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Illinois men’s basketball is juggling lots of tasks and responsibilities ahead of tip-off on Saturday in the Final Four. Playing on basketball’s biggest stage comes with some pressure. Pressure, however, is nothing new for Illini junior guard Andrej Stojakovic. His last name alone has brought high expectations. Andrej’s father, Peja Stojakovic, is known as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Peja, playing more than a decade of pro ball, made 1,760 career three-pointers. “I’ve dealt with that expectation and pressure my whole life,” Andrej told WCIA on Friday. “I haven’t really bought into anything that’s been said recently in the tournament.”
The former Cal and Stanford standout, Andrej Stojakovic says his dad has never focused on outside noise. “He’s someone who just enjoys watching basketball and all he cares about is myself and the rest of the guys on the team finding enjoyment from playing,” he said. “He doesn’t care that we made the Final Four. It’s not about that. It’s about the hard work we put in finally paying off. And the idea of us loving the game as a showing right now.” While suiting up for the Illini, he tries to strike a balance between using and valuing the insight his father can offer, while knowing he is his own player – and not just a replica of his dad on or off the court. “It’s been great taking advice from him throughout my playing career, not just about basketball but about life in general,” Stojakovic said.
Matt George: Sacramento Kings legend Peja Stojakovic appeared on the NBA Out of Bounds Podcast and had a lot to say about Rich Paul & the De'Aaron Fox trade: "It seems there was a directive from his agent, Rich Paul, who played a key role and blackmailed the teams on which player was supposed to get traded where. He brought Fox to the Spurs, and Zach LaVine, who is his player, brought him to Sacramento. By doing this, he limited Sacramento from a business standpoint, stating that they get a bit more from this trade with Fox if they had the same discussion with some other teams in the NBA." pic.x.com/3ZT4CKdTqC
Jorge Sierra: Nikola Jokic passed one-time Finals MVP Chauncey Billups in playoff scoring last night. He's No. 45 all-time now. He also moved ahead of shooting extraordinaire Peja Stojakovic in three-pointers for No. 53. Also: Russ tied Steph in assists at No. 18.
Two former NBA All-Star forwards and sharpshooters, Reggie Miller and Peja Stojakovic, are the new members of the FIBA Hall of Fame.
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Imagine a world where prime Peja Stojakovic played on the Warriors. Would he fit? “Yes,” says Bibby. “Because they play the way we used to play. Moving and stuff like that. But if you’re a shooter, you can play anywhere.”
But Stojaković especially marveled at Jokic's cerebral gifts. "There's a line -- you're as fast as you can anticipate," he said. "He anticipates situations two and three steps ahead. People don't understand; before the situation happens, he can predict it." Which means Jokic sees lanes and angles and windows before they exist. Including the regular season and playoffs, he assisted on 468 layups and dunks last season, the most by any player in the NBA, per Second Spectrum tracking.
Dave Mason: De'Aaron Fox and Domas Sabonis made Kings history. First pair of Kings teammates to make the All-NBA team in the same season. All-NBA players in the Sacramento era: -Mitch Richmond -Chris Webber -Peja Stojakovic -DeMarcus Cousins
Sean Cunningham: In attendance for tonight’s Game 5 at Golden 1 Center include California Governor Gavin Newsom, Sacramento natives Shaq Thompson (Panthers LB) & Derrek Lee (former MLB All-Star), Former Kings Brad Miller, Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakovic & his son, All-American Andrej Stojakovic.
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Clutch Points: The Kings have a 6-game winning streak for the first time since January 2005. Their starting 5 in that win? Mike Bibby/Cuttino Mobley/Peja Stojakovic/Chris Webber/Brad Miller. pic.twitter.com/NTo0kaienP
Top-25 senior Andrej Stojakovic, the son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, announced his commitment to Stanford on Monday. Stojakovic chose the Cardinal over Texas, UCLA and Oregon. He took multiple visits to his finalists over the course of the summer and early fall, with both Stanford and Texas making strong pushes down the stretch. A 6-foot-7 small forward out of Jesuit High School (Carmichael, California), Stojakovic is ranked No. 24 in the ESPN 100 for the 2023 class. He skyrocketed from outside the top 100 entering the spring to a borderline five-star prospect after stellar showings on the Adidas grassroots circuit for the Compton Magic program.