All right, welcome back to the podcast everyone.
We have a very special guest today, Ante Brzovich.
Ante is a Croatian basketball player currently playing division one basketball here in the
US for Charleston, where he's averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds as of right now.
In this episode, we're going to learn more about him.
Ante, thank you for coming on the podcast.
My pleasure.
Good to see you.
Yeah, you as well.
And we're filming this here on Thanksgiving.
So I know you just told me you're going to get some turkey and eat some food with your
teammates and the trainers here.
So I appreciate you taking the time to come on the podcast here.
But you know, first of all, start us off.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
You know, I knew I know you grew up in Zagreb.
So you know, tell us a little bit about that.
Yeah, born and raised in Zagreb, lived there pretty much my whole life.
Left Zagreb in 2020 for to go to college.
My first time ever that I went to US was when I went to college.
It was for southeastern Oklahoma D2 college school.
And so that was my first time I ever went to the US been living here ever since in the
United States.
I love it.
I lived in Oklahoma for one year.
Well, two years actually, but I always spent my first freshman year there because of COVID.
So I got my rest of your back.
And after that, it's been all the Charleston here.
And this is my last year of college senior currently.
And I'm going to graduate in May, hopefully.
So yeah, that's that's pretty much my my US journey so far.
Yeah, awesome.
I definitely I want to ask more about that.
But what part of Zagreb are you from?
Like actually, it's like city center city.
I'm a song from it's a it's a it's a neighborhood.
It's about 10, 15 minute walk from Boneyard square.
It's a it's a very nice area.
Been living there went to went to elementary school.
So that's that's where I'm from.
That's where I grew up.
That's over by the Cold War, right?
The bus station.
Yes.
Five minutes away from cold.
Yep.
Okay, I played I used to play soccer over there at the whatever that little soccer complex
field is.
There's like a WhatsApp group chat, you know, and I would go play.
I'm not very good at soccer, but how did you get into basketball growing up and not soccer?
I mean, I used to play soccer a little bit just like every kid, you know, but six, seven
years old.
But my dad's pretty tall.
He's six, seven.
So and my mom's pretty tall for a for a woman as well.
So there were some indications that I might be tall as well.
And that's why that's why some people suggested I'm going to try to go play basketball as
a kid and really started in the first grade when I was seven years old and never looked
back.
Been playing it ever since.
So yeah, I'm really enjoying it.
It's been really good for me.
Yeah.
And you're six foot ten, right?
I'm six foot ten.
Yes.
Yeah, that's nuts.
Do you have any any siblings, brothers or sisters?
Yeah, I have a I have younger brother, younger sister, my younger brother.
He's actually in the States right now as well.
He goes to the same college that I went to as a D2.
He's a freshman this year and he's loving every single, you know, loving every single
thing about it, just like I have.
And, you know, he's enjoying it.
So my little sister, she's only 13 years old right now.
But we'll see.
We'll see what she does eventually.
But yeah, there's there's two there's two brothers in the US right now playing college
basketball.
Wow, that's awesome.
You know, it's different, you know, here in the US basketball, I think is the second most
popular sport in Croatia.
You know, I think it used to be a little more popular back in the day.
It's still popular.
I think especially what Zadar is probably that's like the biggest city over there.
But what's the difference?
What would you say is the difference in like the system of, you know, here in the US, you
know, you play whatever middle school growing up as a kid, then you play on your high school
team and that's, you know, pretty big.
And then you play for college and then you go pro.
What is that pathway to being a professional basketball basketball player look like in
Croatia?
Yeah, I mean, European system is very much different than the US one, which makes a lot
of sense because, you know, there's a smaller countries with different system design.
You know, people go here to high school and college and play basketball within that.
But in Europe, I think it's more skills oriented programs, more like a development style basketball
in the US is just it's different type of development.
I mean, there's there's so much talent out there.
And, you know, I always was saying if you can play, somebody will see you.
And I think that that was the case for me.
I mean, it took me some time to to come along to find my find my balance here, find my rhythm
here.
