The Olympics involve a different level of pride for most basketball fans. Nationalism overrides an allegiance to any league or team. That concept applies tenfold to Dario Saric, a 2014 lottery pick of the Philadelphia 76ers who will make his NBA debut this coming season. When Croatia fell, 86-83, to Serbia in the Olympic quarterfinal, Saric took the loss especially hard.
In 29 minutes, Saric scored only seven points on seven shots. Croatia had high hopes for a medal in this year’s olympics with several NBA talents on their roster. After the disappointing loss, Saric described his poor performance with a peculiar metaphor.
You simply can't properly translate Croatian swearing to English. But you probably get the gist of it.
— CroSports (@CroSports_) August 18, 2016
Saric is going to be both a fan and media favorite in Philly very quickly if he keeps using these imperfect analogies. He clearly doesn’t hold anything back with his self-criticism, which is crucial in endearing yourself to Philly fans.
Dario Saric HAS tried some direct Croatian expressions translated to English (like "knife in mouth"). So you never know what you might get.
— CroSports (@CroSports_) August 18, 2016
Hi Philadelphia! pic.twitter.com/1GCPVeJ5qv
— CroSports (@CroSports_) August 18, 2016
One thing about Dario Saric:
Sometimes he "wants it too much." His heart takes over his head. Brett Brown alluded to this last week.
— CroSports (@CroSports_) August 18, 2016
Dario Saric:
– I'm surprised. The entire tournament (Olympics) I didn't play nearly to the level I'm capable of.
— CroSports (@CroSports_) August 18, 2016
Dario added:
– I didn't start well & when I saw it wasn't going offensively, I tried to at least help my teammates on the defensive end.
— CroSports (@CroSports_) August 18, 2016
Although Saric didn’t play well in the Olympics, Sixers fans should definitely be excited to have him in the City of Brotherly Love. He should be a good fit next to Ben Simmons and hopefully Joel Embiid as the Sixers finally start their ascent towards a playoff berth. Saric is a skilled, versatile forward that should bring a little bit of everything to the Sixers’ lineup.
(via Cro Sports)
