Moved by passion, Nick Rakocevic hopes to succeed with Sagesse for the fans

DOHA (Qatar) - Nick Rakocevic and Sagesse find themselves bound for yet another collision with Al Riyadi as the two will fight for the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) title.

 

I feel like we owe this one to them.

 

It wasn't that long ago when the two proud ball clubs squared off in the 2023-24 Snips Lebanese Basketball Championship Finals, which saw the Yellow Castle come out on top of the best-of-7 affair by way of a gentleman's sweep to successfully defend their throne.

"Man," said the 26-year-old forward moments after their 76-72 win over Kuwait Club in the Final 8 Semi-Finals on Friday night, "I'm tired of playing these dudes!"

Rakocevic, of course, said as much in jest, with a slight grin. He fully understands that it's all part of the whole experience of playing in a basketball-crazed nation like Lebanon.

Particularly, in playing for a club like Sagesse, whose fan base has left the Serbian overwhelmed as he's been witnessing how passionate they could get the moment he went to Beirut to join his team in the middle of the domestic league's playoffs.

"Lebanon was just... as soon as I got there, they just welcomed me with open arms," said the Chicago-native. "Everybody there just came and showed me love."

Playing for a team with extremely supportive fans isn't something new to Rakocevic. He played in the Philippines - another well-known basketball-crazed country - back in 2022 and played for the one of the most popular franchises there, the Magnolia Hotshots.

"It's crazy. I miss Magnolia, I miss the Philippines, great culture, great people," he recalled.

 

"Every game, there's thousands and thousands of people. And the fans... just everywhere you go, they show you love," he added. "I definitely miss the Philippines, and I definitely miss my team in Magnolia and the coaches. Hopefully one day, I can get back over there."

Thus, the immense gratitude on his part l to have been blessed with the opportunity to play for those teams, where the love from fans have been nothing short of remarkable.

"I was extremely blessed and fortunate just to play with those teams. It's really fun and really exciting," said Rakocevic. "The fans and the love that we got, it's an incredible experience."

That's why he's making it a point to repay that support by showing out on the court. Against Kuwait Club alone, the former USC Trojan was without a doubt the difference.

 

I want to get one. I haven't got one yet.

 

There, he finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds, together with 3 assists, a steal, and a block each as he delivered when it mattered most, leading Sagesse' strong finish to take down the defending two-time Gulf League champions, who were one of the favorites in this Final 8.

It was easily his best performance of the tournament to date, and it's all because he's hardly bothered anymore by a minor knee injury he suffered.

"It felt good. I had a little knee injury where I hyper-extended it. I'm just slowly getting back. Just to recover from that, and to play as well as I did, I'm blessed," he said.

 

"I'm happy that we got the win," he added. "I told Coach before the game, you know, I felt good and I was gonna do my thing. And he just told me, 'I don't care what you do, I just need you to get this win.' Everybody was on the same page. I'm just glad that we got the win."

The Green Castle faithful did appreciate his and the team's efforts, as evidenced by the way they rocked the Lusail Multipurpose Hall. And so for Rakocevic, there would be no better way to reward their people than winning the coveted FIBA WASL trophy.

It's a chance for him, too, to win his first-ever championship in the pro ranks, making him all the more motivated to beat Al Riyadi and win this chapter of the Beirut Derby in their favor.

"This means a lot to me. This is gonna be my third championship in the last three years. I want to get one. I haven't got one yet," he said. "As a professional, that's what you want to do, obviously. You want to make money, support your family, and do things like that."

"But for me, I'm passionate about the game," added the former Serbian youth team member. "I love my team. I love my staff. I love the fans of Sagesse; Lebanon as a country. I feel like we owe this one to them, and bring it home for our fans and for our organization."

FIBA