On Saturday, Atlanta Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic made history, becoming the Serbian national team’s all-time leading scorer with 1,059 points. Last year, Bogdanovic —the team captain —was voted as the best Serbian player for 2023 by the country’s basketball federation and media. On a team with three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic, this is quite the feat.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (@LeaderOfHorde), captain of the Serbian men’s national team, has become the all-time leading scorer! 🫡🇷🇸 #TeamSerbia #Paris2024 #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/7h7JiZZfuX
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) August 3, 2024
In what was his best game of the Paris Olympics, the seven-year NBA veteran recorded 30 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 32 minutes against fiesty South Sudan. Seemingly unable to miss all night, he went 10-14 from the field, including 6-9 from 3. Because of his reliability, he was arguably the team’s most important player. Every time South Sudan made a comeback, Bogdanovic was ready to make a big shot.
— Chrissy (@chrissssyyymol) August 3, 2024
With Jokic swarmed in the paint whenever he touched the ball, it was needed. That isn’t to say the Denver Nuggets center didn’t shine against the Bright Stars. In 27 minutes, he tallied 22 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and a block. Most importantly, he was efficient despite seeing a reef of defenders, going 7-9 from the field.
Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic Makes History In Paris Olympics
Saturday’s game was marred by an officiating controversy, with Serbia shooting 31 free-throws to South Sudan’s six.
Luol Deng believes that the absence of African referees at the Olympics results in a different standard of officiating, as these refs may not be accustomed to the physicality of African players 🗣️ #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/WdyxfVzFE6
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 3, 2024
Nonetheless, without Bogdanovic playing the way he did, Serbia might not have won. Though the final score (96-85) doesn’t reflect it, the game was close until the final minutes. Indeed, with just over seven minutes remaining, the beloved underdogs were only down four points (78-74).
After the final horn sounded, Bogdanovic admitted he was “scared” that South Sudan could win.
“I was scared of South Sudan before the game. They had a huge tournament,” Bogdanovic said after the game. “What Luol Deng does for their federation is amazing. You can see the work is paying off.” (h/t BasketNews)
Serbia will now face Australia in the quarterfinal round.
A Starting Role Awaits?
Bogdanovic’s play during the Paris Olympics may not determine how he performs in the 2024-25 NBA season.
It is true that players who excel during international tournaments have done well the following season. Some are in midseason form in a time when other guys are shaking off rust. From time to time, a player hits a new gear with their national team and it carries over. Nonetheless, many of them simply continue to play at a similar level.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old Bogdanovic is one of the ones who is likely to play about as well as he always has. However, with the Hawks trading Dejounte Murray, there’s an opportunity for him to take a bigger role next season. 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher is built in a 3-and-D mold that could allow him to be a great long-term fit beside Trae Young. Yet, he doesn’t appear ready to replace Murray’s scoring output. This leaves open the possibility that Hawks head coach Quin Snyder opts to start Bogdanovic at shooting guard next season.
In 2023-24, Bogdanovic started in 33 games, primarily when Young was out with a thumb injury. As a starter, he averaged 17.0 points per game on 37.2 percent shooting from 3-point range.
