Cedevita Olimpija entered the preparations for the new season

The head coach of Cedevita Olimpija Zvezdan Mitrović greeted 13 Dragons at the opening practice. Almost a month and a half of the training camp for the new season is ahead of the squad. Ljubljana side will play eight preseason games during the training camp, with the first one coming up next Thursday in Kranjska Gora, where the team will spend five days on the training camp.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Dragon Family has undergone all of the necessary examinations and tests, as well as individual practices and on Thursday, Jaka Blažič, DJ Stewart, Devin Robinson, DeVante’ Jones, Rok Radović, Aleksej Nikolić, Gregor Glas, Brynton Lemar, Martinas Geben, Lovro Gnjidić, Bine Prepelič, Derek Ogbeide and Žiga Daneu have stepped on the court of the Small Stožice Hall for the first time together.

Young players Martin Tonejc, Ian Lazarevski and Djibril Samba Gueye have joined the rest of the team at the first practice of the preseason. Due to a minor injury, Gregor Glas will undergo the opening of the preseason according to a special programme.

New Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović claims that there is plenty of work to be done ahead of his team: “We are in Stožice since Monday. We have undergone the examinations, practiced individually and got to know each other. All is new for us, there are new players, new people. There are lots of question marks around. We have tried our best to make as good selection as possible with what we have at our disposal. As we used to say at the start of the summer, we have been searching for quality players, that are motivated an hungry for result and success. We want to see a team, that delivers good energy, that could bring results, which is th main goal of our work. We need to work tough and strong and we need to compose a good homogenous team, that will be abl to compete with whoever stands against us.”

Jaka Blažič, Cedevita Olimpija captain told, as the team has come together for the first time in this preseason: “We have gathered three days ago and have undergone all of the examinations and tests. We are all ready to work, rested and fresh. It is extremely important for us to have a right mentality since day 1 and to make progress day by day, one practice after another, to enter the season fully prepared for all challenges.”

Cedevita Olimpija Sports Director Chechu Mulero added: “It’s time to work. We do not wish to talk too much. This is important, since we are a brand new team with new head coach and new players aboard. I hope that there is a good preseason period ahead of us, during which we will play a nice number of preseason games. There is enough time to get ready for new season. It is a key period of the season. I hope that we would not have problems with injuries, despite the fact that we aren’t starting the preseason in optimal condition due to injury of Gregor Glas. I am convinced that a good preseason is ahead of us.”

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Cedevita Olimpija vstopila v priprave na novo sezono

Članska ekipa Cedevite Olimpije je v četrtek s prvim ekipnim treningom vstopila v pripravljalno obdobje pred novo sezono 2024/25.

Glavni trener članskega kolektiva Cedevite Olimpije Zvezdan Mitrović je na uvodnem treningu pozdravil 13 Zmajev, pred katerimi je skoraj mesec in pol priprav na novo sezono. Ljubljanska ekipa bo v tem obdobju predvidoma odigrala osem pripravljalnih tekem, prvo že prihodnji četrtek v Kranjski Gori, kamor bodo Ljubljančani odpotovali v četrtek na petdnevni pripravljalni tabor.

V ponedeljek, torek in sredo so v Zmajevi družini potekali vsi potrebni pregledi in testiranja ter individualni treningi, v četrtek pa so Jaka Blažič, DJ Stewart, Devin Robinson, DeVante’ Jones, Rok Radović, Aleksej Nikolić, Gregor Glas, Brynton Lemar, Martinas Geben, Lovro Gnjidić, Bine Prepelič, Derek Ogbeide in Žiga Daneu prvič skupaj stopili na parket male stoženske dvorane.

Na prvem treningu pripravljalnega obdobja so se jim pridružili še mladi Zmaji Martin Tonejc, Ian Lazarevski in Djibril Samba Gueye. Zaradi manjše poškodbe bo Gregor Glas uvod v priprave opravil po prilagojenem programu.

Zvezdan Mitrović, novi trener Cedevita Olimpije pravi, da je pred moštvom še veliko dela: "V Stožicah smo že od ponedeljka, opravili smo preglede, individualno trenirali in se splošno spoznavali med seboj. Vse je novo, novi igralci, novi ljudi. Še vedno je dosti neznank. V okviru tega, kar imamo na voljo, smo se trudili, da napravimo dober izbor. Kot smo že govorili na začetku poletja, smo iskali kvalitetne fante, igralce, ki so motivirani in lačni rezultata in uspeha. Želimo videti ekipo, ki od sebe daje dobro energijo, ki bi lahko prinesla rezultat, ki je glavni cilj našega dela. Delati moramo močno in čvrsto, ustvariti pa moramo dobro, homogeno ekipo, ki bo konkurenčna z vsemi, ki nam bodo stali nasproti."

Ob prvem snidenju moštva Cedevita Olimpije pred začetkom sezone je kapetan Jaka Blažič dejal:  “Zbrali smo se pred tremi dnevi in opravili vse preglede in teste. Vsi smo pripravljeni za delo, spočiti in sveži. Zelo pomembno je, da imamo pravo mentaliteto od prvega dne in da dan za dnem, trening po trening, napredujemo in v sezono vstopimo karseda pripravljeni.”