DOCUMENTARY ON RENOWNED DOBOJ-BASED BASKETBALL PLAYER OGNJEN KUZMIĆ TO PREMIERE IN JANUARY

DOBOJ, NOVEMBER 15 /SRNA/ - A documentary about Doboj-born basketball player Ognjen Kuzmić, a winner of numerous club and national team medals, including two NBA championship rings, will premiere in January, director and screenwriter Danijel Manja told SRNA.

Kuzmić is the only player in the history of Serbian basketball to have won both an NBA championship ring and the EuroLeague title. He is among just 14 players worldwide to have achieved this feat, alongside Manu Ginóbili, Toni Kukoč and Bob McAdoo.

"I want to tell the story of Kuzmić as a neighbour, someone who is almost unknown in his own hometown. This is an injustice that needs to be addressed," Manja said, explaining why he had decided to make a documentary about the athlete, who first took to the basketball court at the age of 15, playing for Doboj-based basketball club Findo.

Manja said that, while gathering material for the documentary, he learned from Kuzmić's coaches that he had been highly regarded at the club because he showed up for training and worked with discipline.

It was precisely this well-placed trust that paved the way for his professional career, which took him through every level of basketball, from local clubs and European giants to NBA championships and success with the national team, including winning the silver medal with Serbia at the 2017 European Championship.

Manja described Kuzmić as a gentle giant who drives a Fiat 500 and modestly sums up his playing career with the understated remark: "I was lucky."

He stressed that Doboj could be proud to have a great yet little-known philanthropist, a man who remains modest in victory and selflessly passes on his experience and knowledge to younger generations, embodying the qualities that once defined a true athlete.

Manja said that Kuzmić now runs a basketball school for children in Doboj with coach Željko Babić, and that in January they organized a camp which children from Kosovo and Metohija also attended free of charge.

“Kuzmić is one of our own, yet a world-class figure whose story has not been told enough,” Manja said, expressing hope that the film would provide an additional incentive to place greater value on and show more appreciation for local talent.