Savic addresses Partizan vs. Warriors rumors, recalls hosting Iverson in Barcelona / News - Basketnews.com

Zoran Savic says the idea of Partizan hosting the Warriors in a friendly game in Belgrade is in the very early stages, and the final decision does not rest solely with the Warriors.

Credit: Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic, USA Today Sports, AFP-Scanpix Credit Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic, USA Today Sports, AFP-Scanpix

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade General Manager Zoran Savic shared insights on the potential of hosting the Golden State Warriors in Belgrade as a tribute to Dejan Milojevic.

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In an extensive interview with BasketNews set to be published this week, Savic addressed initial plans regarding a friendly game between NBA and EuroLeague teams.

Partizan president Ostoja Milojevic had mentioned to B92.net their idea of inviting the Warriors for an outdoor game at Partizan Stadium.

However, Savic clarified to BasketNews that it's still just an idea, and the decision rests not only with Partizan and Golden State but primarily with the NBA.

"They're the main guys you need to talk to," Savic made it clear the final approval has to come from the NBA, even if the Warriors approve the idea.

"The NBA already knows who they will play and where next season and preseason. So it's not easy to organize everything," Partizan executive clarified.

"For us to play against the NBA team would be an unbelievable present for our fans here. To see the NBA team playing here for the first time in history would be fantastic," said Savic.

However, he emphasized that no formal discussions have taken place yet.

Savic had previous experience as an executive in hosting an NBA game in 2006 when FC Barcelona hosted the Philadelphia 76ers in Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona.

Savic revealed that Barcelona paid a $2-3M fee to organize the game with the NBA team. The city covered transportation and additional expenses for hosting the NBA organization.

Led by Juan Carlos Navarro (18 points), Jaka Lakovic (17), Gianluca Basile (17), Michalis Kakiouzis (15), and Franz Vazquez (15), Barcelona secured a 104-99 victory against the Sixers.

It was only the second time a EuroLeague club defeated an NBA team.

In the game, Allen Iverson and Andre Iguodala both contributed 13 points, while Chris Webber notched 19, and Samuel Dalembert delivered an impressive performance with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and seven blocked shots.

"When we played against the Sixers, there were maybe 2,000 kids wearing Allen Iverson's jerseys," Savic recalled.

"You know how many fans wore Barcelona jerseys with Navarro? Maybe 10," he smiled.

"When I was in Barcelona, we didn't sell jerseys. Nike was not interested in making 1,000-2,000 jerseys per season because they didn't do business if they were not selling at least 10,000 per season. I put pressure on everybody there for three years before they finally put jerseys on sale. But they were selling the jerseys of the players' size. How can you buy a Marconato jersey for your son if it's four extra large [XXXXL]?" he laughed.

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