Danilo Andjusic: Love for Partizan, series vs Olympiacos & lessons from Mike James / News - Basketnews.com

Danilo Andjusic opened up about having to play amidst a tragedy and the special bond he feels with Partizan fans. He remembered last year's playoffs when he played for Monaco against Olympiacos in a memorable Game 5. He denied the notion that Mike James is not a good teammate, and named one thing he learned from the star guard.

Credit: Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic; AS Monaco Direction de la Communication/Stephane Danna; Aspasia Velonaki Credit Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic; AS Monaco Direction de la Communication/Stephane Danna; Aspasia Velonaki

Game 4 between Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Real Madrid was unlike any other. It came a day after a tragic school shooting took place in the Serbian capital. There was no music during the game, and the fans didn't chant anything in the first half. Everything was different.

2-pointers this season

56%20,8Points made:20,8Accuracy:55,9%Place in standings:4Record max:29Record min:13Most made 2FGs:Mathias LessortTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Belgrade was devastated. Flowers were pouring in before the game as people were honoring the lives of the eight children that were killed. For Partizan's Danilo Andjusic, it was personal.

"I have two kids, I have two boys. I was really stressed and nervous after what happened," he told BasketNews after the game. "You can't even send your kids to school and not think [about their safety]. I really connect to what people are feeling at this moment."

"This is a loss of the entire society in Serbia," he continued. "We have to talk with our kids, we have to spend more time with our kids because this thing cannot happen again. We have to give ourselves to our children so they become good people one day."

Minutes before the presentation of both teams, Real Madrid players undressed their practice attire to reveal shirts with the name of the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School written on them in solidarity with the victims.

Partizan wore special uniforms that had just the name of the school at the front. No sponsor logos, just the name of the player and the word Belgrade on the back of the shirt.

"It was a tough game, especially because of the situation we in Serbia are in and [because of] everything that happened. It affected everybody in the beginning, we didn't have the right focus from there from the first moment, which you could see," Andjusic explained Partizan's bad start in Game 4. "We didn't start well, they had a big lead in the beginning, but then we managed to come back."

"We played a solid game, but in crucial moments when we could take over the game, we didn't make the right decisions, especially on offense. That's the reason why we didn't win the game," he said. "We fought until the end, we gave everything [we had], but I think we didn't show the game that we can play, that we've been playing the last couple of months, especially on offense."

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade / Schedule

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade Real Madrid80-82 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade Real Madrid78-85 Real Madrid Partizan Mozzart Bet BelgradeWed19:00

After winning the first two games in Madrid, Partizan arrived in Belgrade, hoping to finish the series. Led by Edy Tavares, Real Madrid, however, pushed back and evened the series at 2 games each.

Contrary to Game 3, Partizan were behind most of the time in Game 4, trying to catch up to with the visitors from Madrid. Even though they had a slight lead in the third quarter, the guests ultimately took the win.

"I think the game in Madrid will be totally different," Andjusic said. "Of course, all the people here wanted us to win that game and celebrate [the win] together, and we're sad because of that, but nothing is lost, we feel their support, and I'm really thankful that we have that kind of fans."

"I think they're the best in the world, and we can really feel that they believe in us," the guard talked about Partizan fans. "We believe in our team. I think we can make it through one more break and win in Madrid. We have a couple of days to prepare ourselves and to rest. We'll be ready for Madrid."

When the game was finished, Kevin Punter, who couldn't play due to EuroLeague suspension for his involvement in the fight in Game 2, addressed the team in the middle of the court.

The guard passionately encouraged his teammates, saying that nothing had been lost and there is still one game left. Andjusic has the same approach.

"We cannot put our heads down, there's still one game left, there's a 50/50 chance to win. We still think we can go to the Final Four. We've already shown that we can win there, and there's no reason why we can't show it again."

When the starting fives arrived in the middle of the court, a moment of silence was observed to remember the victims of the shooting. When it was over, fans started throwing flowers onto the court in remembrance of the children who were killed.

Partizan agreed with fan groups before the game that there would be no chants during the first half of the game. It applied to pre-game as well. For the first time ever, the famous Partizan anthem - 'Da Volim Crno-Bele' - was not sung before the match.

"We're not used to it. You know what the atmosphere is like here. It was grim in the beginning. You could see that people wanted to give their support, but I think we did a great job showing respect to the victims and the families that were affected by this tragedy," Andjusic said. "I cannot avoid talking about it. It's something that hasn't happened in the history of Serbia before."

"You could feel the atmosphere in the second half, you could feel the people, it was totally different compared to the first half," he commented. "I'm sure we'll have big support from our fans in Madrid once again."

