Serbian hooper finds second home in China

For Stefan Stojacic, life is a matter of choices, and relocating to China is an easy one.

Stojacic, 35, formerly the world's No 1 player in FIBA 3x3 basketball, moved with his family to Wuxi in Jiangsu province to join a local club in early 2023 and has been enjoying what the city has to offer.

"I feel like I'm a 'domestic guy' here now. My kids are going to the Chinese kindergartens. My wife also likes it here. It can easily happen that I live all my life in Wuxi," said the Serbian father of two in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

He added that they enjoy hanging out with their Chinese neighbors, leisurely touring the magnificent Taihu Lake, studying Mandarin together and constantly trying the (if not overly) sweet local delicacies.

Their five-year-old daughter, Stasa Stojacic, has a head start in learning Chinese, absorbing a plethora of phrases and expressions at kindergarten and, in turn, tutoring her parents at home.

"Sometimes when I started to speak Chinese, she would say to my wife 'Father didn't say this right'," he joked. "I think she's going to be our teacher really soon."

Stojacic's affection for Wuxi dates back to 2018 when he and the Serbian club he helped found, Liman, won a 3x3 tournament here in May, opening a hugely successful year that saw them clinch nine titles in nearly 20 tournaments.

"It was my first time coming to Wuxi. It was the first tournament of the season. Great memories indeed." he recalled, with a beaming smile.

What made his Wuxi debut even more memorable was a driving dunk during the competition. The Serbian hooper later proudly shared the play twice on his Instagram account, once as a video and once as a photo.

Stojacic's first visit to China was a decade earlier, in 2008, when he came to play in the FIBA Stankovic Continental Champions Cup, an international basketball tournament for men's national teams.

In 2019, he and Liman agreed to base themselves in Shanghai for nearly a year to help with the country's 3x3 basketball development through a collaboration program, imparting his expertise to the younger generation.

In his one-year stint with the Wuxi Huishan club four years later in 2023, Stojacic helped his team thrive in many international FIBA 3x3 tournaments, which paved the way for Team China eventually securing an early berth in the Paris Olympics.

"Last year, as a member of the Wuxi team, he made a significant contribution to Chinese basketball and proved to be an exceptional mentor for younger players," said Sun Xiujun, general manager of Wuxi Huishan Sports. "He has truly settled down in Wuxi, fostering a great friendship between us."

Apart from his serious routine work, Stojacic has made sure to devote a fair amount of time to exploring the middle kingdom—a pursuit that has profoundly changed his life.

"I knew about China a lot before I came. I knew about its development. And I've been to many Chinese cities, and I can see the huge difference (between then and now)," he said.

"I feel myself closer to the way Chinese people think than with the Western way. I feel really nice and good in the Chinese environment."

As someone who's been at the forefront of Chinese 3x3 basketball development over the last couple of years, Stojacic has noticed a significant improvement in terms of fostering a capable generation who knows the game well.

"The level of the game is rising a lot. We have Zhang Ning, we have Zhao Jiaren, and we have some CBA players...They know how 3x3 should be played and they can adapt into really good roles even on some foreign teams."

Yet Stojacic contends that Chinese players need to be more vocal on the court and learn how to become leaders.

"They're listening too much. It's good in life, but not perfect for sports," he said. "We need at least one who is willing to be 'the guy' if things don't go well on the court."

Stojacic now plays alongside his younger brother, Strahinja Stojacic, for the Serbian 3x3 club UB with a keen eye on competing in the Paris Olympics, a dream for all athletes.

But he is excited about returning to Wuxi soon after what he described as "the big quest".

"I think in 2025 I'll just move here and be here all the time. I'll be involved in the development of Chinese basketball in future. Things are going to get even more interesting."

Yan Weijue contributed to this story.