INTERVIEW: Marko Luković - ''I am used to playing against my brother''

Krka are on a winning streak right now in the ABA League with three wins in a row on their account and one of the masterminds of their success at the moment is excellent big man Marko Luković. We have spoken with him in an interview for the ABA League website.

Marko spoke about the successful Krka’s season so far, the secret of their success in the thrilling encounters, about basketball background of his family and also uncovered who their family will be cheering for in the beginning of December, when he will face his brother Uroš in the game of Krka against Partizan NIS.

Take a look.

Over the past three games in the ABA League Krka has celebrated victories and you have won all three after dramatic endings. How did these look like from your point of view?

“In some of the game we got lucky. Since the beginning of the season we have won five games this way, considering the games in the domestic championship as well. I believe that this team has strong character and fights until the end regardless the score on the scoreboard. One of the most important factors is for sure that in practices we do all of our practices with the ball with a scoreboard on and we compete all the time.”

Since you are currently the seventh best scorer in the ABA League it looks like your arrival to Krka this summer has been a good decision. What made you chose Novo mesto as the next destination in your career?

“I believe that moving to Krka was a good move. I came here thanks to Dejan Mihevc, who called me personally. He gave me enough self-confidence and gave me plenty of playing time. He tries to get the best out of me. On the other side, I do my best in order to return it to him the best way I can.”

You were born in Belgrade, a city with more than a million of inhabitants. How did you get used to life in a small town like Novo mesto? How do you spend your spare time and who do you hang out with the most from your team?

“Yes, I have been born in the most beautiful city in the World (laughs). We are all professionals and have to adapt to the environment where we are heading. The people in the club and town have accepted me well. Usually we go for a dring to the café after a morning practice and almost the entire team gathers there. Of course, we do not have lots of spare time, since we are competing in two competitions and have plenty of obligations.

You come from a family with rich basketball tradition. How did this fact influence your decision to devote your life to basketball. How does your family follow your career and the career of your brother, who also plays in the ABA League and how did it help you through all of this?

“We are a sports family. Father and mother have played basketball professionally and brother, sister and me are following their footsteps. Father had an excellent career and used to play for IMT, Borovica, Beopetrol… Mother played in Vozovač, until she got married and afterwards had to end her career in order to take care of children. I can add that my sister plays professional basketball as well, and just like brother she is a Partizan player. Family is the key to sister’s, brother’s and mine success and at the same time the biggest support. And the main pillar of the family is mother for sure.”

With what kind of feelings do you await 3 December, when you will meet your brother Uroš that plays for Partizan NIS? For whom will your family be cheering for during the game?

"It will be a good game, where I hope Krka would win at the end. Last season I was lucky to play together with my brother on the same team, while this time we will face each other. It is not odd to us, since we have been playing basketball one against another all our lives. Of course I we won’t make things easier for each other and he knows well that I will do my best in order to beat him. However, all members of our family will most likely be cheering for Partizan NIS.

Are you satisfied with the flow of the season with Krka so far and where do you see yourself at the end of the ABA League season?

“Right now I am satisfied and I really enjoy my time here. I would not like to predict anything. I can only promise that we will be playing every single game until the end of the season in the same way as we did with any other until now. At the same time I would like to use this opportunity to thank Bojan Ljubojević, with whom I have been practicing individually every summer and who has helped me big time on my sporting path so far.”

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Marko Luković: "Vajen sem igranja košarke proti svojemu bratu!" 

Krka je trenutno v zmagovitem nizu v ligi ABA s tremi zaporednimi doseženimi zmagami, eden od ključnih tvorcev njihovega uspeha pa je zagotovo odlični krilni center Marko Luković. Z njim smo se pogovarjali v intervjuju za spletno stran lige ABA. Več preberite v spodnjih vrsticah.

Krka je v preteklih treh tekmah v ligi ABA slavila zmage, vse tri pa je dosegla po dramatičnih končnicah. Kako so te izgledale iz vašega zornega kota?

