By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Milutinov’s decade-long journey with the senior national team of Serbia has featured dramatic highs and heavy heartbreaks, but nothing surpasses the emotional peaks of Manila.
Speaking with Mozzart Sport in an interview published Wednesday morning, the Olympiacos center looked back at his international career, highlighting the unforgettable bond that propelled Serbia to recent global success. Though he previously fought through tournaments like EuroBasket 2015, FIBA World Cup 2019, and EuroBasket 2022, it was the World Cup in 2023 that provided his ultimate career highlight.
“The victory against Canada in the semifinals in Manila. At that moment, I knew that I had secured my first medal with the national team,” the 31-year-old big fondly recalled. “Emotions ran high in the center of the floor after the game ended, as if we had won gold. Many guys on that team had not won a single senior medal until then. If I have to single out one match and one moment that I like most in the Serbian jersey, it is that victory.”
This triumph was forged in adversity. A horrific, life-threatening injury to teammate Borisa Simanic triggered a fierce team resilience that carried them to the silver medal.
That same unbreakable chemistry carried over to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. While Milutinov considers the narrow loss to the United States in the Semifinals the hardest defeat of his career, the subsequent bronze medal celebration became legendary. After defeating Germany in the early morning, the roster threw such an intense party in a Parisian restaurant that they completely ignored the gold medal game. In fact, they were having such an incredible time that they jokingly told organizers they preferred to stay at the venue instead of going to the arena for the official podium ceremony.
Now, the veteran center and recently crowned EuroLeague champion prepares for a new chapter under head coach Dusan Alimpijevic, heading to the upcoming FIBA window with World Cup 2027 Qualifiers meetings against Iceland in Belgrade and Italy in Pesaro.
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