ABA League (2)
The Serbian league had a rather unique format.
At its core was the Adriatic (ABA) League, featuring clubs from Eastern Europe.
This league ran from October to April, after which the Serbian league picked up the baton from April to June.
In other words, for Serbian teams, the continental cup competitions took far greater precedence than their domestic league.
They had to perform well in the continental cups to qualify for the EuroLeague, so the top teams competing in the ABA League staked everything on this tournament.
Our Mega Vizura was one of them.
In the ABA League, with a total of 14 teams vying for supremacy, our goal was to secure 4th place for playoff qualification.
After playing half the schedule—13 games—our record stood at 7 wins and 6 losses. Playoff hopes were still alive, but the bookies pegged our odds at a dismal 8%.
The big four were already taking shape, and slipping in even two of our remaining games against them would spell elimination.
No wonder the gym buzzed with a tense, heavy atmosphere as we prepared for the next matchup.
Our opponents were KK Cibona, one of those big four.
We'd lost by 12 in the away game during the first half, so we had to pay them back on our home court.
"Lee! Get over here quick!"
Coach Milojević, seeing my work visa finally come through and allowing me to play, seemed to view me as the key to shifting the mood. He kept calling me over for tactical breakdowns.
The crux was the switch defense.
"If their big man tries to drag ours out to the perimeter, you step out! Got it!?"
For instance, if their center headed to the wing to set a screen, I was to switch swiftly with our center and take his spot on the outside.
Against Cibona, we had to nail this switch defense.
And for good reason: Cibona boasted Dario Šarić, the ABA League's most versatile and dominant big man right now.
Šarić's team being this strong... who would've thought.
I'd joked about joining his squad if things went south, but surprisingly, it might not have been a bad move.
Anyway.
"Understood. So in transition, I just run hard, and the passer decides whether to hit me or not?"
"Exactly. You just fly. The passer calls the shot. ...Alright, run it one more time!"
The team dove into 5-on-5 defensive drills.
I slotted into the starting five, syncing with Jokić.
With the first half wrapped, Jokić had rightfully claimed the starting center spot, but his defense still carried a big question mark.
That's why Coach Milojević planned to use me as Jokić's defensive helper.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Focus! ...Subin! That was perfect!"
Subin was sweating buckets as the scout-team opponent.
Even though he was now in the garbage time crew, he gave max effort regardless, which had earned him some favor with the coach.
December 22nd. ABA League Round 14 home game against KK Cibona.
Our arena held up to 3,500 fans, but only about 600 showed up today.
Still, the enclosed gym amplified their cheers into a roaring echo.
Kim Yun-mi watched with hands clasped in prayer. Shin Won-hyung, who'd taken Christmas leave to come, sat beside her.
Five minutes to tip-off, the PA announcer kicked off player intros.
KK Cibona first.
Their players high-fived their way onto the court one by one.
Then our turn. Unlike the dry Cibona intros, the announcer lit up with passion.
Mine came quick.
Number 13! Seo Jun... LEEeee─!
I waved to the home crowd's cheers as I jogged out, spotting Šarić staring me down from across the court.
His face screamed, What the hell are you doing here?
The fans mirrored that confusion—why was an Asian guy suddenly in the starting five?
They'd seen me at home games since November (skipping aways), but figured I was just a practice squad kid or staffer.
Pre-tip, Šarić approached and whispered,
"Hey, what are you doing in Serbia?"
"Haha... guess I took a wrong turn on the way to your team."
"Pfft... Even if you came to Serbia, there are better options! Partizan, Zvezda—they're in the EuroLeague. Why Mega Vizura of all places?"
Šarić assumed I'd naturally land at Partizan or Zvezda.
Flattering, sure... but it also sparked my competitive fire.
He saw potential in me, but it felt like he still ranked himself above.
Maybe residue from our last clash, but whatever.
Things are way different from that U-19 World Cup, though.
This was payback time too.
Beep! My pro debut curtain rose.
Jokić won the tip, giving us first possession.
Our lineup:
Radović and Jokić were near twins in size, making it a twin-towers setup.
A lineup averaging over 2m in height—insanely tall.
But mobility suffered as a tradeoff.
Cibona mirrored us; their frontcourt averaged well over 2m too.
Now I get why the coach tapped me as a key player.
Opponent talent was polarized—no middle ground.
Meaning thin on swingmen.
Dangubić handled that role for us, but I was faster and stronger, so coach pegged me there naturally.
Screech! Players set positions. My matchup: 188cm Martin Juančković.
This guy's my prey.
