Bogdan Bogdanovic had to take his troubles patiently until the release on December 2, when he returned to the courts to help the Hawks win against Denver. The wait will have been long since the Serb, operated on his knee this summer, had to watch Eurobasket 2022 on TV and live the first weeks of the NBA season on the side.
Asked by TrendBasket, Bogdan Bogdanovic spoke about this long process and how he experienced it.
“It’s the longest time I’ve been away from the field. I still found a way to touch the ball, I was taking shots from a chair for a while. And then from the second month, I could bend the knee and jump”, did he remember. “I was very excited in my return match. Coming back, feeling those emotions and seeing the fans made me nervous, like I was playing for the first time.”
A landmark during his rehabilitation
It took him a few games, three to be exact, to adjust on both sides of the pitch. Then, from his fourth outing, he started to chain, including a 31-point performance against Brooklyn.
“It didn’t worry me that much because I knew I had worked hard and was on the right track. Good things take time, I always try to beat myself first before thinking about beating the opponent next” he continues like this.
In addition to being a follower of stoicism, Bogdan Bogdanovic also spoke of his passion for the “Mamba Mentality”. Two pillars that helped him stay mentally on course during his rehabilitation.
“First of all, I like competition, it’s my character. When I lose, I say to myself: ‘It won’t happen again’. That’s how I motivate myself first and foremost.” he explained. ” For example, when I got injured, I beefed up my diet and training, and tried to watch and read a lot of motivational stuff from different sports and different coaches. I don’t do it just for the fun of it, I do it thinking that if I do it, things will be easier when I get back. It’s my mentality. That’s what Kobe was saying. He was working really hard and the games were getting easier and easier for him. The game is never easy, but it all depends on your state of mind”.
A mentality that he will not fail to apply tonight against the… Lakers.
| Bogdan Bogdanovic | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2017-18 | BAG | 78 | 28 | 44.6 | 39.2 | 84.0 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 11.8 |
| 2018-19 | BAG | 70 | 28 | 41.8 | 36.0 | 82.7 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 14.1 |
| 2019-20 | BAG | 61 | 29 | 44.0 | 37.2 | 74.1 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 15.2 |
| 2020-21 | ATL | 44 | 30 | 47.3 | 43.8 | 90.9 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 16.4 |
| 2021-22 | ATL | 63 | 29 | 43.1 | 36.8 | 84.3 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 15.1 |
| 2022-23 | ATL | 12 | 30 | 43.9 | 42.2 | 80.0 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 17.4 |
| Total | 328 | 29 | 43.9 | 38.6 | 82.1 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 14.4 | |
