Bogdan Bogdanovic shares inspiring message that calmed him down before Lithuania game / News - Basketnews.com

Bogdan Bogdanovic revealed Borisa Simanic's text message calmed him down before the do-or-die game versus Lithuania.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Bogdan Bogdanovic shared Borisa Simanic's message before the game that calmed him down for the FIBA World Cup 2023 quarterfinal showdown against Lithuania.

Player of the Game EFF 25 Bogdan Bogdanovic Points 21 Accuracy 9-13 Rebounds 4 Assists 3

"I want to start just by saying something from this morning. Our teammate, who is still with us, Borisa Simanic, gave us amazing energy," he started his press conference speech.

"We were nervous yesterday about moving to another hotel. I was especially nervous. Somehow, at my young age, I was always losing to Lithuania. But I've seen Borisa's message after the team meeting. It was like, 'Guys, I'm good, don't worry, let's win tonight.' From him to think about us, after everything that happened to him... He united us," Bogdanovic was proud of his teammate.

"That's an amazing guy. This win is for him as well," a 31-year-old guard added.

Bogdanovic was a Serbian senior national team member when Lithuania defeated them in the 2015 EuroBasket semifinal.

Additionally, Bogdanovic experienced a loss to a Lithuania team led by Jonas Valanciunas in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Cup gold medal game.

This time, Bogdanovic scored 21 points on 9 of 13 shooting and sparked his team with an 18-point first half.

"I play from instincts. Sometimes, I shoot like crazy. But it's me. I always try to prove and improve. I like how I played tonight, but I still think I could have played better. I think I rushed some shots when I was open. I usually don't miss those," Bogdanovic left room for improvement for the semifinal game.

Bogdanovic has made a three-pointer in each of his 23 FIBA World Cup games, sharing the record for the longest such streak in the competition over the last 30 years with Kirk Penney.

Also, Bogdanovic now scored 400+ points in the FIBA World Cup, becoming the 6th player to reach this milestone in the 21st century.

Serbia's Borisa Simanic lost a kidney after a blow during World Cup Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.