Serbia’s ride to the 2014 FIBA Wold Cup championship has been an unlikely one. They won just two of their games during the group phase, taking losses to Spain, France and Brazil in Group A. Their only two wins came against Iran and Egypt, the two teams that did not advance to the knockout stage out of their group. Come Sunday, Serbia will take the court in Madrid, completing a run that has brought it’s national team back to glory.
FIBA World Cup 2014: Serbia’s return to glory fueled by Milos Teodosic
Serbia, once Yugoslavia, was a national powerhouse team in FIBA competitions before falling on hard times. Milos Teodosic has helped restore glory, ending a disappointing era that began in 2002.
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Serbia’s national team has seen plenty of success historically, but has fallen on hard times recently. Winning a silver medal at worst is a big win for a country that once won back-to-back FIBA World Cups in 1998 and 2002, led by the likes of Vlade Divac, Dejan Bodiroga and Peja Stojaković. From 1995-2001, Serbia (then Yugoslavia) also won four medals at EuroBasket, including three gold medal finishes. Like most eras, though, Serbia’s reign of dominance came to an end.
Serbia was ranked outside of the top-10 in FIBA’s national rankings prior to the World Cup. This was once a powerhouse national team to be feared, but since a gold medal finish at the FIBA World Cup in 2002, they’ve medaled once, taking second-place in the 2009 EuroBasket tournament. Enter Milos Teodosic, Serbia’s rising star.
Serbia rode Teodosic’s hot hand to advance past Brazil and France. He scored 47 points combined against the teams, scoring from everywhere on the court to give his team the edge:
Teodosic is shooting an astounding 48.9 percent from beyond the arc while averaging team-high 14 points and 4.1 assists per game. He recently signed a three-year extension to stay with Russian League team CSKA Moscow, one of the highest-profile overseas teams. He joins a list of players that have played for the Russian team that includes Andrei Kirilenko, Nenad Krstic and Darius Songalia. That success has transferred in a big way for his home country of Serbia as they have an opportunity to upset Team USA to capture a third gold medal in FIBA World Cup competition.
Teodosic isn't doing it alone, though. Miroslav Raduljica has given Serbia a bruising inside presence, while Krstic adds another NBA veteran into it's frontcourt mix. Bogdan Bogdanovic has stepped up as Serbia's other three-point scoring threat, making 41.7 percent of his three-point attempts in Spain. Suddenly, a window of opportunity to regain footing in international play has opened.
The foundation of Serbia's team is mostly under 30, giving them a handful of competitions to establish a winning culture together and build upward. Spain, though likely still considered one of the best teams in the world even after a disappointing World Cup, could go into a transitional phase. Pau Gasol may have played in his final FIBA competition with Spain, and the team looked out of sorts as France stunned them in Madrid. The French will continue fielding one of the best international basketball teams, proving capable even without stars like Tony Parker and Joakim Noah, but Serbia eliminated the 2013 EuroBasket champions in the semifinals.
The time is now for Serbia to be considered as one of the elite national teams.
Serbia will have it’s work cut out to remain a relevant basketball force with team’s like Lithuania and Turkey also on the rise, but the talent is there. An upset victory over Team USA would propel Serbia into the global spotlight, with Milos Teodosic standing at the center of their rise to prominence. Reaching the championship game, and eliminating Argentina, Brazil and France along the way, is enough to make them one of the team’s to keep an eye on over the next few competitions, even if they end up settling for silver medals to cap off an excellent run at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Elite competition at the international level is good for basketball, and a competitive conclusion to the World Cup in Spain would be great for the sport. Serbia is playing with house money against a heavily-favored United States team and can leave it all on the table. Win or lose, Serbia is primed to fight for it’s place among the world’s best.
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