But right now, I mean, I'm playing probably my basketball basketball I ever have played.
And it's been it's been a process, but I'm really enjoying it.
So yeah.
And you when you were in high school, you played for a club team, right?
You played for Zde Vita.
Yeah, I played for Zde Vita when I was 17, 18 years old.
So it's like it's like, you know, club in Croatia, which was very successful.
And they play some European tournaments as well.
I never really got a chance to play that.
So when COVID hit, I decided that it might be a best time for me to try something else
and come to the States and try to see how college basketball is going to play out for
me.
So yeah.
And how did that work that you ended up at Southeastern Oklahoma?
I mean, did they recruit out there?
How did you hear about them?
How did that happen?
So yeah, I mean, one of my friends, he works as an agent.
I mean, it was very hard doing it during COVID because, you know, the season stopped at midpoint
in Croatia.
There wasn't really offers for me that I really could have choose from.
And so the D2 was pretty much my only option that I could have taken at the moment.
And I took it because, you know, I really didn't have any other option.
Went there.
I was here with my freshman year and, you know, some people just advised me to try and
make the next step going to V1 college basketball, which, you know, was a huge step forward for
me.
It was a really hard adjustment when I first got here.
But looking at it now, I mean, I made a right decision even though I struggled a little
bit in the beginning.
But you know, if you keep working hard, I mean, you're going to come along eventually.
There's also, you got to have right people around you like I did and who support you,
my family as well, obviously.
So if you put those things together, I mean, I think you should be fine.
I know you said that was your first time going to the U.S. right when you went when you came
there to southeastern state, southeastern Oklahoma State.
What was like your biggest culture shock being in the U.S. compared to Zagreb?
Yeah, I mean, so my first time ever I landed in Dallas Fort Worth airport and it's like
an hour 15 drive to Oklahoma where I was living.
And I just see all this like highway with a bunch of, you know, all these all these
lines, seven, eight of them, you know, crossroads over top fast food restaurants all over the
place.
That was like my first core memory like that I will always remember about the states.
But obviously, I mean, it's a work for itself.
You know, they have their own system of how they do things, how how things work and stuff.
So it's a different culture.
But it was a little bit of shock for me about, you know, some of the things that I'm used
to do at home.
People just look at me when I do here like they just find it weird.
But I learn about what they like to do, how they like to do and you kind of adjust.
And I really, you know, found my peace here and I love living here.
So yeah, so you're you're used to just the the IA don, you know, they won one way in
Croatia and then you see all this.
Yeah, yeah, it's a whole different world here.
But yeah, I'm glad I got to see it.
It's just experience for me.
And so yeah, it's been nothing but great for me.
What do you what have you shared with your teammates about, you know, Croatia?
Or do they ask, you know, like, what's it like over there?
Yeah, I mean, some of the things that I always say.
I mean, everybody here drives cars and, you know, life without a car is just like unimaginable.
When I mean, I'm from Zagreb, it's a big city.
You obviously have like a city transportation, organized stuff.
People people don't really use cars as much.
So when sometimes people just see me walk on the street, they're like, are you OK?
Like, do you need a ride somewhere?
So it's also coffee drinking.
You know, we like to sit in the coffee bars for a few hours sipping coffee and stuff.
They just don't have that here.
So it was when I tried to explain it to them, they they kind of look at me weird by that.
But they get it and I get it.
That's not the case here.
So but yeah, people are really, really nice to me here.
I love it.
Yeah.
Do you go to Starbucks ever?
I'm not a huge Starbucks fan.
I mean, it is the most popular marketing place to get a coffee, but I'm more of like a smaller
local business.
And I just think their coffee is better than the Starbucks.
And I drink a lot.
I drink a lot a couple of days to, you know, keep me safe because that's that's how I was
raised over there.
So what about smoking?
Do you ever smoke?
Probably you shouldn't smoke, right?
During the no, that's not me.
No, no.
Good.
