Markovic says they could never compete with high-budget teams. At the same time he explains that being content with what you have. According to him, some situations are disadvantage for Turkey.
“First of all, It’s normal for Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce to have high budget. Because they compete in EuroLeague. So to be able to compete in EuroLeague, they need to have many former player. They need to have high budget. If they financial situations allowed them, this is normal thing. They need to compete against Real Madrid, against CSKA, against teams like Barcelona, they have 30-40 millions budget. We can’t enter in this kind of competition. Of course, you know they said ‘Money doesn’t buy happines.’ Sometimes maybe with to 3 million you can create better team than the people with 6-7 millions. You need to know what you want from your team, what you know want from your players that you are signing. I think it’s very very small difference between of 350 thousand and 150 thousand. If you choose correctly or all research or you look into the players they are underrated from different leagues, you can always find to players that they can do the job well. And either you believe they are higher paid. So this kind of things as a budget. Of course it’s important. Everybody would like to have big budget. So they can spend money here. But there, I don’t believe this is kind of obstacle for not having the competitive team or not being ambitious. Everybody should be ambitious and everybody should try to know spend money they have. This is the main point. Don’t spend money you don’t have. I think Gaziantep never any debt except one year they have problems because of the general sponsor. But normally they don’t make team of four millions if they have to millions like some other teams do. This is a big problem. Because two years ago, we was talking and everbody saying that Turkey is the best league in Europe. If they want to stay in the best league in Europe together with Spain, the clubs, who don’t pay, they should not be part of this league. Because it’s heard Turkish basketball a lot for the players, for the image of the Turkish basketball. So that’s the main point. If you have 1 million, try to make team with 1 million. Try to be competitive. If you down 2nd division, It’s okey no problem! Try to get better and go back again. You can’t because of the fear or something and try to create something that doesn’t exist you. If you have 10.000$ you can’t go and buy Mercedes for 10.000$. Don’t make team of 4 million if you don’t have 4 million. It’s very important the Federation in the future put some kind of rules and stop this kind of things. For sure, these kind of things hurt image of the league. Hurt image of when you try to sign players. Everybody say ‘Here’s Turkey, they don’t pay, How to go there, the player price ise 150 thousand.’ And they say no I want 300. If you don’t pay me after 3 months and what I will do. Just this part is very important for the future. I believe.”
Should the coaches make team for the players or should adapt their own systems to the players?
“The coach need to know what he want and what kind of basketball want to play. According to this, I believe first of all coach needs to be first in chain of command. The sport decision should be made by the coach. Because at the end of the day, coach is responsible the result. In the opinion what coach is want to play? He probably chose the players and according to the those players, he make his own plans, his own tactic, his own game plans the way that he sees the basketball as a game. Everbody’s like certain players, Somebody don’t like big certain players, somebody like mobile centers, somebody likes more five players to shoot three-point shot goes pick-and-pops. So as a coach, you always try to sign players that you believe. They can do what you have in mind. This is the main point. As I said, you spend money that you have. You don’t spend money that you don’t have.”