In the small town of Priboj, located in Southwestern Serbia, a 7-year-old boy was intently watching the 2002 FIBA World Championship Tournament. He wasn’t alone, though. Basketball means a lot to the people in Serbia. But this was special. Serbia, then part of Yugoslavia, was slowly recovering from the aftereffects of NATO’s three-month-long air strike in 1999. The NATO intervention was in response to Yugoslavia’s violent attacks against Albanians, referring to it as an “ethnic cleansing”.

However, these aerial strikes resulted in the loss of a lot of innocent Yugoslavian lives as well. Yet, when Yugoslavia, led by NBA All-Stars Peja Stojakovic and Vlade Divac, suited up against Team USA in Indianapolis, nearly the entire nation kept close watch. The eventual 2002 FIBA champions defeated an American team that included Indiana legend Reggie Miller and Celtics champion Paul Pierce, among others.

But the image that stuck in the young boy’s mind was how everyone in his hometown of Priboj, in fact, the whole of Serbia, came together as one to celebrate the victory. “That was the moment I fell in love with basketball,” Marko Guduric, now a 29-year-old guard of Fenerbahce Istanbul, admitted. Unless you are a hardcore fan of international basketball, Guduric is a name that might not ring any bells. However, thanks to his crucial contributions to Serbia against Australia in the men’s basketball quarterfinals, it might be slightly familiar.

And for a few back home, it might even jog their memories.

Undrafted in 2017, Marko Guduric made his NBA debut with the Memphis Grizzlies

“Growing up and playing basketball, you want to become an NBA player one day,” Guduric confessed in a 2019 interview. A sentiment every basketball player can relate to, surely. With that goal in mind, a young Marko had spent his time training in the outdoor basketball courts in Priboj, defying the cold weather. The hard work paid off. Although he went undrafted in the 2017 Draft Night, the Serbian Cup MVP quickly signed with Fenerbahce, working on his game, always keeping an eye out for that NBA opportunity.

The chance came knocking on his door in 2019 in the form of Taylor Jenkins and the Grizzlies. Having signed a reportedly 2-year $5.3 million contract with Memphis, Guduric made his much-awaited NBA debut coming off the bench against the Heat, scoring nine points, two rebounds, and two assists. The 6’6 guard’s European resume, more notably, his three-point shooting (63% with Fenerbahce in 2018), was enough to persuade Jenkins to incorporate the above-average wing shooter into Memphis’ roster.

But his time in the league came to an end rather quickly. After just one season and 44 games with the Grizzlies, they waived him. Marko Guduric averaged 3.9 points and 1.7 rebounds, shooting 30.1% from downtown and 39.5% from the field in his time at the NBA. Despite his early exit, the 3x Turkish League Champion seems intent on making his case once again.

Guduric believes ‘the opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings’

Serbia’s battle against the Boomers in the quarterfinals could have gone sideways if not for Nikola Jokic. Then again, the ‘Joker’ is their trump card. Has always been. Nonetheless, his fellow Serbian teammates are just as determined and willing to go the extra mile and leave it all on the floor. Against Australia, Serbia had to overcome a 25-point deficit and overtime to finish 95-90.

Even with the close call and Team USA’s superhuman talent pool, Marko Guduric believes nothing is set in stone. “USA? They haven’t defeated Brazil yet,” he had said after the matchup. Of course, this statement was before Team USA defeated Brazil. But the point to note here is that Guduric’s remark was in response to whether the US would be their semifinal opponents.

Considering this is exactly what happened, Marko’s next mission would be to ensure that Serbia does not suffer the same fate as Brazil. There’s no doubt that Jokic and Co. will prove to be a tougher team to defeat than USAB’s previous opponents. But can they hold their ground against Kerr’s ‘Dream Team 2.0’? Let us know in the comments!

 Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.