BLOG: Žarko Paspalj – “ABA League needs strong Slovenian basketball”

The ABA League Ambassador Žarko Paspalj spent a couple of days in Slovenia, where he had watched some games in the ABA League 2, for which he is claiming that it has fulfilled all of his expectations especially due to the extensive desire of the clubs to compete and fight for the spots in the higher rank of the competition. The famous basketball player is also commenting on some of the news from the Slovenian basketball, the status of the biggest clubs and is speaking of the things that have impressed him when watching Rogaška and Sixt Primorska.

“I have been in Ljubljana for the whole time, from where I have gone to Rogaška Slatina, which is 150 kilometres from the capital and watched the game between Rogaška and Dynamic VIP PAY. The concept of the league is proving itself to be a good one in all of the aspects. We still cannot speak about the quality which would support all of it, but for sure there is a huge desire of the clubs to play the league and to see their progress and work come to life, at least the ones that have a bit more resources and vision. From this aspect the ABA League 2 is a good surprise and I wanted to see which kinds of teams are competing there and how much there is to see. All of the aspects are showing that this is a positive surprise and that the competition has been recognized well. Both with the stakeholders and public.

The quality is good, even though it still can get better. However, the motivation of competing in the league is present and brings up optimism also to the smaller sides, like Rogaška. This is a town with 5,000 people, where the people that are managing the clubs can survive in two scenarios – in case they find a sponsor that is in love with the sport or to be lucky with the fact that their mayor loves basketball, which is the case here. Branko Kidrič, as the head of the town is doing things properly here. He has gathered a good team and created an exceptional sporting atmosphere, which would not exist without him and what I like especially is the fact, that the club is working with all of the age categories. They like it and take care of it in the proper way. I would say that Wednesday night is a pleasant and interesting time for people to gather in basketball hall, which is smaller, but has enough capacity for everything to look nice.

The second game that I have watched was the one between Helios Suns and Sixt Primorska and I can only say the best about the guests. Obviously, there are people running the club that are financially doing well and there are professionals and reliable workers within the club. On the team there are Serbians, Croats, Slovenians and Bosnians and they are definitely a team that is showing that they would enter the Playoffs as favourites and with great chances of qualifying for the ABA League first division.

While I was in Slovenia, I realized that they talk mostly about Luka Dončić and his personal achievements are the most important to their basketball fans. This is logical. Everyone loves to be proud of national successes and the successes of the individuals from their country and Slovenians aren’t any different. This is the way it should be. In Slovenia, as a country, it is evident that they have seriously become a part of Europe. There are many positive changes and they have made enormous progress. Speaking of basketball, they have their issues. Petrol Olimpija has tradition, talented team, but the things aren’t developing for them just the way they would like them to. Their fans are in love with basketball but aren’t in the stands right now. It bothers me, since when you love Olimpija for instance, or some other team, you should always be there when they are playing, even when there are no results. My great desire is for Olimpija to become again what it used to represent in the former Yugoslavia.

Strong competition in the ABA League will definitely help them achieve it, but strong local rivalry as well. Olimpija have such rivals in Krka, which is demonstrating quality season after season and most of the time is achieving more than it would be realistic to expect. It has proven that it belongs in the elite division by becoming the champion of the first edition of the ABA League 2 and it has proven it again this season by achieving some huge victories.

The derby can be a good one and has its value. It brings quality, but more than this is necessary. We will see where it takes Slovenia. In any case, ABA League needs strong Slovenian basketball as much as Slovenian basketball needs ABA League."

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BLOG: Žarko Paspalj – “ABA ligi je potrebna jaka slovenačka košarka”

U svom četvrtom blogu za zvanični sajt ABA lige, ambasador takmičenja Žarko Paspalj pisao je o slovenačkoj klupskoj košarci. Više pročitajte u donjim redovima.

Ambasador ABA Lige, Žarko Paspalj, proveo je par dana u Sloveniji gde je odgledao nekoliko utakmica u 2. ABA Ligi, za koju ističe da je ispunila sva njegova očekivanja, pre svega zbog izuzetne želje klubova da se takmiče i bore za mesta koja vode u viši rang takmičenja. Naš proslavljeni košarkaš u svom novom blogu, takođe, komentariše aktuelnosti u slovenačkoj košarci, status najvećih klubova, i navodi koje su mu se stvari najviše dopale kada je reč o Rogaškoj i Sixt Primorskoj.

