Svetislav Pesic to leave Serbian national team after Paris Olympics / News - Basketnews.com

While talking about the need to establish a true Serbian league, Pesic mentioned that he will leave the national team after the Paris Olympics.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

After not coaching a club for a year, Svetislav Pesic became the head coach of the Serbian national team in 2021. Two years later, he guided the roster to a World Cup silver.

At 74 years old, Pesic has won almost anything a European basketball coach can win. He has two EuroBasket golds, a gold and a silver at the FIBA World Cup, he's won the EuroLeague. Next year, he will coach in the Olympic Games for the first time in his long career.

After an unexpected second-place finish, Pesic slammed Serbian basketball for not having a proper league system. Currently, the top teams play in the ABA League and join the Serbian League (KLS) in the playoffs.

While talking about the situation, Pesic said that he will no longer coach the Serbian national team after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

"They have to express their interest in how they want to continue and where they want to compete," Pesic said after suggesting that Serbian clubs should leave the ABA League to form a solid Serbian league instead. "I speak for the future. Because after the Olympic Games, another coach will come here. Well, after him, others will come."

"I've been here for 40 years, use me to help you! Call me, analyze," the veteran specialist said in regards to forming the new league system.

"Sometimes we can win a medal, climb on the balcony, but our basketball might not be at the level we want. What we have now is not enough for the future of our basketball," he concluded.

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