By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following a rare but impactful appearance for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2025-26 NBA regular-season finale on Sunday, Bogdan Bogdanovic reflected on the discipline of staying ready and paid an emotional tribute to his late mentor, Dusko Vujosevic.
Despite struggling to find consistent minutes under head coach Tyronn Lue, the 33-year-old Serbian guard proved his value in a victory over the Golden State Warriors. Bogdanovic fueled a decisive fourth-quarter surge, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including five triples, alongside three rebounds and two blocks in just 21 minutes of action.
Bogdanovic’s performance followed a steady build throughout the game. After a scoreless first quarter, he found his rhythm with a bucket in the second and two critical three-pointers in the third. He truly took over in the final frame, scoring nine points, including three consecutive shots from deep, to break an 83–81 tie.
“I loved it,” he said of the vocal support from the Intuit Dome crowd. “I love the game, and I love when they do that for me. It gives me extra energy and extra motivation to keep going. It’s hard, but we won the game, and I appreciate it.”
The Belgrade native appeared in only 23 games in the 2025-26 Regular Season, averaging 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He admitted that maintaining his edge while sidelined has been a mental and physical challenge.
“It’s difficult, but today is Orthodox Easter, so I think I had a little bit of help from the man above,” he remarked. “With my mindset, I always tell myself, ‘Whenever you get a chance again, you are only as good as you were in your last game’. So, I just go out there and hoop.”
He credited his teammates for pushing him during his time out of the rotation. “What was really helpful were the guys who were working out and playing real games with me in the gym. While you’re waiting for your minutes, you have to stay ready. I really thank them for keeping me prepared.”
The postgame session took a somber turn as Bogdanovic discussed the passing of Vujosevic, his former coach at Partizan. Vujosevic was a foundational figure in Bogdanović’s early professional career and a legendary name in European basketball.
“He was the first one to give me a chance in my career. He trusted me, my work ethic, and how much I care about the game,” Bogdanovic shared. “That is where our connection was. It is very sad for all of us, for Partizan fans and for my family. He was part of the family during my time there. He was definitely a father figure.”
He emphasized that Vujosevic’s influence extended far beyond the basketball court, shaping his players into well-rounded individuals.
“We are going to miss him because he was truly different. As I said in my Instagram post, he cared about you as a person and developed you as a man,” he explained. “He showed us different things. He would buy us books on psychology, motivation, and discipline. He bought us tickets to the theater and museums. He always believed that athletes should be examples to the world and to the youth. That was just how he went about it.”
Bogdanovic and the Clippers now look ahead to the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, where they will face the Warriors in a rematch at the Intuit Dome this Wednesday.