Boban Marjanovic: Team first in William Jones Cup stint with Strong Group Athletics

Boban Marjanovic, in stereotypical fashion, is putting the team first in his stint with Strong Group Athletics.

Shunning the spotlight, the 7-foot-4 Serb wants to make sure he is aligned with what Strong Group and head coach Charles Tiu are trying to accomplish as they chase a third straight championship in the William Jones Cup.

"Coach is the main guy here, and it's every team, not just here," Marjanovic said after the team's practice on Friday.

"We need to be a team. What coach has on his mind, we are supposed to get [it] done.

"Sometimes it's really not easy. But we are a team, and we are supposed to handle this together."

Marjanovic is certainly the biggest name on a roster filled with Strong Group mainstays and Filipino players.

He rose to prominence as a dominant force in European basketball, earning an All-EuroLeague First Team selection in 2015 and capturing three consecutive Serbian League MVP awards from 2013 to 2015. His stellar play caught the attention of NBA scouts, leading to his debut with the San Antonio Spurs, then coached by legendary mentor Gregg Popovich, during the 2015-16 season.

That launched a memorable nine-year NBA career in which he played for the Spurs, Detroit Pistons, LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.

Marjanovic has also shared the court with some of the NBA's biggest stars, including Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Jalen Brunson and Kawhi Leonard.

"Nothing easy in this sport, nothing easy to win something, nothing easy to compare, nothing easy to go every night and play like the best you can," he said.

"Of course, we come here to win, to win [the] tournament. That's the first goal. And, of course, second is to have fun. And, of course, like third is to meet the fans."

With Strong Group, Marjanovic will play alongside former NCAA Division I talent Remy Martin, Matthew Wright, DJ Fenner, Dave Ildefonso, Tajuan Agee, former UAAP MVP Malick Diouf, Shaun Ildefonso, William Navarro, Benilde standout Allen Liwag, and young Letran guard Titing Manalili.

In practice, Marjanovic has been sharing laughs with teammates such as Manalili and Diouf, who has been his primary defender during scrimmages. Ildefonso, Martin and Wright have also had light-hearted conversations with the NBA veteran.

Marjanovic's finesse and soft touch have also given Strong Group another dimension offensively, allowing the team to space the floor with a reliable shooting big man.

"The guys are competitors," Tiu said.

"I like what I'm seeing in practice so far. Nobody wants to lose. Obviously, there's a challenge to let everybody play, but we've also got some guys that know their roles in the team, which I think is good.

"We're playing eight games in 10 days. It's never an easy thing. So, I think everybody will have enough opportunity to perform."

Marjanovic is also soaking in the support he has received from both Strong Group and the Filipino community as the team builds towards the tournament in Taiwan, which begins on Aug. 14.

"I love it here so far," he said.

"This is my first time in Philippines. I really enjoy it here, except the rain. Too much rain. But everything else, food, people, place, basketball, my teammates, everybody, I really enjoy."

Boban even raved about how recognizable he has become in Manila, perhaps even more so than in some other parts of the world.

"I get a lot of messages here. I get a lot of love outside, not just on the court. Outside, like, on the street, on the mall. You know, and it was like, and people, almost everybody know my name."

Strong Group heads to Taiwan on Thursday.br/]