#16: Boban Marjanović

NBA crowd favorite and current Houston Rocket Boban Marjanović joins Bill Schoening on the Sound of Spurs podcast to discuss his time with the San Antonio Spurs. Boban shares what he knew about San Antonio before he got there, he talks about the Spurs reputation overseas, and then he explains what it feels like being the crowd favorite.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to sunto Spurs podcast. I'm Bill Showing, a long
time radio voice the Spurs. This is a man who
needs no introduction and some of them people will be
listening and not seeing so uh. This is Boban Marianovic, who,
even though only spent one year with the Spurs, will
always be identified with the Spurs. Do you agree, Boban?
You know, I agree, Like this is like my NBA

(00:33):
career side. This is when I have like the best experience,
you know, all the experience of MBA, the experience, like
all these great people around me and you guys, you
guys still do a great job. You guys still have amazing,
amazing people. And every time and they come in s Antonio,
my heart like like beeping, like every time whatever how
do they say? And I know, my mom, hey you
san Antonio. It was like everybody happy to get super exciting.

(00:56):
Everybody talk about san Antonio a lot of course with organization,
with everything. You know, when I come here, like it's
it's different, different vibe. It It's like it's like emotional
and it's positives. What did you know about san Antonio
before you came here? Look, I know I know a
lot of things. I follow basketball. I follow San Antonio
of course, like big baby, big fan, not just because

(01:18):
I play here from before two And I know, like
you guys, you guys make people here like make like
good players, good stuff, good organization, great coaches. You know, everybody,
everybody who come up from there, they they become like
somebody very important in that they're like on own world,
like you know, like gm ss GM coach second and

(01:38):
second second seastant coach, main coach, you know, like he
was like, no, I don't talk about organization, talk about
the players too, you know, like like I take my
example too, you know, like I come in NBA like undrafted.
You guys pick me up, you know, like you guys
have an amazing guy for the for the great players.
Thank you. You guys have amazing guy for the great players.
And this is how I come, This is how I start.

(01:59):
And this is because everything what is happening right now
is because you say about everything about me. This happened
because because of this. As far as international players are concerned,
the Spurs have the reputation of course for having a
lot of international players, but do they have that reputation
among European players that knowing that there's a chance in
the NBA with a Spurs. But let's go be honest.
When I play that, everybody want to like just just

(02:20):
go to NBA. And it's like like, basically, I don't
choose a team, but I know I know Spurs, so good,
great job to they like if you do great things,
if you like behavior, nice, play good, you know, respect teammates,
expect coaches respect, you know, like your your chance to
come in NBA and Spurs sive is big, you know,
like and this is this message for every for every

(02:42):
young guy who like undrafted and want to want to
make want to make to NBA. You know, this is
like work hard, work ethic, listen to coaches and spay
the game, respect, play good. You know you can be
here and you can make you can make something happen.
And I'm a good example about that. I imagine you're
a good teammate no matter where you go, but you
fit in real well here. And I remember the first

(03:04):
time you had a good game, and it was a
preseason game. You got a big ovation and you became
a crowd favorite right away. What do you remember about that?
I remember I remember everything. I remember the day when
like dunking, like I still I still have a couple
of clips on YouTube and I watched and I was like, man,
I was really good. You know I can, but you know,
the crowd, I spaid because like everywherey going, crowd like recognize,

(03:27):
recognize hard work, and this is like and of course
great energy. The my first game, getting my memory for sure,
my first place season game, get my memory for sure.
But the main the main game, and I remember like
one of that the beginning of the season. We play
against Minnesota and I play We play against Minnesota and
I scored like maybe like I think, seventeen seventeen points

(03:49):
in like eleven minutes and we changed the game. It
was like we little bit down. And I still I
still watching some clips and I know we go, we
go back and forth. It was crazy. The crowd was
getting like, you know, amazing, I hear my name and
I was like I was sitting on a bench, we leading,
we won the game, and I was sitting there, I say,
is this really happened? Is this really happened? Like because
I hope nobody to make me up, like, oh, make

