals during the preparations.
"We start with strong rivals - both France and Slovenia are candidates for a medal at the Mundobsket, but that's what we could organize and schedule. Maybe they won't be the right benchmark, because we're timing the right form for the start of the World Championship," pointed out Radović.
He once again praised his players...
"Who knows how many times I will say that we are working with a serious and good group of players - not only with those who are here now, but with everyone who was there before," concluded Radović.
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