Mario Hezonja: 'I only play for Croatia because of my uncle' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

It was a tough five years that Mario Hezonja spent in the United States. Three seasons with the Orlando Magic and another two with the New York Knicks and the Portland Trail Blazers gave the opportunity to the once child prodigy of Croatian basketball to explore his abilities at the highest level.

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Alas, the forward from Dubrovnik may have fulfilled his NBA dream, but he never managed to really break into the league. With the exception of the 2017-19 period, when his playing time was over 20 minutes and his contribution was reflected in a near double-digit scoring, Hezonja was craving for more. More time on the court, more responsibilities on his teams, more recognition of his basketball skill set.As far as recognition goes, his triumphant arrival in Athens, Greece, last February, easily topped everything he had ever experienced. The superstar treatment he received by almost 500 fans of Panathinaikos was probably the best birthday present he could have ever expected. Besides, Mario Hezonja was never shy in expressing his love for the 'Greens'. Everywhere in his social media accounts, there were videos of Greek fans chanting and celebrating with flares.

If the NBA dream didn't live up to the hype, the non-basketball side of things went smoothly for Hezonja in Athens, as he won both the Greek League and the Cup with Panathinaikos, in addition to enjoying the interaction with the team's fanbase. The outcome of the 2020-21 season for him was to be included in the roster of Croatia for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, to be held in Split between the 29th of June and the 4th of July. This will be Hezonja's comeback with the national team since the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Italy in 2016. Croatia will fight for the one and only ticket to the Tokyo Games, along with Germany, Russia, Mexico, Tunisia, and Brazil. BasketNews caught up with "Super Mario" in Athens and the 26-year-old referred to his season with Panathinaikos, getting back into shape, playing for Croatia again and his mindset while he was struggling to find room in the NBA.Q: How does it feel winning two Greek titles (championship and cup) with Panathinaikos?A: It feels great. My ejection in the last game against Lavrio kind of ruined it for me, but it's been a hard year, with COVID and everything. To finish it with a double is very special for Panathinaikos and for us. I am super happy because we came for the trophy. It was on our mind all season and we achieved it. Everywhere I went to Athens, I'd see Panathinaikos fans: on the street when I went to eat. It's really unique. I think Athens is the only place in the world with fanatics like that.

Mario Hezonja

Team:Panathinaikos AthensPosition:SGAge:26Height:202 cmWeight:91 kgBirth place:Dubrovnik, CroatiaProfileNewsStatistics

They say they love me because I'm crazier than them, which is actually true. So, I could become one of their leaders one day (laughs). On my Twitter account, I get the chance to show them how much I love them and how much I appreciate all they did for me. They made me feel like I'm home, so I thank them for that.

Credit Zuma Press – ScanpixQ: Was your experience in Greece as you expected it to be?A: No. I know how crazy they are, but for me, individually, after five very hard years when I was trying to find myself and after ten months when I didn't do anything, I was really blessed to land in Athens on my birthday. Q: Do you plan on staying with the team?A: I hope so. My heart is green. This is the team I've loved since I was young; it's been almost 15 years. Where else would I rather be? This team is my home and my family. I'm not the guy that came to play for money; I came for free. I don't know what's going to happen with all the contractual stuff, but I feel that this is my family, my home, my color, my heart. Everything is here. Q: Playing-wise, do you feel ready to perform at the highest level?A: To be honest with you, I would say that I'm not at 100 percent because EuroLeague is so specific and you got to be super ready. This is the real basketball. You have to pay attention to all the details. I wasn't ready to play in the EuroLeague after ten months. I was training and lifting weights, but you have to adapt to a situation, no matter how good you are or how good the team is. After this summer with the National Team, I want to go back to my workout routine, and in October, when the season starts, I will be at 100 or even 150 percent. Q: What do you think about getting back to the national team after five years?A: I don't feel anything, I don't care. I play on the team because of my uncle who died in the war. My father was also in the war... I play for those people, many of whom are not with us anymore. I have no relationship with those running the Federation. I pay my respect to those that went through a very hard time. That's the only reason why I show up and put my jersey on. When I could, I was always there. When I couldn't because I was injured and I refused to play, they thought of me as an enemy.

Mario Hezonja with CroatiaCredit FIBA

Hopefully, we will re-establish our relationship, but in order for it to happen, they must understand what I was doing; that I wasn't being selfish, that it wasn't really my decision to not play. But I'm not worried about that. If we don't straight things up, we will lose. I spoke to those guys many times before the deadline for players to declare their availability and everything seems fine to me so far.Q: When you arrived in Greece, you told the press: "Don't get me started on the NBA". Was it so bad an experience for you?A: Yes, because I was in the wrong situation all the time. The NBA is coaching and luck. I didn't have any luck, but the only thing that I'm proud of in those five years is my mentality. My mindset kept me working through it because I knew that nothing could happen to the personality and the player that I am. So, I just kept working. I was focused on myself, helping the team whenever I could, but I was always on a straight line because I knew what I had to do to get to the highest level. One has to be a little bit selfish to get there, but I did what I thought was good for me. Q: What do you think of non-US players, like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, elected as NBA MVPs?A: I was with Nikola (Jokic) at the All-Star Game in Toronto (in 2016) and you could tell already that he was special, even if it was only his first year. I'm very proud of the way he plays and I want to say congratulations to him.

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