After ending last summer playing for Serbia at the 2024 FIBA U18 Eurobasket in Tampere, Finland, where he led his team in FG% and 3P%, and winning MVP of NextGen EuroLeague Istanbul while leading the event in scoring in December, Serbian wing Ognjen Srzentić made his way to Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Oakland, California where he showcased his versatile skillset in front of a slew of NBA decision makers.
In this interview, Pro Insight sat down and discussed Ognjen’s basketball journey, his favorite players to watch, his experience at BWB, and much more.
For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A series we present 2007-born prospect Ognjen Srzentić, from Belgrade, Serbia:
Pro Insight: Just to start off, please introduce yourself to our audience.
Ognjen Srzentić: Hello, I’m Ognjen. I’m from Serbia, I’m 17, and I play for Mega in Belgrade.
PI: Can you share a bit about your background and how you got to where you are today?
OS: This is my first year with Mega, so I want to say thanks to them because they are a big part of my basketball career right now. Also I must say thanks to my parents, of course, to my family, who are the biggest support for me at this point.
PI: Do you have any other athletes in the family?
OS: My dad used to play basketball when he was younger but nothing crazy serious.
PI: Did you play any other sports growing up?
OS: When I was younger, I played tennis. I’m still a big fan of Novak Djokovic. Also, I practiced karate.
PI: Do you feel like you apply anything from those sports to basketball today?
OS: I mean in tennis I feel like the key is to try to predict your opponent’s next move, so I would say it is a really important skill in basketball, as well – especially on defense.
PI: So, while growing up trying out multiple sports – why basketball? Can you share a bit about what the game means to you?
OS: My dad was playing basketball when he was young, so he introduced me to the game. I was, let’s say, a pretty dynamic kid when I was young – I liked to do any kind of sport, so I tried many sports, but I liked to play basketball with my dad the most. I was eight when I started practicing basketball, so by now I have put a lot of work into it and it means a lot to me.
PI: What are your biggest long and short term goals on the court?
OS: For me, the biggest long term goals are to be a part of the Serbian National Team at the Olympics and to become an NBA player one day. Short term, I have many goals – obviously the end of the season is approaching, but maybe the biggest short term goal right now is to win the NextGen Finals in Abu Dhabi in May.
PI: You had quite the showing at NextGen in Istanbul. Congrats on that.
OS: Thank you.
PI: So you have some pretty big aspirations – what motivates you to work hard as you pursue those goals?
OS: Of course I dream big and I set my goals also pretty high, which itself motivates me as I see it as a big challenge. At the end of the day I just love to compete. Also, my family has a big impact on motivating me and they are really supportive.
PI: Do you watch much film? If so, who do you watch the most?
OS: Yeah, of course, I watch a lot of basketball. Obviously, I’m from Europe, I watch a lot of EuroLeague. In Europe, it is really competitive, so yeah I watch a lot of EuroLeague games. If I had to say maybe a few players that I like watching the most, I would say Kendrick Nunn from Panathinaikos. I watch him the most. From the NBA, let’s say Anthony Edwards.
PI: So we are here at Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Oakland. Let’s talk about the event. How was your experience? What were your biggest takeaways?
OS: The quality here was really, really amazing. I mean you see the gym is brand new here, you see the hotel, everything is organized perfectly here. So yeah it's been a pleasure to be here, to be honest and seeing the other guys come from all around the world, who are the best players in their countries, it's also really nice to see that. And working with coaches who are close to the NBA, who are, let’s say, from the NBA, the whole organization FIBA, it must be really good experience for me to have a chance to work with all these people to see where I’m at, at this moment, and to see if I learn from other coaches and also other players who are at this moment better than me.
PI: Walking out of the gym this weekend, did you have any favorite players to play with?
OS: I mean, of course I like to play with these big guys from Africa. They are nice to play with because they can jump high, they can catch lobs, they set good screens – so yeah, I was going to say some of those guys.
PI: Which players would you say impressed you the most, overall?
OS: For me, I kind of already knew everybody who came that plays in Europe, so I would say that the guy who impressed me the most was for sure Ikenna Alozie.
PI: How would you describe your game for someone who has never seen you play before?
OS: I would say, I mean, obviously I’m big for a guard – yeah, I’m bigger than the guys usually are, but I like to pass the ball, I like to share the ball. I would explain my game like I can do a little bit of everything. I can shoot, I can pass, I can do a little bit of everything. Also defense, so yeah.
PI: Is there a particular element of your game that you feel might be underrated?
OS: Maybe my playmaking.
PI: Development-wise, what is your primary focus right now?
OS: Yeah of course, I’m 17, I know there’s a long way to go. I am chasing my dreams right now so yeah of course I try to get better every day because that’s the only way I am going to do something in basketball. Let’s say something serious.
PI: Do you have anyone in particular that really inspires you?
OS: I had a few role models growing up, but maybe the most impactful one was Bogdan Bogdanović.
PI: Why him?
OS: He is a really skilled player, but what I like the most about him is that he has always been a guy who worked and he also showed that he is really the leader of our national team.
PI: Have you gotten to know him at all?
OS: Not at the moment, but I hope that we will meet soon.
PI: What are your plans for the rest of the spring and summer?
OS: As I said the end of the season is approaching, so this is the most important part of the season, so I am really focused on it right now. For the summer, I hope I will be playing for the national team. We host U18 Eurobasket and we also qualified for the U19 World Cup.
PI: What are your biggest interests off the court?
OS: Off the court I really like spending time with my friends. Also, I would say I really like to watch Netflix.
PI: What’s the top show you enjoy watching on Netflix?
OS: My favorite show is La Casa de Papel.
PI: If you had a free/off-day where you weren’t allowed to play basketball or work out/train, what would you spend your time doing?
OS: Probably I would spend some free time with my family and friends; as I said I really like watching movies, so let’s say I would go to the cinema with my friends or family.
PI: Do you have a favorite book?
OS: “Success, Why Not” by Jack Canfield.
PI: How about a favorite movie?
OS: Murder Mystery.
PI: Favorite snack?
OS: Probably a banana.
PI: Pre-game meal?
OS: Salmon with potatoes.
PI: What are your top three most used apps on your phone?
OS: For sure WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok.
PI: How would you describe yourself in just a few words?
OS: Enthusiastic, confident and hardworking.
PI: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
OS: I can’t really know where I will be in five years, but as I said I would really love to be a part of Serbia’s National Team, either at the World Cup or Olympics, as well as to make it to the NBA.