蜜柚直播

Turns out, all that was nothing.

The Serbian big man had reason to fear for his safety when he returned to Europe to play for Red Star Belgrade as a rookie professional.

Fans of rival Buducnost Voli 鈥渨ere throwing coins, spitting at us and one of my teammates was hit by a bolt鈥� during the Adriatic League Championship Series, Ristic said. 鈥淚t was kind of scary, but we have a security guard. We spent four days in a hotel there with police around us 24 hours a day.鈥�

Ristic said the assaults were meant to intimidate players, not hurt them, but his club took it pretty seriously. In a statement, Red Star, known in Serbian as BC Crvena Zvezda, blasted Buducnost Voli鈥檚 management for not acting responsibly. The team said 鈥渁 complete lynch of the whole club鈥� was avoided only because the Red Star stayed composed.

“A club with such history and tradition has never before faced such hostility anywhere, as was the case with BC Crvena Zvezda’s delegacy in Podgorica in Games 3 and 4,” the club said in its statement, according to .

Ristic said even some of Buducnost Voli鈥檚 well-traveled former NBA players 鈥� including former Suns forward Earl Clark and former Heat guard Norris Cole 鈥� told him they had never seen anything quite like it.

鈥淭hey said 鈥楾his is crazy,鈥欌�� Ristic said.

Not only did the Red Star win the series to capture the ABA championship while also qualifying for high-level Euroleague series in 2019-20, but Ristic had a chance to play in front of friends and family for the first time in five years.

Ristic finished his senior season of high school at Kansas鈥� Sunrise Christian in 2013-14, then spent four seasons with the Wildcats. Afterward, he signed a three-year contract to play for Red Star, for whose youth club he had played on before heading stateside.

Ristic talked to Star recently while commuting between his hometown in Novi Sad to Belgrade. Here鈥檚 what he鈥檚 up to:

Because the Red Star had two other veteran centers, Ristic played in only 17 of 30 Adriatic League games, averaging 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Still, he said it was a good learning experience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a good year for me, though I didn鈥檛 have a lot of playing time,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t kind of reminds me of my freshman year at UA. We have a really loaded team, along with two guys at my position, and they鈥檙e more experienced. Sometimes the coaches trusted them more.

鈥淚 had some good games, like my freshman year, and some games when I didn鈥檛 play at all. I still played the five but it was the same thing like in my last year at 蜜柚直播, where if I had the chance, I鈥檇 shoot the outside jumper as well. I would say I鈥檓 more a five than a four here because here the four (power forward) is more outside. This year, the coaches didn鈥檛 really want me to shoot 3s. The role of the big man here is to roll into screens and (play inside), but that鈥檚 something I will have in the future.

鈥淚 have two more years (under contract) after this. I talked to the GM and this year was more about getting back into European basketball and hopefully next year I will have a bigger role.鈥�

Although Ristic鈥檚 relationship with Red Star initially took a hit when he decided to play U.S. college basketball, things strengthened quickly last summer.

鈥淭his is a great place,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I was younger, I was probably the most talented player (on the developmental club) at that moment and they weren鈥檛 happy I left, but when they realized I can come back to the Red Star they followed me and our relationship stayed good. I didn鈥檛 experience any bad moments for them. I felt like I was part of their goals and also the fans there welcomed me really well. Especially when you play for the Red Star and you鈥檙e a domestic player they respect you a lot.鈥�

Ristic鈥檚 transition back on the floor took some time, requiring a re-adjustment to more physical play.

鈥淧laying 20 minutes in Europe is a lot,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur best player plays maybe 25 minutes a game (former Wichita State guard Joe Ragland led the Red Star with only 22.3 minutes) because the rotation is much deeper. Maybe 14 players play and you have to be ready at all time. It鈥檚 funny, the referees almost didn鈥檛 call anything. In the Pac-12, they call every hold or call sometimes. You can鈥檛 use your forearms or push players and here everybody鈥檚 pushing everybody, using legs, shoulders, elbows.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 surprised because I鈥檝e played under those rules before. I was more surprised my freshman year in college.

鈥淚 have a few Americans on my team and we always talk about the difference between college basketball, the NBA and Europe. Europe is more similar to college in terms of team basketball. It鈥檚 much less individually oriented than the NBA. Even though the shot clock is only 24 seconds, that might sound quick, but it鈥檚 still a slower pace than in college. It鈥檚 definitely more physical, players are older, stronger and the referees allow contact and don鈥檛 call fouls for every contact. And something I learned this year is the ball moves really fast and all the players are super quick players. It鈥檚 like an ultimate thinking game.鈥�

Despite the adjustment, Ristic said having played for 蜜柚直播 in college was also beneficial in many ways.

鈥淲hen you go from playing Europe first, then college, then come back again, I felt like much more (ready) player than I was five years ago now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was a skinny kid, couldn鈥檛 really use my skills because it was such a physical game.

鈥淚n college, it鈥檚 also (about) life. You learn to show up for classes, go to team meetings, take care of your body, learn what to eat 鈥� those are things I learned at 蜜柚直播.

鈥淭he difference between college and pros here is the (European pro) coaches tell you what to do, but if you don鈥檛 do it they don鈥檛 care. It鈥檚 up to you to perform. In college, you have coaches who push you. They force you to be a basketball player. It starts with proper nutrition, lifting weights. When I came back to Red Star, everyone was amazed, 鈥榃ow, you look bigger, stronger, tell us the secret.鈥� The difference in the coaches are more willing to help you (at 蜜柚直播).鈥�

Ristic said he expects to have a bigger role in Serbian League games this spring because one of Red Star鈥檚 other big men is departing, and he started off well. Ristic had 18 points and eight rebounds in Saturday鈥檚 opener against Dunav to become the club鈥檚 鈥淣ike Player of the Game.鈥�

鈥淚 feel I鈥檓 in pretty good shape, but we still have a month and a half to go,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we go all the way to the (championship) the last possible date is June 20. That鈥檚 a pretty long season considering we started in early October.鈥�

Ristic said he enjoys the support of family at every home game 鈥� Novi Sad is less than a two-hour drive from Belgrade 鈥� though his mother jokingly complained that she missed waking up early in the morning to watch him play for 蜜柚直播. There鈥檚 plenty of support elsewhere, too. While fans may have crossed over the line in Montenegro, Ristic has found they are notably passionate and vocal, sometimes singing and dancing in the stands.

It鈥檚 a different environment, on and off the court, and Ristic has been experiencing both of them fully.

鈥淚t took me some time to get back to this culture. I had to accept some culture things to be successful in the United States, the way you hang out with friends, the way you talk to coaches,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was only in America for four years, but it felt like longer than that. The four years in college are big for all individuals because you grow mentally, you can get perspective one some things.

鈥淪ometimes now I almost think I have two opinions of things. Here, it鈥檚 more relaxed, the pace of life is slower. In the states, people are working more. In America, people just live faster. Both of those things have a lot of positive things but when you鈥檙e able to see both cultures, it helps. There are pros and cons to everything.鈥