"Na nekaterih srečanjih smo imeli srečo. Od začetka sezone smo zmagali na petih tekmah na tak način, če računamo še domače prvenstvo. Mislim da ima to moštvo čvrst karakter in da se bori do konca tekme ne glede ne rezultat na semaforju. Eden od pomembnih dejavnikov je da na treningih vsako vajo z žogo igramo na rezultat in semafor neprestano deluje."

Glede na to, da ste trenutno 7. strelec lige ABA deluje, da je vaš prihod v Krko to poletje bil prava poteza. Kaj je bilo odločilno pri vaši odločitvi za selitev v Novo mesto?

"Mislim da je selitev h Krki bila dobra poteza. Prišel pa sem po zaslugi Dejana Mihevca, ki me je osebno poklical. Vlil mi je dovolj samozavesti in mi dal veliko minut na parketu. Trudi se iz mene izvleči vse najboljše. Jaz pa se mu vse to trudim vračati na najboljši način."

Rojeni ste v Beogradu, velemestu z več kot milijonom prebivalcev. Kako ste se navadili na življenje v majhnem mestecu, kot je Novo mesto? Kako preživljate prosti čas in s kom se največ družite od soigralcev?

"Da, rojen sem v najlepšem mestu na svetu (smeh). Smo profesionalci in se moramo prilagajati na okolje kamorkoli pojdemo. Ljudje v klubu in samem mestu so me lepo sprejeli. Najpogosteje po jutranjem treningu odidemo v kavarno na pijačo in tam se zbere skoraj vse moštvo. Seveda pa prostega časa ni na pretek, saj nastopamo v dveh ligah obenem in imamo ogromno obveznosti."

Prihajate iz družine z bogato košarkarsko tradicijo. Kako je ta vplivala na vašo odločitev, da posvetite svoje življenje košarki? Kako družina spremlja vašo kariero in kariero vašega brata, ki tudi nastopa v ligi ABA in kako vam je pri tem pomagala?

"Mi smo športna družina. Oče in mati sta se profesionalno ukvarjala s košarko, brat, sestra in jaz pa sledimo njihovim stopinjam. Oče je imel zelo dobro kariero in je nastopal za IMT, Borovico, Beopetrol… Mati pa je nastopala v Vozovaču dokler se ni poročila, nato pa je morala prekiniti kariero da bi se ukvarjala z otroci. Lahko samo dodam, da tudi sestra profesionalno igra košarko, prav tako kot brat pa nastopa za Partizan. Družina je ključ tako sestrinega, bratovega in mojega uspeha in hkrati največja opora. Steber družine pa je zagotovo mati."

S kakšnimi občutki pričakujete 3. december, ko se boste v ligi ABA pomerili z vašim bratom Urošem, ki igra pri Partizanu? Za koga bodo v tem obračunu stiskali pesti pri vas doma?

"Res je, 3. decembra se bomo v Novem mestu pomerili s Partizanom NIS. To bo dobra tekma, v kateri upam da bo zmago slavila Krka. V minuli sezoni sem imel to srečo, da sem igral skupaj z bratom v moštvu, tokrat pa bova igrala drug proti drugemu. To se nama ne zdi čudno, ker že celo življenje igrava košarko drug proti drugemu. Seveda ne bo nikakršnega popuščanja in on dobro ve, da se bom potrudil po svojih najboljših močeh, da bi ga premagal. V družini bodo najverjetneje vsi navijali za Partizan NIS."

Ste zadovoljni z dosedanjim potekom sezone pri Krki in kje se vidite na koncu sezone v ligi ABA?

"Za zdaj sem zadovoljen in res uživam tu. Ne bi rad napovedoval česarkoli. Lahko le obljubim, da bomo vsako tekmo do konca sezone odigrali na enak način kod vse do sedaj. Hkrati bi se rad po tej poti tudi zahvalil Bojanu Ljubojeviću, s katerim individualno vadim vsako poletje in mi je ogromno pomagal na moji športni poti."