Bogdan Bogdanovic admitted he doesn't want to use refereeing as an excuse for the Olympics basketball semifinal loss vs. Team USA, but still had some harsh words for them: "The USA doesn't need that type of help against us."
Bogdan Bogdanovic, the captain of Serbia's national basketball team, shared his thoughts after their challenging loss to the USA in the Olympic semifinals.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
38
|
| Stephen Curry | |
| Points | 36 |
| Accuracy | 12-19 |
| Rebounds | 8 |
| Assists | 2 |
In his post-game comments, Bogdanovic conveyed his appreciation for the support the team received.
"Thank you to everyone for everything; it was a tough loss, but I am proud of the way we fought," he said.
His words reflected the spirit and determination that Serbia displayed throughout the game. Bogdanovic emphasized that despite the loss, the team never lost their fighting spirit.
"We didn't give up, and that is something we can be proud of," he remarked, underlining the resilience that defined their performance.
He also noted that the game could have turned in Serbia's favor with just a few different plays. Bogi also touched on the emotional and contentious moments with the referees during the match.
"We tried to talk to them; they didn't try to talk to us. They just walked away. But it's ok. The USA doesn't need that type of help against us. You know, we didn't have that type of help when they were grabbing us with two hands and all that," Bogdanovic said to BasketNews, expressing his frustration.
"We played the best we could. We could have made a few more shots and saved a few more possessions at the end, but that's basketball," he explained.
He also said he wanted to win against referees, too, and that he didn't talk to them throughout the game.
"But I'm not that type of guy who will talk about referees, you know, and I even wanted to win against referees too, you know, and respect to us for keeping it calm the whole game and not talking to them," Bogdanovic admitted to BasketNews.
He clarified that despite his disagreements with some calls, he did not want to dwell on them.
"These referees are going to be there too, so we can't talk about them now. I don't want to think like a loser, you know, referees, blah, blah. Even though I think that they could have called differently," he said.
"I'm not that type of guy who will talk about referees, and I even wanted to win against referees too," Bogdanovic continued.
Looking ahead, Bogdanovic and his team are focused on regrouping for the bronze medal match.
"In two days, we need to recover and fight for the bronze. It's going to be a tough one against Germany for sure, but we need to play the best game that we can," he said.
Did Referees Cost Serbia the Win Against Team USA?
Game highlights
