By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Nemanja Bjelica, Minnesota Timberwolves forward, couldn’t help Serbia national team in last two competitions (2016 Olympics and 2017 FIBA EuroBasket) because of injuries but is eager to get back and help the squad already in the next window of FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers:
“Playing with the national team is very important and I really enjoy doing so, so yes, I would like to help my teammates to have more wins this summer and go to the Second Round (of the World Cup Qualifiers) in the best dynamic.”, the 30-year-old shared in the interview with FIBA.basketball.
The Serbian forward commented with a few words about the upcoming matchups against Georgia and Germany giving the opponents some credit: “We have one tough game at Georgia (June 29), which is a team that is hard to beat on their soil and one last at home against Germany (July 2). This one can be a game changer, as it is kind of a final for us to reach the first place of the group.”, he said before talking about his expectations in the latter game.
He has no doubt that Serbia will overcome the challenging German squad with some help from the home crowd: “Well, a win, also huge support and a very noisy crowd to push us during the whole game. We all know how Serbians love their national team and basketball, so every game at home is a unique experience. I love to play at home, and I can’t wait to do it again, soon. Being supported by thousands of fans is the best, and this unity around the national team gives us a lot of extra energy.”
Despite Serbia national team having success in the past few competitions, Bjelica feels they can do more and must continue on this path: “We have to qualify for China 2019 and the goal there would be to keep winning and be competitive. We have the talent and we are ambitious. We want to reach the highest level we can reach and fight for medals and titles. We have exciting years ahead of us and I am looking forward to it.”, Nemanja finished.
In 67 games played for Timberwolves in 2017/18 NBA season, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 20 minutes of play, helping his team qualify for the playoffs.
Photo Credit: FIBA Basketball