Obradovic on Yam Madar's exit: 'I can't say everything was sincere' / News - Basketnews.com

Zeljko Obradovic delivered strong remarks on Yam Madar, who made the jump from Partizan to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul this summer.

Credit: Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic Credit Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic

Partizan Mozart Bet Belgrade head coach Zeljko Obradovic gave an interview to Nedeljnik, where he talked about many topics. One of the highlights of his remarks talked about Yam Madar's controversial transfer to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

"The players who left us gave us clear reasons for their departures. Mathias Lessort stated that we couldn't give him a deal that could compete with other offers he received. This is fair," said Obradovic before continuing to give examples.

"Dante Exum talked about his desire to return to the NBA, for which I wish him luck. Papapetrou received a perfect offer to return to his home and stated that this was his biggest desire. This is also fine."

Obradovic then drew a stark comparison.

"However, with Yam Madar, I cannot say everything was sincere," Obradovic claimed.

To elaborate, the Partizan head coach explained that a change of mind occurred in Madar in a short span of time. Obradovic believes that someone got to Madar.

"He came from Tel Aviv specifically to talk to me. We talked about his plans for about 2 hours in a cafe next to my house. At every point, he mentioned his plans, his appreciation, and the progress he made [when in Partizan]."

The initial positivity between the parties unraveled quickly, however.

"Not long after, Madar called me and talked about money. He stated that he wasn't happy with his contract. When I asked about the absence of this topic in our first meeting, he said that he only recently realized that the money he was receiving wasn't sufficient."

Obradovic tried to appeal to Madar's youth and his sense of belonging: "I explained to him that, despite his development, I didn't want to separate him from his peers."

"I told him that we took him in while he was an unknown player and created a future plan in which he occupies a very important role."

The legendary coach's plea was to no avail.

"When I realized that I didn't have more to say, I directed him to Zoran Savic, and that was that."

This latest development is likely to further fuel the controversy that has emerged between Partizan, Fenerbahce, Madar, and his representative agency, BeoBasket, which belongs to Misko Raznatovic. Partizan had previously cut ties with BeoBasket and promised to carry the controversy to court.

Obradovic's Partizan will face off against Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight, while Yam Madar's new team, Fenerbahce, will host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Friday.

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