I bodied him into the short corner, calling for point guard Micić.
"Mici!"
"...!"
Micić barked directions, adjusting positions. He called Jokić for a screen, clearing the paint, then used it to pop out and fire an entry pass on the quick.
"Nice pass...!"
Thud! I went straight into post-up. Pushed twice with my back, screeched into a pivot, spun for the layup... but
"...!"
The lumberjacks had rotated for help under the rim.
The old me might've panicked, but not now.
Thwack! A bounce pass sliced between them.
Dangubić, cutting from the weakside 45, snagged it mid-air before they jumped and hammered home the dunk.
"Perfect, Lee."
Everyone offered palms from the backcourt.
Slap! I smacked them on the way to my spot: left corner, loosely guarding their shooting guard Juančković.
Then,
"Screen! Screen!"
"Switch out!"
The instant Šarić—matched on Jokić—drifted out for a screen,
Whoosh! I ditched Juančković and bolted perimeter.
Jokić scrambled to the left short corner on Juančković.
I harassed their point guard Blažević in the split-second our screener was tied up. At 178cm, he was tiny.
They aimed to hunt the Jokić-Blažević mismatch with a simple pattern.
Šarić's range made pick-and-pop a killer; they banked on our switch.
That's why we counter like this.
Blažević shrugged off the surprise.
Thud, smack! Crossover dribble, probing my side.
Great handles, but...!
I chopped feet to shrug the body fake, screeched into a steal stance, steering his drive.
Couldn't fully contain a 178cm speedster's burst; he penetrated to the rim.
Still got him tagged!
Small and quick meant poor finishing angles.
My chase-down contest forced him to bail on the layup.
Whoosh! Last-second kickout to the left corner.
"Huh!?"
Jokić, help-rotating baseline, whirled in shock—too late.
Swish! Juančković rose uncontested for three.
Splash! Cibona struck back with a triple.
Coach Milojević erupted.
"Jokić! What the hell was that?!"
Knowing his fault, Jokić pouted an apology my way.
"Sorry, Seojun."
"No sweat."
Scratching his head en route to their end, Jokić signaled me and Micić.
Time for our prepared set.
Alright, let's run it.
Micić and Jokić initiate pick-and-roll.
But screening Jokić doesn't dive to the rim—instead, he lingers vaguely near the free-throw line, creating a 2-on-2 standoff.
They naturally recover from switch, and in that split-second, Micić threads to Jokić.
Now Jokić draws unintended double from Šarić and Blažević positionally.
He flails arms high, scrambling to protect the ball—drawing eyes everywhere.
Now!
I baseline cut.
And—
The "panicked" Jokić whipped a no-look toward the rim.
I snared it, evading trailing Juančković with a one-hand reverse dunk.
Boom!
"Sweet pass!"
"Nah, the cut was fire!"
Slap! Electric high-fives.
Back-to-back buckets ignited my rhythm—slowly, surely climbing.
...Showtime loomed to dazzle my debut.
Home fans went wild for Seojun dominating the court.
His style hooked them: raw power, blinding speed, thunderous dunks.
Seojun's energy outshone everyone, lifting the team's intensity a notch.
Coach Milojević smirked—exactly as predicted.
That kid's got swingman chops.
Swingmen pack diverse skills: shooter, slasher, wing defender, even playmaker with vision and passing.
Master all? They're offensive-defensive unicorns, true swingmen.
Prime example: LeBron James.
Coach saw slasher/wing defender in Seojun.
The spark plug, the glue guy boosting energy.
Such players fit seamlessly as 3rd/4th options anywhere.
Plug 'em in for gain, never loss.
Starting-five staple. Glowing reviews inevitable.
Scouts in the stands agreed.
Denver Nuggets guy eyeing Jokić.
Orlando, Minnesota, Washington, Memphis reps tracking Šarić.
"Plays well."
"Who's that guy?"
"Hmm..."
Seojun shone at U-19 Worlds, but still raw prospect.
Scouts jotted notes from tip.
Solid grades, but draftable? Debatable.
USA overflowed with swingmen: NBA, G League, NCAA.
Fierce competition.
Slasher/wing defender prospects? Dime a dozen. NBA-ready? Different story.
To stand out, need an edge: LeBron vision, PG shooting.
"Grows right, mid-second round maybe."
"Agreed."
"He's Asian. Late second if picked."
"Nationality? Chinese? Could bump to upper second."
"Haha, endorsement cashflow sweet. Houston milked that."
But.
From Q2 onward, Seojun's explosion forced a reevaluation.
Maybe even first-round material.