Saša Obradović's Actions Show It's Time for Him to Leave Zvezda

Saša Obradović must leave Crvena Zvezda. The legendary basketball player returned to the bench of his beloved team, and everyone was euphoric as he racked up EuroLeague victories. Then, in 2026, everything came to a halt. It was as if he pressed a button, much like the one in Chernobyl, after which everything fell apart – in a basketball sense.

There was no energy, no defiance, no rational decisions. So much so that after Ognjen Dobrić's first points in the second semi-final game, Obradović decided to pull him out. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

The stands erupted, the entire Pionir Arena collectively chanted for their captain, who likely left the game in disbelief himself. So many times this season, Saša Obradović has "killed" his players; it seemed that as soon as someone started scoring, getting into the game, and finding their rhythm, the coach would bench them.

Everyone rightly wondered why Obradović was doing this, but apart from the answer that he "has a rotation," we never received a concrete explanation from the Zvezda coach. It felt more like an excuse, as it's impossible for everyone else to see that his approach isn't working, yet he persists.

He should have swallowed his pride, because if he had perhaps listened to others' advice, he wouldn't have alienated the fans against him over the past two months. And in Pionir, no less. And in a derby.

We've already written that Crvena Zvezda's inconsistency and fragility weren't just evident in losses where they squandered significant leads, but also in defeats suffered despite being considered favorites. In matches against, for example, theoretically (or at the time) weaker Maccabi, Bayern, Mega (we won't even mention the embarrassment against Zlatibor in the KLS), they missed opportunities to secure victory.

His decisions were strange; many times before, he humiliated certain players, specifically Dobrić and Davidovac, with minutes that perhaps should have been given to juniors. Though even they deserve more. It's clear that Zvezda has a roster deep enough for two teams, but he didn't need to rotate so much, to invent new strategies when Zvezda was actually playing well.

He was the handbrake on an electric car that, after a certain number of kilometers and struggles, had to stop. In the EuroLeague play-in and the regional competition semi-finals. This should not have happened to him, and especially not to a team like Zvezda.

Obradović was the driver, but he was crushing himself, not his principles. All credit to his principles, but he should have "eaten" himself, not others. Or perhaps he just needed to designate a leader on the court, someone who could break the game open. Because if Partizan waits for Carlik Jones to return from injury, and then that same Carlik takes responsibility and the ball, then it should have been clearly stated who that player was for Zvezda.

Instead, it was: a little bit of Nnoko, then a little bit of Wolters, then you too, Corey, and whatever happens, happens. And then? Collapse.

These same players were dominant in the EuroLeague last autumn, they knew how to beat Fenerbahçe in Istanbul, so it's impossible for them to be so bad when everything is on the line. Because seasons aren't decided in October and November, but in April and May.

Reconstruction must begin. Saša Obradović must go.

VIDEO: In one play, the power of Partizan and the helplessness of Crvena Zvezda