FAN MAIL: Rade Zagorac – “Mega is a great place for development of young players”

Rade Zagorac has answered on your questions! Read the full text and find out what are his favorite songs, who did he copy his shoulder exercises from, who used to be his basketball idol, what are his future plans and many more…

Do you agree that Euroleague is the next logical step in your career until your body is mature enough for the NBA?

"It is logical that the next step is a step towards the higher level of the competition and from this point of view I for sure would not mind for it to be playing in the Euroleague, but it is not the only choice. In the previous seasons several players succeed in the NBA even though they came there from smaller clubs and with no Euroleague experience.”

What are your plans for next season like?

"I will consider this after the season is over, since I wish to put my maximum focus into playing the forthcoming ABA League Finals and Superleague. Battle for the trophies is ahead of us and when it is over, I will sit down with the people from our club and we will see what"s the best for both sides.”

Do you plan to declare yourself for the NBA Draft and to test yourself in the NBA and when?

"I have already declared myself available for being selected at the forthcoming Draft and for sure my huge desire is to play in the NBA.”

Are you happy at Mega Leks?

"Yes, I am extremely happy. The fact that I have spent here five years tells enough about it. We have superb conditions for our development here so we can be fully focused on practices and our development. Because of that, I believe that Mega is an ideal team for young players.”

What is your opinion about being compared to Dejan Bodiroga already?

"I have heard a lot of this comparisons lately and it is a huge honour for me. However, I prefer to build my own style of the game through my career.”

If you could choose, which European and NBA team would you play for next in your career?

"In Europe Fenerbahce or Real Madrid and the New York Knicks in the NBA.”

What would you do for living if you hadn"t succeeded as basketball player?

"For sure I would put my best effort in finishing the faculty. What exactly would I do it"s difficult to say. It would emerge spontaneously I believe.”

Do you have some kind of a ritual before the games?

"I used to have many. Now I just practice every aspect of basketball and always do the same exercises through easy practice.”

Which is your favourite song and who is your favourite singer?

"My favourite singer is Đorđe Balašević and I simply cannot name a single song of his, since there are too many which are all beautiful.”

What do you prefer to spend your money on?

"To go out with the people I love and food.”

Since you have been seen a couple of days ago in one of the Belgrade pubs, where people organized themselves an event to watch a FC Liverpool game, I wonder what"s your affiliation with this club about.

"I was with some of my friends that are huge Liverpool fans and I am a huge fan of English football myself. However, I do not have any special sympathies towards Liverpool.”

Who used to be basketball idol when you were still a child?

"At first it used to be Miloš Vujanić and later Carmelo Anthony. Now I do not have any idols anymore.”

What was your favourite moment of this season?

"The best moment so far is winning the Radivoj Korać Cup. This was the first trophy that I have claimed in my entire career. The second one is reaching the ABA League Finals, even though we were given no chances by the public ahead of the games against Budućnost VOLI.”

Is there any player against which you just hate playing and for what reason?

"Saša Pavlović and Boban Marjanović. Pavlović is physically extremely strong and excellent player that I just could not play against. Speaking of Boban, I believe that everything is clear.”

With whom from your team you spend the most time with?

"I could not single out anybody, since we all hang out constantly and I am glad for it.”

Except of basketball, which sport is your favourite and have you actively played any of them?

"For sure it is football. I used to play it and I enjoy playing it.”

In which moment of your life you decided or realized that you were going to be a professional basketball player?

"I decided and realized it three years ago, when I was loaned to Smederevo.”

Which exercises do you do for your shoulders?

"I am exercising in accordance with a special program of practices, that I have copied from my teammate Danilo Nikolić.”

Who is the best FIBA and NBA2k player in the club?

"Džoni (Ivanović) is the best FIFA player, while, I wonder why, we still haven"t played NBA2k, but at least I am the best in Football Manager.”

Honestly, did you believe that your season at Mega Leks would be as successful as it is?

"To be frank, I did not have an idea that it would turn out to be that way. When I got injured at the beginning, while I was watching the team from the bench, I believed that we could win every game and I kept this faith even when I returned to court.”

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PITANJA NAVIJAČA: Rade Zagorac: „Mega je sjajna sredina za mladog igrača"

Rade Zagorac je odgovorio na vaša pitanja! Pročitajte ceo tekst i saznajte koje su mu omiljene pesme, od koga je iskopirao program vežbi za ramena, ko je bio njegov idol iz detinjstva, koji su mu planovi za budućnost i još puno toga…

Da li se slažete da je Evroliga sledeći logičan korak u vašoj karijeri dok vam telo ne sazri dovoljno za NBA?

