Nikola Milutinov was one of the main players in the duels between Germany and Serbia. In the SPORT1 interview he talks about the World Cup final, the Olympics and the special qualities of Nikola Jokic.
Silver at the 2023 Basketball World Cup, bronze at the 2024 Olympics, plus the record for the most offensive rebounds (16) in a game in the EuroLeague – Nikola Milutinov, center from Olympiakos Piraeus, is one of the biggest stars in European basketball.
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
The 2.13 tall Serbian, who was drafted 26th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA in 2015, has already experienced a lot in his career. Milutinov won championship titles in his native Serbia, Russia and Greece, and he also led Europe’s best league as the best rebounder twice. The 29-year-old probably experienced his career highlights in the last two summers with the Serbian national team and fought for the biggest basketball titles twice in the most important games of his life with the German national team.
After his team’s defeat at FC Bayern Basketball scored SPORT1 Milutinov for an exclusive interview and spoke to the Serb about the two duels between Germany and Serbia at the World Cup and the Olympic Games. He revealed why he sees the DBB team as deserving world champions, how he experienced moments of a lifetime with Serbia at the Olympics and what particularly sets NBA superstar Nikola Jokic apart from his sporting abilities.
SPORT1: Mr. Milutinov, your team narrowly lost to FC Bayern. How do you rate the Bayern team this season?
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
Milutinov: They are a very good team and are playing fantastically at the moment. You fight hard and have many different weapons that can score points at any time. When they find their rhythm, it becomes extremely difficult to defend them. When Bayern turn up the heat, it’s almost impossible to stop them. Of course it was bad for us that they showed this quality against us. They are really difficult to play this year and that’s why they’re so good.
SPORT1: Over the past two summers you have played with the Serbian national team in many important games against Germany. How did you watch these games?
Milutinov: It was really very hard. Germany has really developed strongly in basketball in recent years. They played fantastically at both the World Cup and the Olympics. Personally, I think it’s great that another European country has now become a world leader.
Milutinov: Germany deserves to be world champions
SPORT1: The World Cup final in particular is of course very important here in Germany. How do you think back on the game?
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
Milutinov: It was bitter to lose so narrowly. Nevertheless, I also have positive memories of the tournament. Nobody expected that we could even get to the final. That’s why it was a success that thrilled the entire country. Unfortunately, we weren’t mentally ready enough in the final. Germany was simply more ripped off. We fought hard and even had the chance to tie the game with a three-pointer shortly before the end. Unfortunately it passed and we lost. Despite the bitter defeat, looking back it was a great success for us. And you also have to say that Germany really deserved to win the World Cup.
SPORT1: Last summer they met Germany again in the bronze medal game at the Olympics. Was the lost World Cup final from last year an extra motivation for the team?
Milutinov: We really wanted to win a medal, also to achieve our goal of winning this medal at both major tournaments. I had no real thoughts of revenge. It must also be said that both teams actually had the opportunity to go further and could only have met again in the final. Both actually deserved to play for gold. It was still a fantastic summer for us. Bronze was also a great success for Serbia.
Jokic? “Has an incredible character”
SPORT1: At the Olympics, they shared the center position with NBA superstar Nikola Jokic. What is it like to play with him and spend the whole summer with him?
Milutinov: It was probably the third or fourth summer we’ve spent together. It’s always fantastic when he’s there, especially because he has such an incredible character. I don’t think there’s much to say about his basketball skills, but beyond that he’s just a great person. Of course, if he’s there, we’ll be under a lot more pressure because then the whole country will expect us to get to the final. But especially then it’s still great to have Nikola on the team because he’s always incredibly calm despite the pressure. He also has these incredible skills that make it almost easy for us to make our families and the whole of Serbia happy with our successes.
SPORT1: You were just talking about Jokic. What makes him special?
{
“placeholderType”: “MREC”
}
Milutinov: With Nikola, it’s just unbelievable that he can really see everything on the field. He notices every little thing. He really manages to make every player better, both in the game and in training, where he talks to us a lot. When it comes down to it, he takes responsibility for us and usually makes the right decisions. When we play with him, we are all much calmer because we know that he is there and will carry us in the crucial moments. This is how he gets the best out of each of us.
SPORT1: You could see how proud the entire team was after winning the bronze medal. You really celebrated. It even seemed as if her teammate Nikola Jokic celebrated more than after his NBA title. How do you remember these moments?
Milutinov: We had really great moments there that will always connect us as a team. After the bronze medal game, we knew we still had a few hours until the award ceremony. We then used it to celebrate. It is precisely this team spirit that has made us so strong. But it was just a fantastic day. It was great to see everyone so happy, both my teammates and our families. The celebration on the bus or before we were allowed to go onto the podium were also great. These are memories that will last for my entire life. The time between the game and the award ceremony was perhaps even more special than the moment we received the medal.
