PIRAEUS (Greece) - Once the votes, split between the fans and the experts, were counted, it was a clear-cut victory. Nobody objected. The results were transparent for all to see, and all those watching the games didn't even need an excel sheet to confirm - because young Dario Saric was on another level.
We're talking about the 2013 FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year award, which the fans and experts handed to a certain 19-year-old from Sibenik, Croatia. He finished just ahead of an 18-year-old Türkiye boy-wonder point guard, and another 19-year-old from Athens.
Saric edged out Kenan Sipahi, who is still doing his thing with Pinar Karsiyaka, while the third-placed guy was none other than Giannis Antetokounmpo.
They go a long way back, Dario and Giannis. They are now connecting once more, in the same tournament in Piraeus, Greece this summer. Both born in 1994, Saric already in his 30s, while Antetokounmpo will celebrate his 30th birthday in December.
"Luka and Giannis are Top 5 in the NBA right now. Doesn't matter in which order, Top 5 for sure."
"He [Giannis] is the MVP, he already won an NBA ring, and he's got a lot of experience. Now, he is for sure hungry and motivated to do something special with Greece, too," the Croatian power forward said about his Greek rival.
They crossed paths in 2016, as well. Croatia were the underdogs at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Italy, but they stormed through, eliminated both Italy and Greece and went on to reach the Quarter-Finals of the Rio Olympics.
"I was the one guarding Giannis in Turin, if I remember it correctly. He was so young back then, I was also young, but now he's developed into a miracle of a player. When we played Greece a couple of years ago (at FIBA EuroBasket 2022), it was Ivica Zubac who had to guard him because Giannis is so huge nowadays."
Eight years ago, Dario was named the MVP of that FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. To make it an even more memorable summer, he came up with a famous last-second block, protecting Croatia's win over Spain as Pau Gasol tried to lay up a game-winner.
He was a 22-year-old with the world in his hands, looking up to the promise of that aforementioned Young Player award. Blink once. Blink twice. What do you know, Dario Saric is now one of the oldest players in Croatia!
"Yeah, that's a bit depressing," he said jokingly, in true lovable Dario style.
"Thankfully, Kruska [Filip Kruslin, 35] came back this summer, so I'm not the oldest."
When asked to draw some comparison between the 2016 lineup and the 2024 lineup of Croatia, he separated it into two classes.
"Playing-wise, we're not really alike. But our situation is somewhat the same, we're some kind of an underdog here, same way as we were against Greece and Italy eight years ago.
"But we'll take it one game at a time, come out of the shadows and play to our strengths to maybe win a few games here," Saric ping-ponged the ball back to the side of Greece or Slovenia when talking about the hot favorites in the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
"Luka is a whole system just by himself"
After all, those are the two teams with superstar power.
"Luka and Giannis are Top 5 in the NBA right now. Doesn't matter in which order, Top 5 for sure."
First up, Croatia get to face Luka Doncic and Slovenia to tip things off in Piraeus.
"Luka is a whole system just by himself. He controls the game, it's something that hasn't been seen in a long time the way that he calms it down to his rhythm.
"He's is really strong with the ball, he's is so good in the pick-and-roll, he gets everybody involved and he's like a whole system just by himself."
However, Saric saved one more name to keep an eye on. None other than his lifelong partner on the court, Mario Hezonja.
"Hezi had a really good season with Real Madrid and became one of the best players at his position, maybe even the best one in Europe.
We're all entering our best years, our primes, you still got a lot of energy and you're fine physically, while also getting more and more experienced. With Hezi's offensive arsenal, he can help us win any game, no matter who's on the other end," Saric remained optimistic.
Why wouldn't he be? He's been here, he's won this, he knows all the steps necessary to send Croatia back to the Olympic stage once again.
FIBA