„Logično je da sledeći korak bude prelazak na viši nivo takmičenja i sa te strane svakako ne bih imao ništa protiv da to bude Evroliga ali to nije i nužno. U prethodnim sezonama su igrači uspevali u NBA ligi iako su direktno došli iz nekih manjih klubova i bez igranja Evrolige."

Kakvi su vam planovi za nastavak karijere - tačnije, sledeću sezonu?

„O tome ću misliti po okončanju sezone jer želim da se fokusiram na predstojeće finale ABA lige kao i na takmičenje u Superligi. Predstoji nam borba za trofeje a kada se sezona završi, sešću sa ljudima iz kluba i porazgovarati o tome šta je najbolja opcija za obe strane."

Da li planirate da se prijavite na NBA Draft i da se isprobate u NBA ligi i kada?

„Već sam se prijavio za predstojeći draft, a svakako mi je velika želja da stignem do NBA lige."

Da li ste srećni u Mega Leksu?

„Jesam, izuzetno sam srećan. Pet godina provedenih u klubu dovoljno govori o tome. U klubu su nam obezbeđeni odlični uslovi tako da možemo u potpunosti da se fokusiramo na treninge i dalje napredovanje i zbog toga smatram da je Mega idealna sredina za mlade igrače."

šta mislite o tome da vas neki navijači već sada upoređuju sa Dejanom Bodirogom?

„Čuo sam dosta poređenja sa njim u poslednje vreme i to mi predstavlja veliku čast. Ipak, voleo bih da kroz karijeru izgradim svoj stil igre."

Kada biste mogli da birate, u kojem evropskom i kojem NBA timu biste nastavili svoju karijeru?

„U Evropi Fenerbahče i Real, u NBA ligi Njujork Niksi."

Da niste uspeli kao košarkaš, čime biste se bavili u životu?

„U tom slučaju bih se svakako više posvetio fakultetu a čime bih se konkretno bavio, zaista ne znam. Verujem da bi to došlo spontano."

Da li imate neki ritual pred utakmicu?

„Pre sam ih imao više. Sada kroz mini trening prolazim sve segmente košarke i uvek radim iste vežbe."

Koja vam je omiljena pesma a ko izvođač?

„Đorđe Balašević mi je omiljeni izvođač ali ne bih mogao da izdvojim neku posebnu pesmu od njega kao omiljenu pošto ih ima mnogo."

Na šta najradije trošite svoj novac?

„Na druženje sa dragim ljudima i hranu."

S obzirom da ste viđeni pre nekoliko dana u jednom beogradskom pabu, gde se organizovano gledala utakmica Liverpula, kakav je vaš odnos prema tom fudbalskom klubu?

„Bio sam sa drugarima koji su veliki fanovi kluba a ja sam veliki ljubitelj engleskog fudbala ali bez nekih posebnih simpatija prema Liverpulu."

Ko vam je bio košarkaški idol kad ste bili dete?

„Prvi je bio Miloš Vujanić a potom Karmelo Entoni. Sada ih više nemam."

Koji je vaš najdraži utisak ove sezone koja je iza vas?

„Prvi najdraži utisak je osvajanje Kupa Radivoja Koraća i to je bio prvi trofej koji sam podigao. Drugi utisak je plasman u finale ABA lige iako smo od najvećeg dela košarkaške javnosti bili unapred otpisivani u duelima protiv Budućnosti."

Da li postoji igrač protiv koga baš ne volite da igrate i iz kojeg razloga?

„Saša Pavlović i Boban Marjanović. Pavlović je fizički izuzetno snažan i odličan igrač koji mi nikako nije odgovarao u igri. što se tiče Bobana, tu je bar sve jasno."

Sa kime iz ekipe provodite najviše slobodnog vremena?

„Ne bih mogao nikoga tu da izdvojim pošto se i van terena svi zajedno družimo i zbog toga mi je posebno drago."

Koji sport vam je najdraži osim košarke i da li ste se ikada aktivno bavili još nekim od njih?

„Svakako fudbal. U prošlosti sam ga trenirao i obožavam da ga igram."

U kojem trenutku života ste prelomili ili shvatili, da ćete se profesionalno baviti košarkom?

„Prelomio sam i shvatio da ću se profesionalno baviti košarkom pre tri godine kada sam otišao na pozajmicu u Smederevo."

šta radite za ramena?

„Radim po posebnom programu vežbi koji sam prepisao od mog saigrača Danila Nikolića."

Ko najbolje igra FIFU a ko NBA2k u klubu?

„Džoni (Ivanović) je najbolji u FIFI dok, iako začuđujuće, nismo igrali NBA2k ali sam zato najbolji u Menadžeru."

Da li si iskreno verovao u ove uspehe Mege?