During Game 4, it was announced that Luka Doncic would pay for the funeral services for all the families directly affected by the school shooting. Danilo's face lit up after finding out about it.

"That's amazing. There are no words to describe what he did. It shows what kind of a person he is," he said. "I'm really thankful from my side for what he did. That shows a lot about him."

After Game 2 in Madrid, there were a lot of sparks between the fans of both clubs. It was initially believed by many that Real Madrid players' safety might be disrupted during their visit to Belgrade. In the end, nothing came out of it.

Andjusic thinks the relationship between the two clubs is positive and hopes there won't be any issues for Partizan fans traveling to Spain.

"After everything that happened, I think both clubs calmed the situation down. It's the right thing to do," he said about Partizan fans getting tickets to the game. "I think we have a good relationship with their club, and I hope they will let some of our fans into the gym, it would be a nice gesture from them."

This year's Partizan team is known for their good chemistry on the court. Players can often be seen dancing after emphatic plays or enthusiastically celebrating important moments.

That's not always the case in basketball, though. NBA veteran Patrick Beverley recently highlighted that more than 50% of the players in the league do not even love the game of basketball.

Beverley is not the first one to talk about the issue. Even though Danilo Andjusic has seen similar instances in his career, he says everything is different when you come to Partizan.

"When you play for Partizan, it's a totally different story, especially for me. As I've said a lot of times, Partizan is my club. Ever since I was a kid, I've been cheering for Partizan. When I'm playing for this team, and for this jersey, it gives me special emotions and extra motivation. When you see all these people cheering for you on the streets... it's something really special in this country and this city, especially for me," the player said.

"I cannot compare that feeling to anything. That's the main reason I came back. I wanted to feel the emotions again and, like Patrick said, the love of basketball," he explained. "When you feel all of this, you enjoy the game. I think enjoying the game is the most important thing."

Andjusic spent last season playing for AS Monaco. It was the team's first season in the EuroLeague, but the organization already made a name for itself by making it into the playoffs.

Even though he switched teams in the competition, Andjusic has no bad memories about the experience on the French Riviera.

"For me, playing in Partizan is a special thing. I love Monaco. I loved what we had last year. We played great basketball, we were so close to the Final Four. Playing in Game 5 was an amazing feeling, it was my first time in the playoffs," he recalled.

"Monaco will always have a special place in my heart. I love the people there, and I have multiple people I still stay in touch with. Playing for Partizan is a totally different story, playing for this country, for this city. Partizan is my team. You cannot compare these two things."

It will be the second Game 5 in a row for Andjusic. Last year, he got to play in the Peace and Friendship Stadium against Olympiacos Piraeus in what was one of the craziest EuroLeague games in recent memory.

NBA superstar Kevin Durant and acting star Emma Stone visited the venue. The game was famously marked by a crazy outburst from the Greek fans at the end of the game.

"It was crazy last year because we played against Olympiacos. We played away, Kevin Durant was in the game. They had amazing fans, they were cheering like crazy. They also have good fans. Not like us, I'd say, but they're also great fans," Andjusic laughed.

"I really enjoyed playing in that kind of atmosphere. Here, when you have people behind you cheering for you, it's a different story. It's much more enjoyable," he admitted.

Mike James is the biggest superstar of the AS Monaco team. Often viewed as one of the most talented players on the continent, he hasn't avoided controversy in his playing career in Europe.

The Monaco guard is sometimes viewed as a troubled player who causes issues in the locker room. Andjusic says this kind of thinking cannot be further from the truth.

"He's really an amazing guy, one of the best individually gifted players that have ever played in the EuroLeague. He's also a great guy outside of basketball," he shared. "When people don't know him, they have a totally different opinion about him. When you get to know him, you change your mind. He's a great guy, a great player."

With almost a decade of EuroLeague basketball under his belt, James is slowly becoming a league veteran. Teammates who have less high-level experience can usually learn a thing or two from such competitors.

Andjusic names one specific trait he's noticed and then embodied after only a season with the star guard.

"As a player, I learned how to stay focused no matter if I played a good game or a bad game, and just to not think about anything that happened before," he said. "We actually never talked about it, but I could see it, and that was the thing that I noticed that I was really impressed about."

"He can play a bad game one day, and he doesn't have a single doubt in his mind about how he has to play two days later," Andjusic explained. "He remains focused and shows his best game just two days later. That's what I learned basketball-wise."

As a former Monaco player, Andjusic follows their playoff series against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and wishes they'd take the victory.

"I cheer for them, I hope they can win in the playoffs. The entire organization and what they've been doing the last couple of years, they deserve it. I hope they will make it," Andjusic concluded.

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