“Game over.” It’s over. “It’s done. We won.” This is what Marko Guduric thought. Him and everyone else before the tc screens all over the World, not just in the Bercy’s arena. It was the 2024 Olympic semifinal in Paris. Perhaps the greatest game in Olympic basketball history in terms of drama, energy, and quality. A battle between Serbia and the USA that was worth the two finals the Americans played against Spain, in Beijing and London. “I remember the emotions of being so close, everybody being so focused, so sharp, all the guys. Whoever got into the game gave a 100% of his abilities and everybody was just… Now, I’m going through the memories. We were so close,” he says.
Serbia, who had built a 17-point lead in a memorable first half, withstood the American comeback in the third quarter. With 32 seconds left, Marko Guduric—who didn’t miss a shot that night—made a three-pointer and was fouled by Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, completing the four-point play that restored his team’s 15-point lead (13 at the end of the third quarter). “The game is over, I thought, as I I turned, screaming and I saw all the guys on the bench. They were almost at half court, they all jumped and they were celebrating with me. So it was a great moment too.”
But then Steph Curry just happened. He scored 36 points with nine three-pointers that night and turned the game around in the fourth quarter, along with LeBron James, who had a triple-double that night. “We just lost a little bit of energy at the end. I think that fatigue came in. But still it was a good game and a good experience. One of the greatest games ever, I think. They’re just the Olympic Games in general. The environment and being in the Olympic Games is something that you dream of when you’re a kid.”.
Serbia won the third-place game the following day, taking the bronze medal. A year earlier, they had won silver at the World Cup, losing to Germany in the final. “We are proud. Me and all of my teammates are super proud and happy. Of course, in those moments when you lose a final game is not easy to take it. But I will just tell you this. One of former Olimpia players and national team player Gigi Datome, was my teammate in Fener. And I remember after the World Cup in Manila, when he had his last game for the national team, after we won the silver medal, he sent me a text and congratulations, whatever. And I remember him saying that he would give back all of his career for one medal with the national team. How important it is. And when he texted me this, I actually realized what we did, though we were sad because we lost the final. After reading this text message, you know, he put things into perspective because he never won a medal with the national team and I won a medal at Euroebasket and World Cup and Olympics. So, what else can I ask God for?”
Marko Guduric’s story actually begins in Priboj, a small mountainous town about 230 kilometers from Belgrade. He was born there in 1995, and it was there, in 2002, that he decided he wanted to play basketball. “I fell in love with basketball right then, in 2002, watching the Serbian national team playing in the World Cup and that was my first memory of basketball. Our team beating Team USA in the quarterfinals. That was the moment I think I fell in love with basketball. Dejan Bodiroga was my favorite player, he was one of the most important players of that team. So, I grew up with them and then later I appreciated Dimitris Diamantidis from the EuroLeague. He was from a younger generation of stars.”
However, in Priboj there was only one indorr courr, “but it’s not full length and width. It’s smaller. We practiced there during the winter but most of the time we were playing outside.” As a matter of fact it couldn’t be possibile for Guduric to become a great player without leaving home. The big chance came when the Federation sent a coach to look for players in remote corners of the country. “They would send a coach and he would go to different parts of Serbia and you know be there for the games, watch some practices and then this is how they came to my hometown and saw me at one of the practices. Then they talked to my coach, they spoke to my father after that and that’s how I got the chance to go to Belgrade and have some tryouts with Zvezda, FMP, Partizan. That’s how people learned about me in Belgrade. After that I came to Belgrade and started my journey.”
And still there were some bumps along the road. “It’s true, I got cut by FMP. It was one of the best programs for youngsters in Serbia a good one for developing young players. And when I did the try out there, they told me I’m talented and everything, but they have a full roster and you know, maybe next time I could join the team, but not that year. So, I ended up playing for Partizan when I was 15. At that point, I played two very good games against FMP that season and the same coach who cut me called like eight months later and offered me to join the team, finally. So that was an interesting story.”
In 2015,he led the Serbian National Team to Under 20 Eurobasket championship, in Italy of all places: “It was the moment when I realized I could something in basketball. We won the gold medal, and I was MVP. So I realized that maybe I can be successful and do something in my career.”. Serbia defeated Spain in the gold medal game (Alberto Abalde and Juancho Hernangomez were on the court) and he score1d 4 points after having 17 against Lithuani in the quarterfinal and 21 vs Turkey in the semifinal.
Meanwhile, he had been acquired by Red Star. It meant playing in the EuroLeague and triyng to win locally. Guduric stood out a few times, playing a great game against Real Madrid, another against Bayern Munich, and virtually deciding the championship n Serbia with a three-pointer with two seconds left against Partizan. So, he built a reputation as a clutch player. “I remember these moments very well even though they were 10 years ago. I don’t necessarily think I’m as they call it clutch. I’m not a clutch player. I don’t think about this. I just want to do the right thing for the team. In my whole career I was trying to do whatever the team needs at a particular time and put my teammates in the right position to succeed and for the team to be successful. But somehow in my career many times the ball found me. And when that happens, I’m not shy. I don’t run away from the opportunity, the chance and the responsibility. And uh I’m blessed and thankful to God and to all of my coaches and teammates for trusting me to to be a good decision maker.
In 2017, Guduric left his Belgrade comfort zone and moved to Fenerbahce during its best years. “They had just won the EuroLeague. So, I joined as team that was a great team already and it felt easy for us to go to the Final Four. But we didn’t win it. And the second time we didn’t win it again. Then I went to America, came back and Fenerbahce struggled for two, three, four years.”
In 2019 he was signed by the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA: He went there with a lot of enthusiasm and ambitions. The reality howeever was a little different. “Everything happens for a reason in life and God has a plan for all of us, I thinks. In Memphis some things could look bad so now it would be easy for me to be negative and to say that this guy doesn’t like me, this is not working for me, the environment is not good. But I learned to appreciate even those moments and I’m thankful for that and it was a great experience that taught me great lessons not only in basketball but in life in general”.
He stayed for a short time in Memphis then went back to Fenerbahce. “That was when I realized, during those three four years, how difficult it is to go to the Final Four. And then we went and we got beaten again. So, it was a long journey for me but I’m really thankful and blessed and I would never change anything because it is during those losses and tough times that you learn a lot how to appreciate when you win it. Winning in the end it was a relief. I was so happy, everybody was. I remember how tired and happy I was.”
He left Fenerbahce as a EuroLeague champion but in Milan he started a new streak of wins in Italy and hes been happy for every single on of them. “They meant a lot to me, because especially when you are younger, you take things for granted. Like I said, sometimes you think it’s easy. Some of the things that happened for me in my career seemed easy but then over time you understand, and you learn what you have to go through every day to prepare and take care of your life. I learned this from Coach Saras. He was always repeating when we were playing for a trophy or whatever Cup or Supercup. He would always say it’s a trophy, it’s one more trophy in your career. There is only one cup in 2026 or there is only one Scudetto in 2026 so every trophy is a trophy, it is something that after you’re done with your career you look back and will be proud of. I learned this from him so every trophy is really important to me.”
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