Dante Exum recalls his time in EuroLeague, names things he learned / News - Basketnews.com

Exum said he gained much-needed confidence shooting the ball. He recalled winning the ABA League with Partizan and admitted that the move to Europe was highly risky but worth in the end.

Credit: Sam Hodde/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Sam Hodde/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

Dante Exum was once one of the most highly regarded prospects in his NBA draft class. Years later, he had to resurrect his name and his game outside of the US.

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After 7 seasons in the NBA, Exum decided to continue his career in Europe. Not having received a compelling offer in the strongest league in the world, the Australian guard moved to Europe to sign with FC Barcelona.

"It was a way to kinda stay in the spotlight without being in the spotlight," Exum told Jake Fischer from Yahoo Sports about the move.

Exum immediately had to fit into the strict scheme of head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius in Barca. While he struggled in his first several games, Exum ended up being a valuable contributor near the end of the season.

The former No. 5 pick arrived with the reputation of being a shaky shooter at best. He left Europe as a consistent three-point threat.

"I think it's just comfortability, consistency, and confidence," Exum said. "That was the one thing I've tried to improve. But I think a lot of times when you're shooting and you miss one, you kinda get in your head a little bit. I try not to let that happen anymore. At what point do you become a shooter in the sense of how many am I willing to miss before I stop shooting? And I want that number to be high."

Despite his seeming success at Barcelona, Exum did not continue at the same club and moved to play for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in 2022.

"It was like, 'No, I'm just focusing on winning, focusing on what I'm doing right now. If the NBA happens, that happens.' And I think that helped me just kinda live in the moment," Exum recalled his move.

It ended up being the move that got him back into the NBA. While at Partizan, Exum became a beloved figure by the local fans, renowned for their support worldwide. Being coached by Zeljko Obradovic, the winningest coach in EuroLeague history, helped Exum develop his game beyond what he was previously accustomed to.

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Everything culminated with the ABA League win against the eternal rivals, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Hundreds of people flooded the court following the win, providing multiple memorable post-game moments.

"But it wasn't just random people. It was fans who had been there the whole season and seen everything since game one, on the court with us, celebrating, crying. The flares going off," Exum remembered.

Exum admits - it was a risk going to play in the EuroLeague, but it ultimately paid off.

"It's always a risk. Not many people go to Europe and are able to come back. It's hard to get back," he said.

Now with the Dallas Mavericks, Exum is a key role player beside the superstar duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

"The experience in Europe, for Exum to play over there and fight to get back here, has helped him a lot," Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. "He's fit right in with playing off Luka and Kai. He's played at a very high level from running the show to knocking down 3s and then defensively helping us as a big guard."

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