By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
In so doing, Repesa helped Zugic make history. By entering the floor at 15 years and 157 days of age, Zugic became the youngest player to appear in a EuroLeague game this century.
AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan star Mike James was one of the first to congratulate the Zugic on his EuroLeague debut. “Fedor Zugic…. Young fella!!!! Be great young man.. keep working,” James tweeted.
Would Repesa have let Zugic play if the game was, let’s say, 82-80? Most likely not.
These kinds of situations have provided coaches with the opportunity to send youngsters on the court in the past, too. In part, that’s why we’ve seen EuroLeague players debuting at 15 or 16 years of age.
The truth is that the age at which a player makes his EuroLeague debut doesn’t determine his talent or his potential. That’s why the list of the 10 youngest players in EuroLeague history features stars or veterans of the competition, but also several players whose debuts were their sole appearances in the competition.