Dusan Alimpijevic: 'I said I would not leave Beşiktaş'

Beşiktaş GAİN Men's Basketball Team Head Coach Dusan Alimpijevic said that the key to success is hard work and that he is pleased with the steady progress and team chemistry.

The 39-year-old head coach of the black-whites, who started the season with important goals in the Turkish Insurance Basketball Super League and BKT European Cup, made statements to AA reporters about the secret of his success in Beşiktaş, the process of taking office in the Serbian National Team, the performance of the National Basketball Team in the 2025 European Championship (EuroBasket 2025) and many other issues.

Beşiktaş GAİN started the Super League with 8 wins in 8 for the first time in its history, while in the European Cup, it has left the court with 6 wins in 8 matches and is in the top position. Serbian coach Dusan Alimpijevic is also at the forefront of this success.

Stating that they entered the season with a high pitch and that they are in a new challenge, Alimpijevic said, "This season is not very different to be honest. We are trying to enjoy basketball and life on and off the court. We are struggling to achieve success. The direction of some things has also changed. Because basketball has changed. In the last 3 years, basketball has changed much more than it did in the previous 15 years. The players who left before the season were important and great players. Our new players are also very good. We started a new journey with them. We are doing really well right now. Of course, like any team, we need time to adjust and get better, but the team chemistry we have found so far has developed faster than I expected."

- "There is no magic wand behind success"

Dusan Alimpijevic said that the most important factor for him to continue his career at Beşiktaş was sharing the same passion and working in harmony with the management and technical team of the black-white club.

Emphasizing that they play good basketball, Alimpijevic said, "Two years ago we were a team on the brink of relegation, but now our games are sold out. We enjoy playing together. This is a very important thing, we achieve everything together. The most important thing is that we have a really good harmony with the club management, our president, our executives, our general manager and our team. We share the same passion. This was one of the most effective things in my decision."

Emphasizing that they have been effective in the games they have played at the Beşiktaş GAİN Sports Complex in Akatlar, the 39-year-old coach said, "After more than two years, we have become a favorite here against a team like Anadolu Efes. Of course, this is a huge achievement compared to other organizations and budgets. There is no big secret or magic wand behind this success. There is a lot of hard work, character, good roster selection, good roster engineering, and the trust that everyone in the team and the organization has in each other. Just like in life, I think that resisting all the ups and downs in the best way possible, trusting in our process, believing in our own vision and goals and supporting each other in this direction is what can be underlined in this success."

Expressing that he feels very good in Beşiktaş, the Serbian head coach shared the following:

"Besides the offers from other clubs, there is also an important competition in the European Cup. My family feels good here. On the other hand, we have a very intense, strong bond and team chemistry with the fans. I enjoy it, and on the other side, the structure and passion of the club and the fans is very much matched."

- "The important thing is how you bring the season to an end"

Alimpijevic emphasized that they have big goals this season and noted that they are progressing well in this direction.

Stating that they need to think match by match, the head coach of the black-white team used the following expressions:

"We have 14 wins in 16 games so far. If someone had told us before the season started that something like this would happen, of course we would have been very happy. This is a very big achievement. We have big goals this year as well. We are doing very well in line with these goals. More important than how you are doing is how you will finish the season. At the end of the day, as long as you crown it with a trophy, that will be more important. Our goals are the same. We are trying to do the best we can again in the league. There are two teams with big investments in the league, Fenerbahce Beko and Anadolu Efes. We will be in competition with them to finish the season. In the European Cup, a few teams are competing on a significant level, both in terms of budget and sportsmanship. Bahçeşehir College, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Buducnost and a few teams like us are playing for the top. We will follow these goals game by game, week by week, month by month."

- His appointment as head coach of the Serbian National Team

"When they first called me, I was very honored that they gave me such an opportunity," said Dusan Alimpijevic about his appointment as the head coach of the Serbian National Team.

Emphasizing that generations have changed in basketball, the 39-year-old head coach said:

"Of course, it is always the greatest honor, pride and dream for a coach to coach the national team. It is extremely important for me that this happens because there are very important coaches in our country. Basketball and basketball coaching are changing with the generations. Honestly, when they first called me, I was very honored that they gave me such an opportunity. I have a really important challenge ahead of me. The fixture is tight. On the other hand, the Europa League teams are not as generous as they used to be in sending players to the national team windows. This will be a challenge not only for me but for all coaches. We will have an intense year. Of course, the Serbian national team has historically been ranked among the top 3 or 5 teams. So it will be an important challenge for me."

- "Impossible" response to Serbia's full-time offer

Dusan Alimpijevic said that he answered the full-time offer from the Serbian national team as "impossible".

Alimpijevic, who stated that he is on the same path with the black-white club in a passionate way, said, "At first, I was offered a full-time offer from the national team, leaving my contract at Beşiktaş. However, I told them that this was impossible. I had a promise to Beşiktaş Club and our president. I had made an agreement with them to stay for two more years. Beşiktaş has given me so much. I think I have to give something back to them now. I accepted this offer in this way because I think I am at this stage of my life when my energy will be at its highest. Maybe 10 years ago this would not have been possible, or 10-15 years from now I don't know if I would have accepted such an offer. The energy and level of dedication I have now convinced me that I can carry both tasks. I accepted this offer with this condition."

