Strong Group has unveiled former NBA center Boban Marjanović as its first reinforcement for the 45th William Jones Cup, with the Serbian giant set to lead the team’s bid for a historic third straight championship in the annual tournament scheduled from August 8 to 23 at the New Taipei City Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
The 7-foot-4 veteran becomes the first player officially announced for the Philippine club as it begins assembling its roster for what is expected to be a highly-competitive tournament.
Strong Group president Jacob Lao said Strong Group is leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit of another title, especially with several countries expected to field formidable lineups.
“We’re building the best team possible because we know this will be the toughest William Jones Cup yet,” Lao said.
“Every participating country is expected to bring in quality lineups, so we want to make sure we’re prepared for that challenge. Bringing in a player like Boban gives us a tremendous presence on both ends of the floor, and we’re excited to have him represent Strong Group-Pilipinas.”
Marjanović brings an accomplished résumé to the squad after spending nine seasons in the NBA from 2015 to 2024.
During that span, he suited up for the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets.
Before making his mark in the world’s top basketball league, the Serbian center established himself as one of Europe’s premier big men. He earned three Serbian League MVP honors while becoming a longtime member of Serbia’s national team in international competition.
“Excited on getting Boban to agree to play for us. We’ve been having some good talks; he’s in shape and serious about this tournament, he’s preparing back home even before he flies out here. We’ve already talked a bit about basketball and our plans. Great and funny guy too,” long-time Strong Group coach Charles Tiu said as the 37-year-old Serbian is fresh off playing for Ilirija in Slovenia.
More players are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as Strong Group finalizes its roster for the tournament.
Strong Group was drawn into Group A, where it will battle Chinese Taipei-Blue, Korea, and Japan in the preliminary round as it seeks to become the first team to capture three consecutive William Jones Cup titles since Iran did so from 2009-2011.
