Bojan Bogdanovic shared an honest assessment when asked about what the secret was to defending Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the clash between Croatia and Greece at EuroBasket
There’s honesty and then there’s Bojan Bogdanovic. The Utah Jazz star is hoping to lead Croatia on a deep run at EuroBasket after his side missed out on World Cup qualification this summer while missing Bogdanovic and fellow NBA player Ivica Zubac.
In the pre-tournament press conference for EuroBasket 2022, Bogdanovic was asked what the secret was to defending Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“He’s been one of the most dominant players the last couple of years in the NBA, so basically there is no defence against him. It’s going to be a team effort, all five players trying to stop him,” Bogdanovic said.
The Greek Freak’s side would appear to be the side with all the pressure on them going into this but Bogdanovic said there will be just as much on his team in Friday’s tournament opener for both sides.
“It’s a championship opener so it’s always tough. We’ve been practising for a while. We’re playing against one of the best teams in the tournament. We are ready for a challenge,” he said.
“We’ll feel pressure to play well. There’s a lot of experienced guys on our team as well, just like the Greek side. We’re just waiting for the game to start. It’s all about energy.”
The scrutiny of the Croatia side has intensified in recent years. A disappointing run in major tournaments in recent years, failing to make both the 2019 and next year’s World Cups along with not making the quarter finals in the last two editions of EuroBasket.
Bogdanovic said the pressure ahead of him, at 33 in likely his final EuroBasket, was no different to previous campaigns.
“I feel pressure for every tournament because I want to be the best I can and make my team the we can. It’s not a pressure to win a medal but to play the best you can in a tournament and look each other in the eyes.”
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