GENERAL MANAGER OF MEGA SUPERBET GORAN ĆAKIĆ REVIEWS THE SEASON: “WE ACHIEVED AN EXCELLENT RESULT IN THE STRONGEST ABA LEAGUE SEASON TO DATE”

With the conclusion of the Finals series, another exciting ABA League season has officially come to an end. Once again, a new generation of talented young players emerged, with Mega Superbet continuing to lead the way in developing and promoting young basketball prospects. Vule Avdalović’s team fought for a playoff spot until the final round and came within 40 minutes of lifting the Radivoj Korać Cup trophy after reaching the final. Mega Superbet General Manager Goran Ćakić reflected on the season, emphasizing that it had been a highly successful one.

“We finished the ABA League with a victory in Čačak, while our goal in the Serbian Super League was to reach the Final Four. However, due to objective circumstances such as injuries and the early departures of several players, that objective ultimately proved unrealistic. Looking back at the entire season, it is fair to say that Mega’s 14th ABA League campaign was a great success. With the increased number of teams, this was, by every standard, the strongest ABA League season to date. We fielded the youngest roster in our club’s history. In addition to players leaving for the NBA, the emergence of the college basketball market also had an impact, meaning we entered the season with an extremely young and, naturally, inexperienced team for a competition like the ABA League. Despite that, we secured our place in the league with two months remaining and, by January, we were already playing significantly better than we had at the beginning of the season,” said Ćakić, adding that victories over Crvena zvezda and Partizan at the start of the 2026 calendar year were proof of the club’s successful work.

“The victory over Crvena zvezda in the ABA League was extremely important for us and confirmed that we were on the right path. Within the span of just one month, we also defeated Partizan in the Radivoj Korać Cup semifinals, which rewarded our excellent performances during that period with a place in the final and another opportunity to face a quality team like Crvena zvezda. That makes us proud because both our players and the team as a whole made clear progress, which is why we are very satisfied with the work we have done.”

In addition to competing in the ABA League, Mega Superbet also participated in the Winline Basketball Cup, a competition organized under the VTB League. Vule Avdalović’s team made a strong impression against clubs such as CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Kuban, and Parma. According to Goran Ćakić, participating in the competition proved to be an excellent decision.

“We decided to compensate for the reduced number of ABA League games by participating in the Winline Basketball Cup, and it turned out to be an outstanding choice. We played six high-level games under NBA-style organization, and I would particularly highlight our incredible victory over CSKA in Moscow in front of 12,000 fans. Our win against Lokomotiv Kuban was also a significant achievement. When you add those victories to our wins over Crvena zvezda and Partizan, we truly have every reason to be satisfied and proud of what we accomplished.”

Team captain Bogoljub Marković capped off a remarkable season by receiving two individual awards, winning both the ABA League MVP award and the Best Young Player award for the second consecutive year.

“Apart from players who came from our developmental team OKK Beograd and Sava Drezgić, who returned from the United States after a season in which he had limited playing time, Bogoljub Marković was the only player on our roster with previous ABA League experience. He delivered a masterful season, carrying the team whenever it mattered most. He deserves enormous congratulations. Although it is never ideal to single out one individual, Bogoljub distinguished himself through his work ethic, dedication, and continuous improvement. As voted by the head coaches of all 18 ABA League clubs, he was named the league’s Best Young Player for the second consecutive season and, even more importantly—and something we are extremely proud of—he was also voted the league MVP. That is a tremendous achievement both for him and for the entire system that helped develop him.”

Traditionally, Mega concludes its season after the NBA Draft. This year, in 2026, German forward Jack Kayil was selected with the 39th overall pick.

“This is yet another confirmation of our work. Jack spent last season on loan at Alba, and we are extremely proud that another former Mega player has been selected on the global stage that is the NBA Draft. In addition, several of our players will continue their careers in the prestigious NCAA this year. Asim Đulović will join Butler, Abdramane Sibi will play for Syracuse, and Luigi Suigo will suit up for Villanova. Another great confirmation of the quality of our development program.”

The club’s youth teams also enjoyed tremendous success. The junior team won both the Serbian National Championship and the ABA U19 League Finals, while the U15 team claimed gold at the Mini Cup. Silver medals were won by both the cadets and the U15 team at the Serbian National Championships.

“Our juniors were flawless in Serbia, finishing with an incredible 28-0 record. We also won the ABA U19 League without a single defeat, claiming our sixth consecutive title and seventh overall, which makes us extremely proud and once again confirms a dominance that has lasted for years. Unfortunately, our only loss came in Ulm against Cedevita Olimpija, who deservedly won and prevented us from qualifying, as we have every year, for the prestigious EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament held in Athens during the EuroLeague Final Four. Our cadets also achieved an excellent result by winning silver. Alongside their silver medal at the Serbian Championship, our U15 team captured gold at the Mini Cup in Niš in front of television cameras, which was a fantastic experience for them. Every generation continues to take another step forward, and they are naturally motivated because they see the results of their hard work. Looking at everything we accomplished, great credit and congratulations belong to the club management and the coaching staffs of every age group, led by the senior team’s coaching staff,” said Ćakić, adding that OKK Beograd, Mega’s developmental affiliate, also enjoyed a successful season.

“As our developmental team, with whom we have excellent cooperation, OKK Beograd entered the season with its youngest and most inexperienced roster ever. Most importantly, they managed to significantly improve their level of play, with players making major individual progress, especially during the second half of the season, which is crucial for their development. They delivered excellent performances and finished in eighth place with 14 victories, which is a great achievement.”

Although the 2025/26 season has only just officially concluded, preparations for the next campaign are already well underway.

“Immediately after the Serbian Super League season ended, we began training and preparations for the new season. The players who are already part of our system are working at full intensity to make their adaptation period after the July break much easier. We have already planned several exciting activities, especially for August. We will travel to Mykonos, where we will play against Auburn University. On August 27, we will face reigning NCAA champions Michigan in Dubrovnik, followed by a game in Lugo, where Burgos will celebrate the club’s 60th anniversary. All of this is designed to ensure we are fully prepared for new challenges in the ABA League, which, with the addition of Cibona and Slovan Bratislava, will be even stronger and more exciting than last season,” concluded Mega Superbet General Manager Goran Ćakić.

Photo: Ivica Veselinov / Mega Superbet