But yeah, that's that was a big thing when I went to the to Croatia, you know, from the
US to just you go into a bar and you're surrounded by smoke.
You know, any time you go out, you're closed.
Yeah, I'm very proud to smoke in Croatia, which I really like because, you know, it's
not really healthy.
But yeah, definitely.
Yeah.
I saw I think last year in a press conference that you you thanked your baba in Croatian
during the press conference.
That was awesome.
Why did you do that?
And did you see that?
You know, it was my grandmother from she's she means so much to me.
I mean, amazing women love spending so much time with her.
The stories that she can tell me.
I mean, I'm always going to remember those.
And she's a special woman in my life.
And at that moment, we haven't spoken a while simply because she just doesn't have a phone.
She doesn't know how that works.
So every time I would talk to her, it's because, you know, either one of my parents or brother
or sister comes there so we can face time.
But I really felt like doing that and tell my dad to bring her a phone and show what
I said because it was in Croatia.
She obviously doesn't speak English.
And you know, it kind of went viral.
I really didn't expect that to happen.
But I'm really glad for it.
It made her day.
So she thanked me a lot for it.
And I'm happy as well.
So yeah, that's awesome.
Yeah, I love that.
Talk to me about coming from, you know, southeastern Oklahoma State to Charleston now.
What's it like going from a D2 program to a D1?
Was that a did you feel like there was a noticeable difference in everything?
Yeah.
Like I said, I mean, I think Division two and Division one basketball, like it's not
the same sport.
It was the same sport for me.
It took me literally four or five months just to get my body in shape where I can, you know,
run up and down.
It's a much higher pace game.
Game is much more physical.
You have all these athletes that you're competing against.
And, you know, you've got to have that just to start with so that you can get on the court
against them.
So it took me a little bit.
But eventually I knew with the talent wise, I can't compete with them.
It was just really my body that needed to get in shape so I can, you know, get in the
game and compete.
So I did that.
It was really hard in the beginning.
But you know, the coaching staff really had my back and they were really supportive of
me and gave me everything that I really needed to be successful at Division one level.
And I thank them for it.
And they're one of the reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing right now.
So you guys were doing a lot of cardio in the preseason.
A lot of cardio, a lot of lifting, a lot of, and I mean, it's not just lift.
It's, it was a heavy lift.
You know, the guy that we had, he's really good at what he does.
He transformed my body, made like everything was so much easier to do on the court for
me, maybe more, maybe faster, stronger, could have jumped higher.
So yeah, it was a, it was a process for me from transitioning from D2 to D1.
But right now I came along, so I'm doing fine now.
Good, good.
And so you've put on weight then in the last, what, two, two, three years?
Yeah, a lot of weight.
A lot of my BMI body mass index put on a lot of muscles, which is super important.
Didn't have any major injuries.
Thank God for that.
So as long as I'm staying healthy, I mean, that I can play this game, I'm super excited.
Yeah.
Good, good.
Well, I want to ask you about a game you had last week or two, I think two weeks ago against
FAU.
Right.
That was pretty crazy.
You had a, you had 39 points, 13 rebounds and a buzzer beater in overtime to win.
And I saw the highlights on YouTube the other day and the announcers were great too.
They really made it incredible.
And just seeing that buzzer beater, I was like, Oh my God.
And the crowd was so nuts.
What was that like for you?
Yeah, that was a, I mean, that was the craziest game I ever played.
I mean, for sure, easily like two over times buzzer beater against a really good team.
You know, the gym was crowded, a lot of people in there and just the way that, that I was
like, yeah, this is the, you know, one of those games that you will never forget.
So it was amazing feeling.
I mean, just playing at home, you just gave me like a special feeling for it.
I'll never forget it.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
And then the next day was that coming off of a timeout or no, cause I just saw the highlights.
Yeah, it was, it was coming off of timeout.
And the sole reason I will never forget about is because, you know, that's not what we drew
up that that wasn't even supposed to be a play.
Wasn't what wasn't trying to, well, it wasn't even supposed to go in my hands, but yeah,
I just took my chances.
