By George Adamopoulos / gadamopoulos@eurohoops.net
Aleksej Pokusevski was the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft and went on to display his talents in the league for the next four years before moving to Partizan Mozzart Bet.
The 23-year-old Serbian forward/center talked to Eurohoops about playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Charlotte Hornets, and the necessary timing to be successful in the NBA.
“I knew my age and where I was going. For sure, there is pressure, especially from myself, to do what I want, which I did. I am very satisfied with my time there. And some things happened, some injuries and other stuff that did not help much, but I am very grateful for my time there,” pointed out Pokusevski.
Referring to former Most Valuable Players in the EuroLeague, Vasilije Micic and Sasha Vezenkov, he shared more of his opinion about the NBA.
“In the United States, it’s about timing. I believe both Micic and Vezenkov understood this as well. Over there, regardless of who you are, I believe the team and timing are the most important. If you get hurt or stay healthy, which players are playing. Because Micic can play in the NBA, but he was on a team at Oklahoma, which won the championship the next year, then at Charlotte with some young players that had more playing time and space, so he could not find any space. On the other hand, I recall Sasha being really good whenever he played, but he could not find his path. However, I am sure both are very happy with their time there,” he said.
“We were close, and still are. We talk a lot. He has helped me a lot by talking to me, advising with his experience on how to work, how to think, how to handle people around me,” he added on international teammate and former NBA teammate, Micic.
“Still in contact”
Last season, one year after trading Pokusevski to the Hornets, the Thunder were crowned NBA champions.
“I am very happy for the guys winning the championship, because I know them personally. And all the staff there are very nice people. Those years were nice. I am still in contact with them. For sure, there is nothing better than seeing people win something after working hard and being so nice,” explained the Belgrade native.
The Partizan player also discussed various business aspects surrounding basketball.
“Everything around the game, similar to here, it’s not that I don’t like them, but they are not close to my character. They are part of the job,” he told Eurohoops.
“Over there, I could have handled some things differently for sure, but that was part of the experience as well. As I said, some things happened to complicate my basketball journey there and led me elsewhere. When I was set to leave the States, I was thinking the reason was to play basketball, and to continue learning, as I am doing here with Coach Zeljko. I am very satisfied with returning, improving, and working very much. If I ever return to the States or stay in Europe, we will see how it goes,” he said.
In the 2025-26 edition of the EuroLeague, Pokusevski has averaged 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest over nine appearances, including four starts.