Dejan Bodiroga was born in Bosnia and began playing with KK Zadar (Yugoslavia youth league) during the 1990-91 season. After winning the championship with the club in 1992, Bodiroga moved to Europe and began his professional career.
His personal accolades have been many. Bodiroga was awarded the 1998 Yugoslav Athlete of the Year, 1998 Spanish League MVP, 1999 and 2000 Greek League MVP and both the 2002 Euroleague Top 16 and Final Four MVP. But to Bodiroga, it's not about personal achievements -- it's about winning.
Bodiroga has led his team to a championship at every level in Europe. With Pallacenestro (Milan, Italy), he won the Italian National Championship in 1995-96. Then he went on to win the Greek National Championship in 1999, 2000 and 2001. His team captured the gold medal at the 1998 and 2002 World Championship where he was named the Finals MVP.
This season with FC Barcelona, the 6-foot-8 Bodiroga is averaging a cumulative 17.1 points per game on 57.2% shooting from the field and 47.3% from beyond the arc. In the Euroleague's Final Four last season, Bodiroga tallied 30.0 points on 56.5% shooting, while pulling down 8.0 rebounds per game.
Bodiroga, drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the 51st overall pick in 1995, has been reluctant to play in the United States despite numerous offers. This past summer, Bodiroga decided to sign another contract in Europe putting off many NBA teams' hopes of acquiring his rights from the Kings.
Bodiroga can play three different positions -- small forward and both guard spots. He has always been a great ball-handler and an intelligent, fundamentally sound player. The swingman has a well-rounded offensive game. He is not afraid to take the ball hard to the rack, as he averages seven trips to the foul line per game. And over the past few seasons, Bodiroga has evolved into a very dangerous outside shooter; he fearlessly hoists up three-pointers when necessary.
Bodiroga's weakness is his defense. He has slow feet and would struggle to keep in front of quick NBA players. But overall, his basketball IQ and offensive skills outweigh the downside. When his current contract ends Bodiroga will be 32-years-old, but the NBA suitors will still be knocking at his door.
