By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Former NBA player and long-time Serbian national team pillar Miroslav Raduljca sat down with Greek international and Marousi BC captain Charis Giannopoulos, widely known as the “Greek Gigi Datome.”
Their conversation went far beyond the usual Xs and Os, touching on the deeper meaning of sports, especially in Serbia, and the experiences that shaped Raduljca’s career.
Raduljca admitted that his path into basketball wasn’t one of passion from the very beginning.
“I didn’t like basketball that much as a kid. I only started playing because of my brother. I wouldn’t say I was a big-time sportsman. I like to think I have the soul of an artist, and it was really hard to express that in basketball. It’s a game of rules — you can’t express your soul as much. There was no turning point, but many times I wanted to stop playing, ever since I was a kid.”
Looking back at his career that now spans more than two decades, Raduljca admitted he never expected it to last this long.
“It’s been 21 years now. I never thought it would be like this. My plan was to play until I was 30, but something happened — I found love for basketball again in China and decided to continue. People might think I’m talking about money in China, but that’s not true. I really mean the love for basketball, for playing the game as it should be. The basketball I played there, and the experiences I had, gave me back that love.”
Raduljca credited that revival of passion to having the right kind of support.
“I had an amazing coach who gave me the chance to do what I should and could do. I felt fulfilled with the game I played. That doesn’t mean that if I had been in a EuroLeague team, I should just take the ball and dribble, or that China is a place where you can do that. When you feel you can do it, and you have support from someone who understands your game, it can be really nice.”
Playing since 2005, Raduljca built a career that took him across the basketball world. From his early days with FMP, he went on to Anadolu Efes, ALBA Berlin, and Partizan, before making the jump to the NBA in 2013 with the Milwaukee Bucks and later the Minnesota Timberwolves.
His path then led him back to Europe, where he suited up for EuroLeague powerhouses Panathinaikos and Olimpia Milano, before moving on to China. In recent years, he has worn the jersey of Crvena zvezda and also spent two seasons with Marousi in Greece.
But the spotlight hasn’t always been easy. While some fans approached him with respect, others crossed the line, and Raduljca admits not every encounter has been pleasant.
“Of course, there are nice people with manners who ask for a photo or want to talk. But most people have the wrong approach. Just because they’ve seen us on TV, they think we grew up together.”
He even recalled one incident that turned dangerous.
“I had one really bad situation a couple of years ago. I was in a village and a guy pulled a gun just because I didn’t want to take a photo with him. It was too loud, I couldn’t hear what he was saying, and he was really aggressive — hitting me, hugging me. That’s the worst that can happen,” Raduljica said.