Danilo Andjusic reflects on a transformative season in Dubai, recounting how he overcame his initial skepticism about the project. The Serbian sharpshooter recalls the toughest moment in his career, and opens up about Dubai's EuroLeague ambitions and his potential long-term future on and off the court.
After a long, demanding season filled with new and refreshing experiences, Danilo Andjusic is finally back home.
The Serbian sharpshooter is spending his summer in familiar surroundings, splitting time between Belgrade, a few short trips, and running his basketball camp.
But unlike most offseason routines, this one comes after a very different kind of journey—one that involved launching a brand-new club in one of basketball's most unexpected new markets: Dubai.
"I need some rest first. I think I'll be in Belgrade," Andjusic says with a smile. "Some vacation, some practicing. Some short trips, and getting ready for the new season. Also, I will be involved in my basketball camp."
Andjusic, 33, just completed the 2024–25 season with Dubai Basketball, the brand-new franchise that entered the ABA League as the league's first Middle Eastern member. In its inaugural year, the team didn't just show up—it won.
Dubai finished the regular season with a 25-5 record and made it all the way to the Adriatic League semifinals, where they were eliminated by Partizan, with Andjusic playing a key role as a veteran leader and elite scorer.
Known for his silky shooting stroke, Andjusic posted 11.0 points per game on 36.4% from three in ABA League play, while shooting an excellent 88.6% from the free-throw line.
In many ways, his experience and leadership served as a stabilizing force for a club that didn't even exist 12 months ago.
"It was an interesting season," he reflects. "It was something different, something new—actually something amazing. Because at the beginning, when Dubai basketball showed up and they built the project, not so many people believed in it. I did. That's why I signed."
Belief before the buzz
Andjusic was one of the first major names to buy into Dubai's vision, a project spearheaded by general manager Dejan Kamenjasevic and run with a clear long-term mission.
"When I spoke with the people from the team, I saw what they wanted to do and the vision they had—and it was amazing. I believed in it. It was amazing that we showed everybody that they were wrong," he says.
"This is not an instant project. We didn't come just to compete, just to show up and be there like people were saying—throwing money and stuff."
The result? A successful debut and a clear message to the basketball world.
"We had an amazing year. We finished in the semifinals, which I think is a good result. But also, I feel like we could have gone even one step further—to the finals. I think we had the quality for that. We were close. But in the end, we can say that we had a successful season. We put Dubai on the basketball map, which is very important."
A veteran's seamless fit
A major part of Dubai's success came from the system and structure established by head coach Jurica Golemac. For Andjusic, it was a seamless fit.
"I felt amazing, really. I knew my role, and I was doing what I usually do. Probably, since my season in Bourg, this is the best I've felt in the last few years," he says.
"Coach Jurica gives a lot of freedom to the players. He gives you confidence, and that's what I liked the most—and honestly, what every player likes and needs."
It also marked another strong comeback in Andjusic's career arc, following his return to EuroLeague level with Partizan (2022-24), before moving to the UAE.
"We had a group of experienced players, good players, all with our own egos. But we managed to put our egos aside and really come together as a team. That was the most amazing part of the season," he explains.
Not just about the money
Now, with EuroLeague expansion confirmed and Dubai widely expected to be one of the three new franchises joining the competition in 2025–26, Andjusic is once again at the heart of a shift in European basketball's power structure.
As someone who once helped AS Monaco successfully transition from a EuroLeague newcomer to a Final Four contender, Andjusic sees a parallel—and a roadmap.
"Now you see where they are," he points out. "So let's say, it's not the very first time I've been a part of a big project. But building a club from scratch—yeah, it's my first time."
The Serbian international adds that Monaco and Dubai also share a "bigger lifestyle" than what one would expect to find in an average European city, and is convinced that Dubai can follow Monaco's path.
"If we make a good team next season," he specifies.
"In European basketball, you can see teams like Milan spending a lot of money, signing players and everything, and still not winning the championship. So it's not easy at all, because nowadays everybody plays basketball.
It's not going to be easy, but I believe that in the next couple of years, we can do it [make the Final Four] for sure. And that's everybody's goal.”
A career built on comebacks
In the rest of BasketNews' conversation with Danilo Andjusic, the veteran shooting guard opens up about what it's like to build a fanbase in a brand-new market, how and why Dubai has changed his life off the court, how Middle East expansion could help European basketball keep its young stars, and whether he'd give up the Balkan lifestyle for a future in the UAE.