You know, it was, it was three seconds left.
I said the worst thing we can go into another overtime.
So just dribbled it up, you know, sent a prayer and went in.
So that's funny that you said that.
Cause I was going to ask like, wow, I'm surprised the coach, you know, you're a six foot 10
and the coach is going to inbound it to you.
Have you dribbled a whole length of the court and then take a three.
So that wasn't even the play.
That was not even a play.
No, but they were set up in a weird formation, defended.
And I said, like, I have a lot of room on the right side of a right side of the court.
Cause nobody was there.
And I know the, the, I had a smaller guy on me who was the garden.
You got to be careful not to get your balls stolen and stuff.
But yeah, like I said, it was, it was, it was a great moment for me and for us in general.
I mean, yeah, one of those games, uh, poor memory for sure.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
And for anyone listening, I'm going to include the link down below so you can watch the highlights
of that game.
Cause that's such a cool game to watch.
Yeah, that was awesome.
You also, aren't that you have a lot of people, you have a lot of international teammates
on your team this year.
How does that happen?
Is Charleston recruiting like internationally a lot or?
I mean, my first two years here, there were not really international guys on the team.
There were a couple of maybe like three, four this year is, is more than half of the team
is from Europe.
We brought in a new coach after Pat Kelsey left for Louisville.
And it was at the weird moment where, where transfer pool was already like one month in
and a lot of guys already transfer find their new spots.
So we recruited, right?
We had to find who we're going to play it this time.
I guess it just happened.
It's going to be a lot of internationals on our team.
So yeah, we have, we speak a lot of languages in here, a lot of different cultures and stuff.
So I mean, I'm enjoying it.
Yeah, that's awesome.
Yeah.
So you're a multi-coach for real team.
Who were you some of your basketball idols while you were growing up?
What athletes did you look up to?
Yeah, Kobe Bryant, my, my, my first biggest guy that I looked up to.
I mean, when I was a kid used to wake up 430 AM to watch him play.
Don't regret it ever.
My mom hated it, but I mean, that's just what I wanted to do.
So Kobe was, I mean, it's not really the guy who I can model my game after, but just, just
always always was a Lakers fan.
I love the way that he played.
I mean, just, just the legend.
Yeah.
I would say that he was the, he was the first one I ever looked up to.
Yeah.
Well, I'm here in Los Angeles.
So yeah, everybody is a Lakers fan over here.
And when you drive, you see a lot of the murals on buildings, you know, paintings of him after
he passed.
And of course they put up a lot.
Yeah.
Kobe was, Kobe was crazy.
I mean, everyone, everyone growing up when I was a kid, you know, when you shoot a paper
ball in the trash can, you know, you yell Kobe, you gotta yell it.
Yeah.
So I think the kids these days now are saying Curry, you know, it's crazy how the generation
is changing, but yeah, but we got, we gotta make sure we always remember who the original
guy is.
So right.
What about, what about Croatian basketball players growing up?
Someone that you looked up to or modeled your game after?
Yeah.
I mean, Tony Kukoc, I mean, it's, it's actually funny because in my opinion, he's, he's our
best player ever.
And he just happened to be a lefty, you know, six 10 as well.
And I used to watch him play a lot back in the day when he was with the Bulls and stuff,
because I mean, I just really like his game, you know, just smart makes the right play
shooter.
So it's really fun watching him play.
He's a legend in Croatia.
And a lot of people in the U S when I say that I'm from Croatia, they bring them up
right away.
And you know, they just tell me, Oh, Kukoc, yeah, I remember.
So yeah, it makes it easier for me to, to just, you know, have people recognize where
the Croatia is because of him.
So a lot of credit for him too.
All right.
Good.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's good that people, I mean, of course everyone knows Kukoc, but I don't
know if everyone here in the U S would immediately know, Oh yeah, Kukoc Croatia, but definitely
some of the Bulls fans back in the day for sure would know that.
But yeah, Kukoc was, he was a great player.