"Sve vreme sam bio pozicioniran u Ljubljani, odakle sam prvo otišao do Rogaške Slatine koja je udaljena na 150 kilometara, na samoj granici, i gledao meč između Rogaške i Dinamika VIP PAY. Taj koncept druge lige se po svim pitanjima i parametrima pokazuje kao jako dobar. Još uvek ne možemo da pričamo o kvalitetu koji to može da isprati, ali evidentna je velika želja timova da igraju tu ligu i da vide svoj napredak i rad, makar oni koji imaju malo veću širinu i viziju. Sa tog aspekta druga liga je dobro iznenađenje, i zanimalo me je da bolje vidim kakvi se timovi tamo takmiče i koliko tu prostora ima, jer svi parametri kažu da je to jedno pozitivno iznenađenje, i da takmičenje ima veliki odjek. Kako kod aktera, tako i kod publike.

Kvalitet je dobar, iako sigurno može da bude još bolji. Ali, motivacija igranja lige je jako prisutna, i donosi optimizam i manjim timovima kao što je Rogaška. To je mesto od 5.000 ljudi, gde ljudi koji vode timove mogu da opstanu uz dve mogućnosti, ili da pronađu sponzora koji je mnogo zaljubljen u sport, ili da imaju sreću da gradonačelnik voli košarku, kao što je to ovde slučaj. Branko Kidrič, kao prvi čovek grada, na pravi način prilazi tome. Okupio je dobar tim i napravio izuzetan sportski ambijent koji bez njega verovatno ne bi postojao, a dopada mi se što u klubu funkcionišu selekcije u svim uzrastima. Oni to vole i neguju na pravi način. I rekao bih da je sreda uveče jedan interesantan i prijatan događaj da se ljudi okupe u košarkaškoj sali, koja jeste manja, ali je dovoljnog kapaciteta da sve izgleda jako pristojno.

Druga utakmica koju sam gledao bila je između Heliosa i Primorske i nosim najbolje utiske o gostima. Iza kluba očito su ljudi koji stoje finansijski jako dobro, imaju u timu profesionalce i pouzdane saradnike, a u ekipi je miks Srba, Hrvata, Slovenaca, Bosanaca, tako da su oni definitivno ekipa koji pokazuje da će ući u završnicu kao favorit, a samim tim i sa velikim šansama da se kvalifikuju za prvu ABA ligu.

Dok sam boravio u Sloveniji shvatio sam da se najviše govori o Luki Dončiću, i njegovi rezultati su najviše bitni košarkaškoj publici. To je i razumljivo. Svi vole da se pohvale nacionalnim utiscima i uspesima pojedinaca iz svoj zemlje, pa nisu Slovenci po tome drugačiji. Tako i treba da bude. U Sloveniji, kao državi, vidiš da su ozbiljno zakoračili putem Evrope, postoje ogromne promene na bolje i vidi se da su žestoko napredovali. Kada je košarka u pitanju imaju svoje boljke. Petrol Olimpija ima tradiciju, perspektivan tim, ali stvari se očigledno ne odvijaju prema planu. Njihovi navijači strašno vole košarku, ali ih sada nema na tribinama. Meni to veoma smeta, jer kada voliš, na primer, Olimpiju, ili neki drugi tim, ti ga uvek pratiš, čak i kada nema uspeha. Velika mi je želja da se Olimpija dovede u stanje da predstavlja ono što je predstavljala u staroj Jugoslaviji.

Jaka konkurencija u ABA ligi će joj sigurno pomoći na tom putu, ali i veliki rivalitet na državnom nivou. Olimpija taj rivalitet ima u Krki koja iz sezone u sezonu pokazuje kvalitet i veoma često prelazi granice realnog. Da joj je mesto u elitnom društvu pokazala je i osvajanjem premijernog izdanja 2. ABA lige, kao što je to učinila i nekoliko puta ove sezone sa nekoliko velikih pobeda.

Derbi može biti dobar i ima svoju težinu, on donosi kvalitet, međutim potrebno je više od toga. Videćemo gde će sve to odvesti Sloveniju. U svakom slučaju, jaka slovenačka košarka potrebna je ABA ligi, kao što je ABA liga potrebna njoj."