Bogdan Bogdanovic and the rest of the Serbian men’s national basketball team encountered a familiar face as they faced China in the opening game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Sasha Djordevic, who has been Bogdanovic’s national team coach since he joined the senior team in 2013, now stands at the opposite end of the court coaching the Dragons.
The 31-year-old sharpshooter expressed his satisfaction with the victory over his former mentor.
“It’s good, it’s good to play against him.
“He brought a lot of luck to our team, a lot of medals so I’m glad we won this one,” said the Atlanta Hawks swingman after Serbia defeated Djordevic’s China with a score of 105-63.
Djordevic guided Serbia to silver finishes in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and the 2017 Eurobasket, among other achievements.
He stepped down from his post after the team finished in 5th place in the 2019 World Cup in China.
Bogdanovic finished with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting, accompanied by four rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block as Serbia took the early lead in Group B, along with Puerto Rico.
The former Sacramento Kings guard mentioned that he appreciated the energy, especially from the young players, in their match against China. He hopes that the team can maintain their strong start as they head into their final two matches of the group phase.
“This is how we play. This is my third [World Cup]. I like the way we played, especially the young guys who bring a lot of energy. I’m happy with how we played, but this is just the first game.”
