Double-double delight: Marjanović’s magical EuroLeague season
During the last EuroLeague season, Baskonia’s point guard, Codi Miller-McIntyre, recorded the most double-doubles (7). This summer, he moved to Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, the club where Boban Marjanović set the EuroLeague record for double-doubles in a single season, achieving at least ten points and ten rebounds in 16 games.
The 224 cm tall center was recognized early on as a significant talent, but it wasn’t until he was 24-25 years old that he truly broke through in club basketball. His stints with CSKA Moscow and Žalgiris Kaunas were milestones, but his role in these clubs was minimal.
After his time in Lithuania and Russia, Marjanović returned to Serbia at the beginning of 2012 to finish the season and consider his future. That summer, he joined KK Mega, where he became the MVP of the Serbian Championship and earned a contract with one of the country’s top clubs, Zvezda.
“My career has been on a downward trajectory since CSKA,” he said at his first press conference as a member of Zvezda. “I know where I made mistakes and now it’s up to me to dedicate myself completely to basketball. Besides, tall players mature more slowly than shorter ones.”
Well, he sure did dedicate himself to the game. While Marjanović’s first season in Zvezda’s jersey was good, his second was simply spectacular!
Breaking records
Marjanović started the season with a bang against Galatasaray Istanbul. The legendary head coach Ergin Ataman witnessed his players struggle against the giant, who finished the game with 22 points, ten rebounds, and most importantly, a victory.
In truth, Marjanović’s entire 2014/15 EuroLeague season was filled with remarkable performances. His Performance Index Rating (PIR) rarely dropped below ten and was usually at least 25 or much higher. He was every Fantasy player’s dream!
Marjanović dominated the boards like Dennis Rodman in his prime. For example, in an away game against Galatasaray, he grabbed 17 rebounds, eight of them offensive. His 256 rebounds for the season marked a new high, surpassing the previous record by eight rebounds. The record was held by Mirsad Türkcan since the 2002/03 season and currently belongs to Vincent Poirier with 282 rebounds in the 2018/19 season for Baskonia.
In terms of double-doubles, Marjanović pushed Tanoka Beard (14) and Türkcan (13) to second and third places, respectively. The Serbian’s sheer number of double-doubles is even more impressive considering Zvezda’s center played in 24 games.
If these records don’t convey the dominance of Marjanović’s EuroLeague season, his average statistics certainly do: the Serbian scored 16.6 points, grabbed 10.7 rebounds, and accumulated a PIR of 25.67 per game.
Why did Marjanović shine?
Marjanović’s stellar season was due to several factors. Of course, his own efforts were significant, but his playing time increased a lot due to the departure of Raško Katić, with whom he shared duties in Zvezda’s center position during the 2013/14 season.
Additionally, Marjanović was fortunate to have Marcus Williams as Zvezda’s main point guard. Williams, once the 22nd pick in the NBA draft, had played several seasons in Europe and EuroLeague before joining Zvezda, where he had his best season, averaging 6.1 assists. Many of these passes went to Marjanović.
“Williams’ court vision and ability to find the open man are superb. He makes every player better, and I can only say good things about him. I’m so happy he decided to join us this summer,” Marjanović said to the EuroLeague website.
Besides Williams, Marjanović also had great chemistry with Zvezda’s head coach Dejan Radonjić. The Montenegrin understood that if the center was utilized correctly, he would have no equal in the EuroLeague. This strategy proved effective, and Zvezda enjoyed significant team success.
During the 2014/15 season, the club won nearly everything possible. They triumphed in the Serbian Championship and Cup, and were also victorious in the Adriatic League. Despite a modest budget, they reached the top 16 in EuroLeague. Although they won only four of 14 games in this stage, Zvezda had many narrow losses. Marjanović attributed this to the fact that the Serbian team was relatively young and inexperienced.
Although Marjanović was linked to several top European clubs, such as Barcelona and Anadolu Efes Istanbul, after that season, he had a clear goal: to fulfill his childhood dream of joining the NBA.
At 27, Marjanović, whose first love was volleyball, caught the attention of NBA teams, and eventually, San Antonio Spurs signed him. Nine years after moving across the pond, the center remains in the NBA. While he may not be a star player, he is considered one of the best teammates in history.
Furthermore, Marjanović has become a cult figure in the NBA, partly due to his size, partly due to his excellent sense of humor, and partly due to his appearances in various TV shows, movies, and commercials.
And who knows, perhaps Marjanović, who turns 36 this August, will decide to have his last dance with Zvezda. Rumors of his return to the club have surfaced repeatedly, and the center has not hidden that Zvezda is the club closest to his heart.