Have you been in contact with him?
I think he still lives in Chicago, right?
I don't, I'm not really sure.
I mean, he obviously is from split and he moves left to right.
Obviously, well with the, with the, with our basketball and stuff, which I really like,
but you know, I mean, Chicago is his home, you know, to an extent, you know, he spent
some really nice years there.
So if he's over, I've never been to Chicago, but I bet it's nice for him.
So yeah.
Yeah.
And did you see that documentary, the last dance about Jordan?
Oh yeah.
And then they had the episode about Kukoc.
That was cool.
Yeah, that was, that was really cool.
I saw it and you know, it's just, it's just great insights that you get about the players,
you know, behind the scenes and stuff.
So I really enjoyed watching that.
Definitely.
Yeah.
Are you following any of the, you know, current Croatian NBA players?
Ivica Zubac is having a really great year this year.
You know, there's Saric Bogdanovic, I believe is injured.
Yeah.
So watching all of them play, watch what they do.
I mean, obviously Zubac, I mean, I think he made some great progress over the last few
years really, really playing his best basketball at the moment, found a place in, in LA to,
to, you know, settle in and play his best basketball.
So I'm really enjoying watching them play as much as I can.
Saric had some injuries in the past.
Hopefully he can stay healthy for now because I think he's an amazing player as well.
So yeah, just watching them play, trying to, trying to learn a thing or two, which is,
which can help me.
So yeah.
But you said you're a Lakers fan, right?
You still following the Lakers, you're a big LeBron fan?
No, no, not a LeBron fan.
No, not at all.
How come?
Never was my guy, you know, had some mixed emotions when he signed with the Lakers, but
I mean, I respect him all.
He's, he's, he's amazing.
One of the best I ever watched obviously, but when it comes to Lakers always Kobe's
going to be number one for me.
That's fair.
Yeah, that's fair.
But yeah, LeBron, I mean, of course has done great stuff in his career and crazy how long
he's playing.
But yeah, I don't know when he went to Miami and did the whole, you know, thing and the
whole show about going there.
I think that's kind of when people started to turn on him a little bit, but yeah, incredible
player, incredible athlete, smart guy too, you know, his court IQ is really high.
Yeah.
Amazing.
Yeah.
What, when's the last time you were, you've been back in Croatia?
Are you able to go in this past off season?
Yeah.
So usually I go back home in May when, when a semester ends and that's probably the only
time when, when I really don't have to go to school and practice at the same time.
So I really take advantage of me to go back home and, and visit my family and friends
a little bit.
Can't stay there for three, four weeks.
I really wish it was a little later.
So if it's like a July and August, I can go more South, go to beach and stuff because
I love beaches in Croatia, go there.
But yeah, that's the, that's the time I go home.
Usually, you know, may it might be different next year since I'm graduating and stuff.
So we'll see what's going to happen, but that's the time I go home and catch up.
What beaches do you like to go to in the summer?
Where do you like to go?
Well usually where I was going to was Makarska, Tucepi, never been to a really, really beach
in Split or Dubrovnik maybe for example, but been to been to some islands as well, which,
which is really cool.
So I mean, I think we have the most beautiful coastline in the world and I've seen many.
So yeah, no, seriously.
My Baba has an apartment in Makarska.
So I was there the last, the last four summers.
I think the entire summer or all four last summer.
So I love Makarska.
I've been there.
Beautiful place.
Yeah.
I think they closed down that Club Deep, the cave.
Oh, they did?
I think so.
It wasn't there this past summer.
They didn't open it.
I haven't been there, but I heard for it.
What I mean, if you liked it there, that sucks for you.
I didn't like the music really.
They play, I don't know, random like music, not my kind of music, but it's cool being
in the cave at least.
Oh yeah, it's awesome.
Yeah.
I didn't know they closed that.
That's, that's yeah.
I think so.
Yeah.
At least when I was there, they didn't have it open for whatever reason.
I think it's just that Makarana is the only other club.
Makarana.
