Uros Slokar, Union Olimpija
by:
Javier Gancedo, Euroleague.net
October 14, 2009
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 In the process of improving its roster over the summer, Union Olimpija - always a hotbed of homegrown talent - also proved itself to be a place to which players enjoy returning. In the case of power forward Uros Slokar, the return is not to the club, but to the Euroleague and to his hometown of Ljubljana, where he can expect to see extended playing time in a major role for Olimpija. Slokar returns to the Euroleague after three years in the United States, Russia and Italy, ready to show that his toughness, deep range and intensity are all grown up at age 26. It means a lot for him to be back for a fourth Euroleague season after three he spent under head coach Ettore Messina at Benetton Treviso from 2003 to 2006. Just as Olimpija is getting ready for the opening game against Maccabi Electra at Nokia Arena, Slokar is preparing for the challenge of being a Euroleague protagonist in his prime. "I don't really want to put too much pressure on myself for the fact that I will play for my hometown team," Slokar told Euroleague.net. "Before the start of the season, I was really searching for a situation where I could play for a Euroleague team. The chance to play for Olimpija popped up and I grabbed it with both hands."
Hello Uros. First of all, welcome back to the Euroleague. This will be your first Euroleague season since 2006. How excited are you to be back in the competition?
"Thank you. I am very excited because when I last played the Euroleague, I didn't have a main role on my team. This time, things are very different. I will be one of the guys with an important role in the team. I will also get a different feel for the Euroleague because of this. I will be one of the leaders of the team and I am really looking forward to that. I can improve and get the experience required to play at the highest level."
You are also going to play for Olimpija, the biggest team in your city. Does it make it even more special?
"Well, I am trying to avoid any connections to the fact that I will be playing in my hometown. I am trying to be 100-percet focused on the game and to satisfy the coach and myself. I don't really want to put too much pressure on myself for the fact that I will play for my hometown team. Before the start of the season, I was really searching for a situation where I could play for a Euroleague team. The chance to play for Olimpija popped up and I grabbed it with both hands."
You already know coach Jure Zdovc from your national team. What do you think about Zdovc as a coach and how does he use the experience he got as a player in practice?
"The fact that he was a player helps a lot because he is aware on how your body works because he felt that way before. That's really one of the advantages he has as a coach. He is using that to help out the guys but, on the other hand, he knows that everybody can play defense. His mentality has always been like that, even when he was a player. Our team is putting a lot of emphasis on defense, but on the other hand, we have to score, and he is helping us with that, too."
 We are days away from the Euroleague opening game in Tel Aviv. How much of an honour for you and Union Olimpija is to open the competition in such a great place like Nokia Arena?
"Maccabi is a big team, and Nokia Arena has a lot of history and tradition but, honestly, I don't think we are going to think much about that. We will just think of our opponent and the guys that will be on the court. I hope that at the end of the day, we will be successful in doing that, but you never know. We didn't have much time to play together yet because of injuries and late arrivals. We still need time to get to know each other and get the chemistry that we need. So far we don't have it yet, but everything is looking really good for the future. I am very hopeful."
Olimpija looks much stronger than in recent years with you, Sani Becirovic, Gasper Vidmar or Matt Walsh as main additions. What can Euroleague fans expect from Olimpija this season?
"I think that, obviously, everybody who steps on the court will give 100 percent. I know that other guys came here trying to play Euroleague, but we will also put a lot of emphasis in our domestic competitions and the Adriatic League. If we have a chance to do well in the Euroleague, we will obviously go and take it. We will never step down or back off from anybody."
Slovenia is a basketball country and Olimpija its main club. How would you explain to fans outside Slovenia how important basketball is in your country and what it means?
"Everybody who was paying attention to EuroBasket in Poland has seen how much basketball means in Slovenia. We had the most fans by far, around 3,000 or 4,000 people came from Slovenia to support the national team. I think that is a good answer to your question. You can see how much people like the sport of basketball in my country."
You already played three Euroleague seasons with Benetton from 2003 to 2006. How important was the Euroleague for you to become a better player in those years and what do you expect to see in the 2009-10 season?
 "The Euroleague is very important for every player. It is a place where you face the best of the best in Europe. Just by playing against the best, you evolve and improve, and that's why I am here. At the beginning of my career, when I played with Benetton, that was one of the focuses. You are young and inexperienced, but you want to improve and there is no other place to improve for many people. As for this year, I come off a tough season where I couldn't have the same playing time I had in Russia because of problems and injuries. It is a fresh start for me and I hope to make the best of it."
Olimpija is really deep around the basket this season with you, Gasper Vidmar, Nemanja Aleksandrov, Vladimir Golubovic and Edin Bavcic. What's can you all offer to Olimpija?
"We'll be tough! We have to show toughness and that's how you get respect under the baskets. It is the only key to success. Not only do I know that, but coach also told us many times already: we have to be tough under the baskets and that way, we will be successful."
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