Nikola Kalinić has decided to retire from professional basketball, a decision that had been building for several years as the Serbian no longer felt the same enthusiasm for the game.
The former Crvena Zvezda player explained his decision for the first time on the Kod Luke i Kuzme podcast. He will now begin a new chapter on Ibon Navarro’s coaching staff, with the goal of learning the profession and eventually becoming a head coach.
“I hadn’t played with the same enthusiasm”
Kalinić explained that his decision was not sudden, but had been developing over the past few years.
“It’s been going on for a few years already. For a long time, I hadn’t had the same enthusiasm for everything. I don’t know if it was visible on television, but it wasn’t the same anymore.”
The Serbian forward gradually began preparing for the end of his playing career.
“I started preparing the ground for that step, and then a situation came up that could resolve things in that direction. I decided to take that step and agreed with Zvezda to stay.”
“Physically I felt great, but basketball-wise I was struggling”
The decision was not driven by physical problems, but primarily by his mental approach to basketball.
“It was all in my head. Physically I felt great, but basketball-wise I felt bad. At the end of the season I felt good, I was flying, but basketball-wise I couldn’t find myself anymore.”
Kalinić also explained that he did not want to continue playing until his body forced him to stop.
“I’ve achieved all my goals and ambitions in life, I’ve seen the world, met people, made money. It doesn’t make sense to keep playing until my Achilles tendons tear.”
A new life as a coach
Kalinić will remain with Crvena Zvezda and join Ibon Navarro’s coaching staff, where he will try to determine whether coaching is the right path for him.
“All of this is new to me. I’m taking it step by step and preparing myself to become a head coach one day. That’s why I got into this, to see whether I’m suited for it or not.”
The former player also believes his experience can allow him to act as a bridge between the coaching staff and the players.
“I think I’ve been through a lot in my career and I can be a link between the ideas of the coaching staff and the players. It’s a challenging position, but I’m enjoying it for now.”
“We want the Final Four and to win the EuroLeague”
His ambitions with Crvena Zvezda, however, remain unchanged.
“I think it’s a huge advantage for a club to have someone who has played at that level and can stay and work. The ambitions remain the same: we want the Final Four, we want to win the EuroLeague. Now we’ll do it from different positions.”
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