Yeah.
Which I don't like that music either, but you know, I like the old school.
Old school.
Yeah.
Well, hopefully you find one where you like the music, man.
Yeah.
Well, it's nice in Makarska.
There's always someone like a live band playing around whatever that hotel, or in or something
is over there.
There's always someone playing guitar or something.
They got some live bands playing, you know, some of the older Croatian songs.
During summer, it does get crazy.
I mean, you can find a bunch of entertainment or whatever you like tourists are over there.
So it's, it's the best time to be there during summer for sure.
Yeah.
What's your favorite food to eat when you're back home?
Oh man.
Kevapi, burek.
I can go on and on.
Salma, obviously it's more like a for a, for a colder weather time when I'm not home, but
really whatever my mom or my grandma make, you know, just some traditional Balkan food.
And it's, it's really refreshing for me after eating Wendy's and then, you know, Chipotle
every day.
Yeah.
Have you tried it in and out?
Do you like it in and out over here?
I haven't tried it in and out, but people keep talking about it.
And I was like, man, if I ever get a chance, I need to do it.
So yeah, but I'm more of like a breakfast type of person.
I love breakfast.
So, so yeah, I like, you know, breakfast sandwiches, burritos.
That's what I really like before, before practice, early morning breakfast or lift.
So yeah.
Hmm.
Yeah.
Breakfast burritos are good.
That's something when I was in Croatia that I missed.
It was like good Mexican food.
Yeah.
100%.
Yeah.
When you, you said burek, do you like the burek, the mesom or the, you know, like the
pita?
I don't want to get anyone mad here if I say it wrong.
Yeah.
We might get some people offended, but yeah, only meso.
Yeah.
Okay.
Good.
So the real burek then just the real burek.
Yeah.
That's awesome.
I got to just a few more, you know, fun little questions here, but I mentioned music.
What type of music do you like to listen to?
So it really depends on the mood that I'm in, what type of where I'm, where I happen
to be or whatever, but I listen to a lot of Croatian music and we also have like two Serbians
on the team.
So there's a, there's a mix with the, I like to listen with their music.
They listen to a lot of Croatian artists as well.
So there's always like a mix, but I listen to American artists as well before the game,
maybe.
So, so it's, it's, it's a, it's a mix a little bit of, you know, I really don't have like
a specific, just the music type that I always listen to and stick to.
So I like to mix it up a little bit.
What about when you're lifting?
Well, when I'm lifting, it's, it's usually American music because, you know, there might
be some other people in there that are American.
So they put whatever it is on.
But it's probably more like a, like a hype music to lift, which, which makes a lot of
sense.
So yeah, that's, that's fine with me.
Okay.
So you don't have the earphones on then you just got it on the speaker.
It blasts on a speaker.
So whatever, whatever we are listening, I'm listening to as well.
So you got to adjust sometimes if I happen to be by myself, I can, you know, have a little
wiggle room and put whatever I want.
So, but yeah, while I'm working on, I really don't mind music as long as something's
going on.
So, nice, nice.
Well, I asked you earlier about, you know, what, what basketball players you say, cool
coach.
I was hoping you would say Petrovich also, cause I wanted to tell you that, you know,
how that a movie, new movie came out about him.
Yeah, I saw it.
Yeah.
I did not see it, but I saw that it got leaked.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
You got to send me that cause I want to watch it because I'm really in it.
I'm in one of the scenes.
Yeah.
I heard a lot about it, but, but if I get a chance to watch it, I want to make sure
I forward it to you because I really didn't get a chance to do so yet.
Yeah.
I've been trying to find it.
I think it's only in Croatia and maybe some of the surrounding countries, but I don't
think it's like internationally released yet.
But eventually, I mean, eventually I'll get a hold of it.
So I'll make sure to, to, to let you know if I do.
Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah.
I was there in Zagreb a year and a half ago when they were filming it and somehow someone
said they needed background actors or whatever the next day.
So that they asked me to be in it.
But then I ended up being in one scene where Drazhin is talking.
