Tomislav Mijatovic praises Micic, jokes about Kecman's miracle shot / News - Basketnews.com

Newly-appointed Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach Tomislav Mijatovic praised his former player Vasilije Micic and talked about Dusan Kecman's miracle shot in the 2010 ABA League championship game.

Credit: EuroLeague Basketball via GettyImages Credit EuroLeague Basketball via GettyImages

Tomislav Mijatovic has had quite an extensive career as an assistant coach and will now be able to test himself as the head coach of Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

3-pointers this season

36%9,5Points made:9,5Accuracy:35,8%Place in standings:10Record max:15Record min:3Most made 3FGs:Shane LarkinTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Throughout the years, the specialist worked with many special people, and he was witness to many special events, some of which he elaborated upon in an interview with Meridian Sport.

Among the interesting anecdotes that Mijatovic shared was then-Cibona Zagreb star Bojan Bogdanovic's go-ahead three-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in the overtime of the 2010 ABA League championship game, which was immediately counteracted by an amazing game-winner by then-Partizan star Dusan Kecman.

At the time, Mijatovic was Velimir Perasovic's assistant coach at Cibona.

"It's one of the most traumatic situations in my life, without further ado," said the Croatian specialist with a hint of humor. "Now, that situation is unimaginable due to the technological progress of basketball; games are interrupted every hour, and they are being watched," he commented on how common instant replay has become nowadays.

"I didn't think anything at that moment," Mijatovic continued to reminisce. "I just know that many strands of my gray hair come from that time.Once in a lifetime..." he said with a laugh.

Relatedly, Mijatovic also revealed that he had an offer from Cibona after the loss in the final to become the team's head coach after Perasovic was slated to take over Efes Pilsen (Anadolu Efes's old name) but that he eventually took up his compatriot on an offer to come to Turkiye, where he would remain until today.

The rest is history. Mijatovic won the EuroLeague twice with one of the most electric rosters in the competition's history, which included Vasilije Micic, the one-time EuroLeague regular season MVP and two-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP who now plays for the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA.

"One and only, Vasa," exclaimed Mijatovic. "That kind of dedication, commitment to basketball, fanatical approach, and self-criticism brought him to those heights.

"The other day, he sent me a video of the two of us after a training session. One of the many on which he repeated, it seems to me, 550,000 free-throws, cross-overs... How young we were," the Efes coach reminisced.

"Vasa is, quite simply, a complete basketball package. Everything he did, he did according to the old rules.Talent up to the age of 18, hard work, fanaticism, struggle, improvement... The perfection of a basketball player," he spoke highly of Micic. "He charged all of us who were with him."

The Croatian specialist also stated he had a strong personal bond with the Serbian guard.

"We lived from house to house, hanging out outside of basketball. Nothing was handed to him.He deserved everything...I don't have a grain of doubt that he won't do the same in the NBA. If he has set his sights on it, he will be a top playmaker," Mijatovic continued.

"There is no team in which I would not like to have Vasa, even if it were the Lakers, Efes..." he concluded about his former player.

As the head coach of Anadolu Efes, Mijatovic currently has a 6-1 record across all competitions, including the EuroLeague, the Turkish Basketball Super League, and the Turkish Cup.

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