Jovanović's Emotional KLS Win: Dedicates Trophy to Dule and Late Godfather

"I want to thank and congratulate the FMP team on their achievement and a quality game. I mentioned they have character, and they certainly impacted us at certain moments. I must also commend their conduct before, during, and after the game, which is truly commendable. The season Barna had with us was a stepping stone for him, to everyone's satisfaction." - Vlade Jovanović

"I must thank my team; we were in excellent form and managed to navigate a demanding season, staying united. This season, including our ABA League games where we strung together some very good performances, right up to a strong finish in the play-in games, ultimately led us to this Final Four. Today, we led for most of the game, but we were up against an exceptional opponent. I also want to thank the president and everyone running this club, as well as my phenomenal staff – it's not a large team, but everyone contributed. They, along with my players, deserve credit. In three years, we've grown significantly as a club. Crucially, we made no mistakes regarding human qualities. These 14 players are fantastic guys; I told them before and after the game – I'm quite demanding, but I've grown as a person alongside them, which only happens when you have good people around you. They supported me through this tough season. I mentioned Boban, and I must also mention the fans; they truly support their team, love this club, and aren't overly critical. All in all, it's a wonderful feeling, not just because of this game. Everything we've worked for this year has culminated in this. I'm delighted." - Vlade Jovanović

"My time at Partizan was very long, and Dule had a huge influence on me. As a young coach and person, it's normal to change your personality then; people not involved with those big clubs don't understand that. After that, you practically start to align your personality with what you've gained." - Vlade Jovanović

"He's the son of a very good friend of mine. We played basketball together; Đuka is well-known in Čačak, he was a very good basketball player. I received many questions before the final about the historical significance, given that the 'eternal rivals' weren't in the final. It was well-conveyed, sometimes I'm a bit confused with my statements. I don't want the context of what FMP and we achieved to be in the same sentence as the 'eternal rivals'; it's not fair. We should be talking about us, about Mega, about Borac; we shouldn't be lumped together now. Everyone has their own problems. Historical context, you have situations, I understand that, I was in a very big club, this game has historical context for us because we won it." - Vlade Jovanović

"The amount of happiness is immeasurable. I was very young then, and much of my personal state, emotionally speaking, depends on the environment. Five trophies with Partizan – those were my first trophies, not Partizan's. However, when I saw how happy Saša Danilović was after that ABA League title, that made me happy. I'm glad I made these people happy too; they invested everything to make this club function. I'm glad people came here six hours early and were happy. All of that makes me happy. That's what makes me happiest. Of course, I'm also happy for my family, my wife, my children – they might not consider me entirely normal, but I've trained myself." - Vlade Jovanović

"Huge energy expenditure. They changed their lineup, played a switch defense, and we dropped in energy; it was a demanding game. Then we stopped attacking the paint and started shooting, while on the other side, they did that much better, constantly getting to the free-throw line. You're tired; Drobnjak caused big problems with his drives two days ago, but this time he was shooting. We were inferior in offense, we weren't building spacing, and perhaps I even doubted we could make free throws at that moment. The change in defense, and the timing was such that they did it when we were a bit exhausted." - Vlade Jovanović

"I mentioned Dule, and everything that happened these past three days, I must dedicate to him. He had a huge influence on me in all aspects; I didn't have the opportunity, nor did I want to, but we had an excellent relationship. I would say it was a privilege, both as a coach and as a person. I must also dedicate this trophy to my godfather, who passed away in the meantime; he was at that semifinal series with Zvezda last year and became a Spartak fan because of me." - Vlade Jovanović