Over the past two weeks, two young Montenegrin basketball players have decided to continue their careers at college in the United States. First, on April 8, basketball super agent Miško Ražnatović announced that David Mirković would continue his career at the University of Illinois, and ten days later, confirmation arrived from the same address that Andrija Grbović would be at Arizona State starting next season.
Like Mirković, Grbović is also a member of SC Derbija, where he arrived before the start of this season on loan from Budućnost Voli. He is a 21-year-old winger, who won a bronze medal at the European Championship in Podgorica with the Montenegrin youth national team three years ago. Grbović has had an interesting career so far, which he spoke about for “Vijesti”.
"Subconsciously, I believed that going to the NCAA could happen. Honestly, everything happened quickly, the official information came out during our game against Cedevita-Olimpija. The call and offer came unexpectedly, but I didn't think much about it. I completed the procedure in two or three days. This is the last year I can use to go to the NCAA. I am very happy, it is an ideal chance for me to go to the USA and improve myself," Grbović told "Vijesti".
Like the American film "Arizona Dream" filmed in 1993 and directed by Emir Kusturica, Grbović is living his Arizona dream more than three decades later.
It wasn't just basketball that made the 21-year-old from Pljevlja decide to go to college.
"Playing basketball gives you an ideal education, I can improve my language skills. There are many benefits to college. During the season, I was in contact with Fedor Žugić, who is already in college. He told me how the league, training, and school work. Honestly, I had never followed college basketball before and everything was unfamiliar to me. In recent years, many basketball players have decided to go to the NCAA. I think that this step is the right one for me, too," says Grbović.
The winger is the fourth SC Derby player to continue his career in the NCAA league. It all started with Zvonimir Ivišić, who was joined by his brother Tomislav, and then a few days ago it was announced that David Mirković would also continue his career in the USA. Ivišić and Mirković will be at Illinois, while Grbović will be at Arizona State.
"Zvonimir Ivišić was the first to start the wave of SC Derby players going to college. This is certainly confirmation that SC Derby is seriously counting on young players, giving them a chance to play in the ABA League, which is one of the strongest in Europe. This is proof of how SC Derby works with young players and how it prepares them for the next steps in their careers," believes Grbović.
Grbović arrived at SC Derbi this season, on loan from Buducnost. He got a chance in the blue jersey during the first part of last season, but then missed the entire second part.
"It's been a bit of a delicate situation since February. I was diagnosed with mononucleosis, after that I had an operation. I was off the court for about half a year and completely rested. With the agreement of the management, I decided to be at SC Derby on loan, because it was important for me to get an opportunity, to have a role in the team. By coming to SC Derby, I made a good move. As the season went on, I played more and more and had a bigger role. When I draw the line, I can say that I am satisfied," the 21-year-old basketball player is honest.
SC Derbi will play three more games in the AdmiralBet ABA League until the end of the season. Petar Mijović's team previously secured survival, while the playoffs are out of reach.
"The goal at the beginning of the season was to fight for survival. It remains a pity that we did not qualify for the playoffs. We showed a lot, especially against teams that have a bigger budget than us and are fighting for the top. In some games, one goal was decisive. On the other hand, we beat Spartak twice, Igoke once, teams that are in the upper part of the table. I can be satisfied with how we performed in difficult games," said Grbović, who is averaging 7,6 points and 3,2 rebounds in the regional competition.
Andrija Grbović had an unusual basketball career. At the age of 12, he went to Belgrade and played for Vizura, and then his journey took him to the academy of the German Ulm. He then played for OKK Belgrade and Mega, with whom he won the title in the junior ABA league and was the MVP of that competition in 2022. He arrived at Buducnost last season, but had numerous setbacks, and failed to impose himself on the coaching staff of the “blues”.
"My basketball journey, seen from this perspective, was certainly difficult. I changed a lot of clubs, a lot of environments, left home early, and was abroad. At the age of 12, I went to Vizura, in Belgrade, where I was for two years. After that, I was in Ulm for three years. I spent one season in OKK Belgrade, and then I was in Mega. The Arizona invitation is a confirmation of my work all these years. I can be satisfied with my career so far. I was lacking luck in Buducnost - I started the season well with the then coach Petar Mijović, who is now my coach at SC Derby. He gave me a great chance. Unfortunately, he was fired, and a new coach came in with a new philosophy and view of our game. I didn't get adequate minutes there. Then I got mononucleosis. But, in the end, I can say that I'm satisfied. By signing for Arizona, I paid for everything that had happened so far," says Grbović.
It's always nice to be in the national team.
The winger has played for all the junior national teams, and was an important member of the youth team that won bronze at the European Championship in Podgorica three years ago. He is one of the players who represent the future of Montenegrin basketball, as coach Boško Radović has also spoken about.
"My playing for the national team has never been in question. I have been in the national team since the age of 12, I have passed all the junior categories. That was crowned with a bronze medal in Podgorica, where we achieved an outstanding result. I always look forward to the call of coach Radović, it is a pleasure to be with the older guys in the team, I can learn a lot, they can pass on a lot to me. I have always enjoyed being in the national team and I will always respond when I get a call," concluded Grbović.
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