(04:11):
me up, don't don't touch me, don't touch me, and
it was like it was amazing. That dead game. That game,
it's in my memory forever. And I remember. I remember
like one time he played against Washington. It was John
Wall and I tried to I tried to defend, like
you know, didn't know good personality. John Wall was like
you know, like you know, nobody can stop him. And
I was like play. I was like no, I'm good

(04:32):
one on one and I remember one on one I
played John Wall and he just make one step go
to lab. I was like, OK, it's sorted. My fault
step up right there, right, Loma Loment. What do you
remember most about your time in San Antonio was your teammates,
because you had some great ones. Of course, teammates, you know,
they always I still I still have that Judgey dead ball,

(04:54):
like everybody everybody was signed and they still hang it
out in my home. And you know every time when
I when I walked by, I still can't believe I
play with all these names. And then coach Pop was
my coach, you know, like and I walk by this jersey,
I was like, you know, like hey, but what they
say to everybody. I remember when a little bit when
a little bit running down and you don't feel good

(05:14):
about itself just gowing Whole Foods or HB whatever, like
you know, gosuper Market and like, you know, people, I
give you so much. Respective was like, oh you amazing,
you do great job. You're do great basketball player. And
I was like, yeah, that's me. Yeah, I grow up
from seven from seven four or seven four and a half.
I don't know how many. I'm like, I don't, I don't.
I don't measure myself anymore. To grow up in eight

(05:37):
feet you know, like and my and my like you know,
like my feeling become like even more bigger, and I
feel like, oh, I'm going to practice, is like ready
to go. I'm warm, Let's go what I need to do.
But you embrace it, which is a great things. That's
why I think everybody just absolutely loves you before we
let you go. What's the future hold after your playing career?
You're doing some acting. I know you love doing these commercials,

(05:57):
but what about the when you hang them up for good?
You know, like basket basketball is my life, you know,
like still if I can curl, I will still play basketball,
you know, because I know. But everybody said, I take
care of your body, and yeah, I do that. I
do that the best I can. Of course, like you know,
like a little bit, I have more opportunity to take
care of body because I'm not too much in the game.
But basketball. My first love basketball is basketball, and this

(06:20):
is like this is my goal to forever because I know,
I know I'm good in that, and I know and
I still work on that every single game because like
every single young guy just you have talent, but you
your work. Heathic need to step up in this moment
because like if it's a big difference between here and here,
you know, like and you can just be the player.
You can be just like this player, the player, you know,

(06:40):
like the guy who like get every ball, like get
like Max, like play for him. Everybody recognize him. And
this is like this is like amazing thing, you know.
Like of course, like I like acting, like cameras, you know,
like we just said, you see you have I enjoy it.
It's like you don't stop me. I like I like
the cameras. I like acting, you know, like that up
of things, you know how I say, like, you know,

(07:03):
this is like this is like my world and I
feel comfortable. You know. Of course before I was shy,
but working with you and talk with you and uh,
I'm from Serbia. Whatever, But I like when I hear
that every single time from Serbia with love and your
first dunk, I said, from serber with love. I have
no idea why. But then Jane Anne from Sybia. But

(07:25):
then Jane Anne made the sign. Remember yes, I saw
the sign a lot of the sign every time that
I was like. I was like, yeah, yeah, I know.
When my wife was at I and I was like, yeah,
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(08:12):
This has been sound Spurs podcast. This guy leeds no
introductional or exit MoMA is so great that your winter
spurs even fime one year and always be identified as
a spur of my mind. And it's great that you
were here for a while. I appreciate. I love to
work this with you because we did hit this conversation
I really enjoy. Of course, it's a lot of to say,
a lot of to say, like about about organization spurs

(08:34):
people around. But you know, like we don't have too
much time, but thank you, thank you because you'd go,
you would choose me. And every time you're an amazing voice.
When they hit an amazing voice, they're making let's go,
they make me blood bob out and all these fans,
all these big support when I have by the way,
when I have that today when I walk in the game,
of course I'm in Houston, but you know, like walk
in the game and I hear that I hit that

(08:54):
fansching my change my name, Like I get that applause.
What he can ask for more from Rabia would love
it works. Yeah, there you go. That's gonna do it
for tonight. We'll see you next time. One Santa Spurs
Podcast Robobon. I'm Bill Shoney,