I think it was when I was supposed to be a real dread player and he was playing for
Cibona.
I guess, did he come back to Cibona after, after that?
No, he did not know.
Well somehow I was like an ex teammate of his and he was talking to his girlfriend in
the locker room after the game and I come by and I kind of hit him on the shoulder and
give him like a, you know, hey, what's up and keep walking.
And I guess they kept that scene in the movie because my friend saw it and she texted me
a picture.
She said, oh, I just saw you in this movie.
Yeah, that's great.
We definitely then have to have to have to get you that tape view and then see what you
are.
You've been working with the, I mean, you are at Hollywood.
So yeah, you get some applications later on.
Yeah.
But you know what they told me?
They said shave the mustache before you come to the set.
I like it.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Yeah.
It kind of if you go to Turkey, they would accept you as one of yours.
I think you look like a Middle Eastern type of guy.
Yeah.
I don't know how tall you are, but yeah.
Yeah.
Six one, not six ten.
But it's okay.
Six was pretty tall too.
Yeah.
It's not bad.
Yeah, it's not bad.
And next time I go to Istanbul, I'll have to see if they fit in.
Yeah.
That's awesome.
All right.
I want to, you know, thank you so much.
It's been a fun conversation.
Thank you for coming on the podcast here.
And just last sort of last couple of questions here, but what's what future plans do you
have?
You know, you mentioned this is your senior year, your last season here at Charleston.
What's your goal?
What are you going to do after this?
I mean, I already decided that that I want to play pro basketball at what level that's
going to be.
It really depends on me.
I mean, how this year goes and hopefully I can stay healthy.
I mean, as but that's my aspiration right now to keep playing professional basketball.
But I something I always dreamt of NBA.
Obviously, I really cannot talk about it because it is a long shot.
But if I ever get a chance, I'll do my best to, you know, try and see how that goes for
me.
But post college, I'm definitely going pro.
So yeah, I just got to keep working on that.
I mean, obvious, of course, NBA, you know, is the first choice.
And I'm assuming the Lakers, you know, of course, any team would be great to be selected.
But probably the Lakers would be your your favorite.
Those would be.
Yeah, if that can happen, I mean, it's it's it was my dream, you know, man, growing up
watching them play.
I watched the play when they were 17 and 65 and now when they're doing good.
So it's always been my team.
I mean, I talked about Kobe.
He's a reason for it.
So yeah, man.
But yeah, I'll just keep working hard, keep playing basketball, the game that I love as
much as I can.
And then I'm going to, you know, embrace every moment of it.
And college as well, I mean, we still have a season going on, so looking forward to it
because we did some amazing things the last two years.
I'm trying to work on it as well.
So awesome.
Yeah.
Well, you're having a great year so far.
You know, keep up the good work.
I'm excited to see what the rest of the season brings for you and, you know, enjoy it and
keep playing hard.
It's awesome to watch.
And last thing for you, and of course, you know, if you're ever in Los Angeles, let me
know and we got to show you around.
We got the Croatian Church and we'll show you around the.
I would love that.
I mean, I really never was on the West Coast before, but I really have to come and visit.
Yeah.
I mean, if I ever get a chance to come to LA, I'll make sure I hit you up.
I definitely want to want to go sit with you and, you know, explore the city a little bit.
So yeah.
Yeah.
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
Last question that I ask everyone that comes on the podcast, but what to you is special
about Croatia or being Croatian?
Culture, tradition.
I'm really proud of the fact that I'm Croatian.
I mean, it is my home for me.
I, you know, promised myself a long time ago that no matter where I'm going to go with
the work or whatever happens, I mean, that's where I'm going to, you know, spend my last
days.
So it's really so much about it that I love that I really care about.
And, you know, Croatia is my home and that's what's really special to me about it.
Awesome, Monta.
Thank you so much for coming on the podcast and good luck in the rest of the season.
Appreciate you, my guy.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Yeah, thank you.
You as well.
Take it easy.
Thank you.