The day before the FC Bayern basketball players Zalgiris Kaunas in the Euroleague in Lithuania almost dismantled almost 15,000 fans with 97:82 (45:31), Vladimir Lucic rushes through the entrance door of the campus site of his club. Quickly eat something in the canteen before departure to Eastern Europe. And answer a few questions. The campus is located at Ingolstädter Straße 272, the football arena is just three kilometers away as the crow flies, only the southern Fröttmaninger Heide, a nature reserve, separates these two lighthouses of the club. And right at the entrance, this oversized picture of Thomas Müller – including a quote from the club idol: “Mia San Mia, which means having great self -confidence, the absolute belief in success. To do everything to do and want to win. Also try to try it after setbacks or in unfavorable game situations. “
They are sentences that also internalized Lucic, black jacket, black trousers, black sneakers, white socks.
“Do we have an interview?” Asks the 36-year-old, who still looks like 26, so on Wednesday mischievously in English when he runs towards the meal edition. Of course, the Bayern captain knows that he has an interview.
Lucic has been playing at FC Bayern since 2016, with Munich basketball players he has become German champion and four times the cup winner. In 2021 he was voted the top 5 of the Euroleague after his team had reached the playoffs there for the first time. On the other hand, Lucic has not had an easy year. In May 2023, he was operated on at hand, almost three quarters of a year, other injuries were added. In autumn 2024 he suffered a muscle injury in the calf. After a three -month break, he is now back on the floor.
In the victory against Alba Berlin, Lucic gave his Euroleague comeback a week ago, and now, in Kaunas, he got nine points and seven rebounds. He was by no means the most striking Bayern player, this predicate was more of Andreas Obst (26 points, eight threes turned), Carsen Edwards (24 points) and above all the great Nick Weiler-Babb (14 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals ) for itself. But Lucic showed up as he always plays: extremely team -related.
“His basketball IQ is outstanding. He has a kind of sixth sense that you cannot learn. Like Wayne Gretzky in ice hockey, ”says coach Gordon Herbert
Sometimes he came too late, like at the Dunking of Laurynas Birutis, or in the third quarter when he fouled Lonnie Walker IV at the throw and he got an additional free throw. Lucic said on Wednesday with his sonorous voice, with which he would easily get every conceivable place as a radio presenter or voice actor, also: “It was a difficult injury that did not allow you to stay in shape. I am far from the form that I had before. ”But just that Lucic can help the team again with his overview, its charisma, presence and experience, which is worth gold, also for coach Gordon Herbert:“ His basketball IQ is outstanding. He sees things before they happen has a kind of sixth sense that you can’t learn. Like Wayne Gretzky in ice hockey, ”Herbert said about his captain before he left to Kaunas.
After the game that Bayern gave the 14th victory in the 24th Euroleague season game, Herbert judged: “I think we have more options with Lucic and (Niels) Giffey back in the team and our attack is more balanced. Both guys help in many ways. ”Especially since Spielmacher Shabazz Napier continues to be missing after his heavy flu and hip problems.
In any case, Lucic has contributed to this to the most convincing Euroleague away success of Bayern this season. And in a phase that coach Herbert refers to the “Dog Time”, as a period of suffering, in which the stress is extremely high, there is hardly any breaks, but all the more ailments and injuries. “It’s still a pre-season for me,” says Lucic about his small season this season, “but I will survive physically.” And then he would like to win one, better two titles and reach the Euroleague playoffs. “The next few weeks will decide on our future.”
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And his own future? His contract ends this summer, Lucic will then be 36 years old. If the contract is extended, he would go to his tenth season in Munich. He has long since settled in here, the city has become a second home for him, the Serbs from Belgrade, and his family. “As a father of three daughters, I think about my future every day,” says Lucic, again with this mischievous grin: “She doesn’t just depend on me. I don’t want to leave my surroundings, for me it would be an easy decision. ”Bayern have to weigh whether he will continue to be a profit for you in the future and take into account new possible injuries.
You know that there are not many players who have a sixth sense, see things before they pass. The younger ones have always benefited from this anticipation, and not only from it. “His biological body is 26, 27 years old,” says coach Herbert about Lucic. Sounds like he likes to keep it.
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