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Vladimir Radmanovic on being traded to Hornets: ‘After being kept on the bench for nearly two months with only 'teaspoon' minutes, I couldn't establish any continuity as a player. It was one of the most frustrating periods of my career. I eventually went to Mitch Kupchak and told him, 'If this is going to continue, please count me out and look for a trade.' It’s a classic case of 'be careful what you wish for.' I was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats, which was a franchise in total disarray at the time. The locker room was a mess, and the organization was nowhere near the playoffs. I went from the Lakers, where every arena was sold out and the energy was electric, to a team where it felt like more people watched junior basketball in Serbia than our NBA games. In that moment, I realized that as much as I hated sitting on the bench in Los Angeles, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.’
Vladimir Radmanovic: 'Kobe Bryant was like a shark; if he sensed even a little bit of blood, it was over. He tested every single teammate to see what he could expect from them in terms of mental toughness. This involved provocations, playing dirty during practice, and even throwing 'cheap shots.' To an outsider, it might look like something was wrong with him or that he wasn't balanced, but from the inside, you realized it was a constant test. I saw players like Smush Parker fail that test. There were stories that Kobe wouldn't even speak to certain teammates outside of practice. He wanted to see if you would fold under pressure or if you would stand your ground. While some people might find that style of leadership toxic or unpleasant, it was his way of filtering who could be relied upon when the games actually mattered. He didn't just want teammates; he wanted people who could survive his environment.'
Vladimir Radmanovic on being recruited by the Lakers: ‘When I was a free agent deciding where to sign, my manager told me that three people were going to contact me: Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Phil Jackson. No matter how humble you try to be, it is incredibly flattering when those three individuals call you personally and tell you they want you in their organization. Vlade Divac acted as a mediator, likely sharing my phone number. I knew that joining the Lakers might not be the best option for my personal statistics or my minutes on the floor, but it was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. Playing for the Lakers is something special in every sense: the constant media attention and the unique pressure are things very few other NBA teams ever experience. When Kobe calls and says, 'I want you here because we need your shooting to help us win,' it changes your perspective on team dynamics and individual sacrifice for the sake of a legacy.’
Vladimir Radmanovic on the Influence of Phil Jackson’s methods: ‘Phil Jackson was an incredibly interesting type of coach, unlike anyone else in the league. He had these methods—meditation, yoga, and turning off the lights in the locker room. He would tell us to close our eyes and 'think of nothing.' At the time, I was just starting to explore my faith more seriously, and I felt like meditating didn't really fit with my beliefs, so I’d just use the time to take a quick nap while he talked. But he was also brilliant with team psychology. During the playoffs, when we were watching film of our opponents, he would randomly insert clips from a movie. You’d be watching defensive rotations, and suddenly a scene from a random film would play. We’d all laugh, but it was his way of relaxing the team and breaking the tension. He had these 'special methods' to keep us from burning out mentally during the high-pressure environment of a championship run.’
Nash turned 50 in February. He last played in an NBA game in April 2014. He told me, when pressed, that he thinks he had played basketball only once in the last 10 years before arriving in Slovenia ... one solitary staff game when he was coaching the Nets. But Dragić asked Nash to play for a few minutes in Saturday night's testimonial and the 50-year-old duly agreed to start alongside Nikola Vučević, Vladimir Radmanović, Vlatko Čančar and, of course, Dragić himself.
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The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced the launch of the NBA European Ambassador Program, which will see former NBA players engage thousands of youth through the league’s youth development efforts on the continent. The NBA European Ambassador Program will include former NBA players John Amaechi (UK), Gordan Giriček (Croatia), Marko Milič (Slovenia), Hanno Möttölä (Finland), Audie Norris (U.S.), Dino Rađa (Croatia), Vladimir Radmanović (Serbia), Efthimios Rentzias (Greece), Dragan Tarlać (Serbia), and Ronny Turiaf (France).
Alexander Raskovic: Vladimir Radmanovic will continue his career in NBA next season. Stay tuned....
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Radmanovic: "We had a pretty good relationship. But that's different, he is different... This is perhaps the best description I can give for Jackson.
He was one of the Bulls’ first offseason acquisitions and coach Tom Thibodeau said early in camp that he had big plans for the 11-year forward, so there would seem to be something more than what’s on the surface, but Thibodeau downplayed that Thursday. “I want to make sure he’s ready,’’ Thibodeau said. “We’ll see how it unfolds. He’s a good pro, comes in and gets his work done. He knows what he’s trying to get accomplished. I do want to see him some at the three, which I haven’t done yet, but I have a pretty good idea of what he could do.’’ It’s the “make sure he’s ready’’ part that seems to be the key. Radmanovic admitted that Camp Thibodeau is a lot more work than advertised, and he might need to play catch-up physically before those minutes are given.
Management will say its financial decisions are cloaked in basketball reasons. With Rose out until likely March, next season is a treading-water season. So instead of depth being the secondary star, the Bulls hope to add a legitimate one alongside Rose. With Hinrich, Belinelli, Radmanovic and Mohammed all signing short-term deals, the plan to clear major salary-cap space in 2014 will remain intact. That's also when Luol Deng's contract expires, Nikola Mirotic could come over from Real Madrid and Carlos Boozer likely will be a victim of the amnesty provision.