- "Turkey deserved the gold medal at EuroBasket 2025"

The Serbian head coach stated that Turkey deserved the gold medal at the European Basketball Championship 2025 (EuroBasket 2025).

Alimpijevic praised the national team and Turkish basketball, saying, "Turkey was the team that played the best basketball at EuroBasket 2025. When you look at the energy, team chemistry and all other aspects, they deserved the gold medal. If I am not mistaken, 8 of the 12 players play in the Basketball Super League. I think this is a very important achievement for your country. Structurally, Turkey is a country that invests a lot in basketball and gives serious contracts to players. For this reason, players can stay in their home leagues in Turkey. In my country this is a big problem. Many of my national team players have to play in leagues outside the ABA League. But in Turkey there is no such problem. This is a very serious advantage for you."

- "Alperen was more than half of the national team at EuroBasket"

Dusan Alimpijevic stated that Alperen Şengün showed a performance that could be equivalent to more than half of the national team in the European Championship.

The Serbian head coach argued that Alperen, who plays for Houston Rockets in the NBA, will become much more valuable in the future and said, "Everyone knows that Alperen is a very strong, talented and characterful player. The new generation of players has a softer style of play. Alperen makes a big difference with his toughness. He was already a very good player. He continues his development day by day. His IQ, knowledge of the game, work ethic, energy and effort to become a better player are pulling him upwards. I can't say that I agree with him being called 'Baby Jokic'. Alperen is Alperen. Jokic is Jokic. Each of them has their own story, development and journey. The most important thing that I consider as a common denominator is that they are both genius level players for their positions. I think Alperen was more than half of the national team in EuroBasket as well."

- "It was important for us to be the favorite against Anadolu Efes"

Alimpijevic emphasized the importance of being the favorite in their games against Anadolu Efes.

Describing basketball as a sport that gives chances to every team, the Serbian head coach of the black-white team said:

"Regardless of your budget, regardless of your size, basketball is a sport that can give you an opportunity. When you look at teams like Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahçe Beko, even the budget of two of their players can be more than our team's budget. Of course, we will continue to push our limits to the highest level. We will continue to work and show toughness. So we have hope. But when you look at it realistically, things are a bit different. What is pleasing for us is that in the games we have played so far, it was important for us to be the favorite against Anadolu Efes, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and is very concentrated. I can say that we are in for a bigger challenge. The Europa League teams seem to be at a disadvantage in the double game weeks because of the intensity, but we have a certain number of players in our roster, if you take into account the 2-3 young players we have. But the big teams have 17-18 players ready to play. Of course, nobody likes injuries, but injuries are not a big problem for them. They can replace him with new players."

- "No one will replace Obradovic"

Dusan Alimpijevic stated that no one can replace the legendary head coach Zeljko Obradovic.

Expressing his admiration for his compatriot Obradovic, who has 9 championships in the Europa League, Alimpijevic said, "I think no one will ever be Zeljko Obradovic. He is a very different person. He is absolutely marvelous. He has 9 championships in the Europa League. Maybe it was a different time, but it's still a very difficult thing no matter what time you are in, so he is a great and unique person. Nobody will ever replace him. Of course all of us, including me, take advice from Obradovic. I have a close relationship with him. I learned a lot from him, but we also need to go to our destination and build our own career journey."

- "Ergin Ataman is a unique value"

Alimpijevic emphasized that Ergin Ataman, head coach of the National Team and Panathinaikos AKTOR, is a "unique asset".

The Serbian head coach said about his colleague Ataman, who has many championships in his career and recently won the silver medal at EuroBasket 2025 with the national team, "We always talk about Obradovic, but I would like to remind you that as Turkey you have a very important coaching value in Ergin Ataman. If you ask me, he is the hottest and most successful coach in all of Europe, the most important coach in the last years. He is a unique value for you as well. I would like to underline this."

- "Serbian TV admired the black-and-white fans"

Dusan Alimpijevic stated that the Serbian TV broadcasting their home game against Dolomiti Energia in the BKT Europa League admired the black-white fans.

Sharing that playing in front of full stands in Akatlar made them very happy, the 39-year-old coach said, "I watched the replay of the last home game against Dolomiti Energia Trento on a Serbian TV with foreign broadcasters. For 10 minutes, I saw that they were silent and admired the atmosphere created by the fans. Last year we were playing European Cup matches in November. This year I see that the match we played against Dolomiti Energia Trento in November was sold out. I want our fans to know that unlike last year, this year the whole of Europe is talking about our fans and Akatlar as much as we are. They also talk about the energy created here. This is very important for us. It is very important that every game is sold out."

Pointing out the importance of the support of the black-white fans, Alimpijevic concluded his words as follows:

"The game we played against Anadolu Efes in the league was a very tiring game for us. After that game, if we were able to play the Trento game with such energy, if we were able to make that comeback, the support and energy given to us by our fans definitely played a big role. I emphasize that all games are very valuable for us, not big games, small games, one game or another. I expect them to come to Akatlar for every game to share this excitement, enthusiasm and joy with us throughout this long season."