INTERVIEW: Tomislav Gabrić - “Basketball was a simple choice”
Tomislav Gabrić had to make an important decision last summer. To stay in Cibona or to try his luck somewhere else… He chose Metalac Farmakom. That transfer perfectly fitted into the concept of coach Vladimir Đokić, who wanted to create a base of his team with young and talented players. Tomo was one of them.
Tomislav Gabrić had to make an important decision last summer. To stay in Cibona or to try his luck somewhere else… He chose Metalac Farmakom. That transfer perfectly fitted into the concept of coach Vladimir Đokić, who wanted to create a base of his team with young and talented players. Tomo was one of them.
From just an episode role at the start, Gabrić has become one of the most vital parts of the team. A player who is always ready to lead his team forward with his fighting spirit, rebounds and three-pointers. Always cheerful, ready to fulfill every assignment, Tomislav deserved to be presented to ABA League fans.
"I started to train basketball very early. It was in the 1st grade of elementary school in my home town Drniš, with coach Hrvoje Pekas. Everyone in my family are tall, and since I have always tried to throw the ball instead of kicking it, basketball was a simple choice. The most famous player from my home town was Stojko Vranković, so we have all imagined what it would be like to reach his level one day. In the 8th grade I received calls from Cedevita, Split and Džoli šibenik, a small club that has just been promoted to the second division..."
Gabrić accpeted to join Džoli šibenik...
"The decisive factors were that the club was close to my home town, that it had big ambitions and that the coach was Anđelko Matov. He was teaching me basketball, but he was also bringing me up as a man. I owe him a big gratitude for everything I have achieved in my career. With Džoli šibenik we advanced to the Croatian top division and then qualified for the Playoffs stage where we defeated Zadar and Cibona on the road. We played in semifinals which was the best result in club"s history.”
After leaving Džoli šibenik, Gabrić went to Cibona where he spent two seasons and was part of that generation that won the regional league back in 2014. After that he moved to Valjevo and signed a three-year deal with Metalac Farmakom.
"The atmosphere here is amazing, even better than in some bigger, but much emptier Halls. I remember my first game and my first play when I missed a dunk and wanted to cover my face because I felt so ashamed. But, then I received applause from the stands which put me back on my feet. In that moment I knew that I am at the right spot.”
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Gabrić: "Košarka je bila lak izbor”
Tomislav Gabrić je morao da donese važnu odluku prethodnog leta. Ostati u Ciboni ili potražiti sreću u nekoj drugoj sredini… Izabrao je Metalac Farmakom. Taj transfer uklapao se u koncept trenera Vladimira Đokića da okosnicu tima čine mladi i perspektivni igrači, a Tomo je bio upravo to.
Od početne epizodne uloge, može se reći da je Gabrić postao jedan od najstandardnijih igrača Metalca Farmakom, uvek spreman da borbenošću, skokovima i preciznim trojkama povuče ekipu ka uspehu. Uvek vedar i nasmejan, spreman da izvrši svaki zadatak, Toma je zaslužio da ga predstavimo široj javnosti.
"Počeo sam da treniram veoma rano, kada sam krenuo u prvi razred osnovne škole u rodnom Drnišu, kod trenera Hrvoja Pekasa. Svi u mojoj porodici su visoki, a pošto kao dete nikad nisam šutirao loptu nogom, nego sam je stalno dizao sa zemlje i dodavao, izbor sporta za mene je bio jednostavan. Najpoznatiji košarkaš iz mog malog mesta je Stojko Vranković, pa smo svi maštali da dostignemo bar deo njegove slave i visine. U osmom razredu sam dobio prvi poziv za reprezentaciju sa godinu dana starijim dečacima i tada je trebalo doneti prvu odluku o izboru daljeg puta. Imao sam pozive iz Cedevite, Splita i Džolija iz šibenika, malog kluba koji se u tom trenutku plasirao iz treće u drugu ligu…”
Gabrić je izabrao Džoli…
"Presudila je blizina kuće, ambicija kluba i trener Anđelko Matov, koji će mi u šibeniku biti i otac i majka. On me učio košarci, ali me i vaspitavao kao čoveka. Njemu dugujem ogromnu zahvalnost za sve što sam do sada postigao. Sa Džolijem smo izborili Ligu prvaka, doigravanje za šampiona države u kojem smo pobedili Zadar i Cibonu u gostima. Igrali smo polufinale Lige što je najbolji rezultat u istoriji kluba.”
Put je Tomislava vodio dalje. Iz Džolija je stigao u Cibonu gde je ostao dve sezone i bio član ekipe koja je osvojila regionalnu ligu 2014. godine. Zatim je usledila selidba u Valjevo. Gabrić je sa Metalcem Farmakom potpisao ugovor na tri godine.
"Atmosfera u ekipi je prava, lepše je nego u velikim, a praznim dvoranama. Sećam se svog debija, prvog poteza, kada sam promašio zakucavanje i hteo da propadnem u zemlju od sramote. Tada me je aplauz sa punih tribina podigao iz pepela. U tom trenutku sam znao da sam na pravom mestu.”
