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Boban Marjanovic, right
While the The Los Angeles Lakers won’t be able to make a colossal free-agent move at this point in the league season, they can still add a player who can pay dividends down the line. Aside from LeBron James And Anthony DavisThe Lakers don’t have another player over 30 and could use another veteran voice in the locker room.
Chemistry is important, leadership is important and having good role models to help young players through the rigors of an 82-game season is important. Who better to fill that role than the 7-foot-4 Serbian, everyone’s favorite, who loves goldfish? Boban Marjanovic?
Boban wants to play, as he told Milun Nesovic from Meridian Sport:
“I’m waiting for the NBA, but if it doesn’t happen, there’s a lot of things that happen on paper,” Marjanovic said. “Every time you make plans, it doesn’t work out. Plans always change.”
Everyone loves Boban
Boban did not begin playing in the NBA until he was 27 years old, when he signed with the team. San Antonio SpursHe began his basketball journey in Serbia, playing for youth teams before joining the professional ranks with Hemofarm of the EuroCup. His career in Europe saw him play for notable teams like CSKA Moscow and Žalgiris of the EuroLeague, peaking in 2014-15 with averages of 16.6 points and 10.7 rebounds in just 27.3 minutes per game.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn’t give Boban much playing time, just 9.4 minutes per game. Boban still averaged impressive 5.5 points and 3.6 rebounds (21.0 points and 13.7 rebounds per 36 minutes). That would be a recurring theme over the years, with stops with the Detroit Pistons, The Los Angeles Clippers, The Philadelphia 76ers, The Dallas MavericksAnd Houston Rockets would have the same results.
Most fans will probably not remember Boban for his shooting and rebounding skills, but rather for his charismatic personality and antics on the court. He notably maintained a very pleasant friendship with his former teammate. Tobias Harriswhich included a series of humorous advertisements for the snack Goldfish.
In addition to his basketball career, Boban has made film appearances (already a Los Angeles connection), including a role in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
Does he deserve a place in the squad?
It’s important to set proper expectations here. Boban can help on the field in very short bursts. He’s 36 and has never played more than 681 minutes in a season, and hasn’t played more than 271 minutes in his last four years. He won’t play much, and it’ll likely be a situational matter, a chess piece that new head coach JJ Redick can use as he sees fit.
The Lakers were the worst team in the league in offensive rebounds in 2023-24, grabbing just 8.2 rebounds per game. Anthony Davis had 239, and no other player had 70. It’s a small sample size, but Boban is averaging 5.0 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes over his career and can help in that department.
Off the pitch, Boban is a great football player, a great influence in the dressing room. Have you ever heard a bad word about him? Absolutely not. Think about your colleagues for a minute. Are you more focused, do you work more efficiently and do you get better results when you work with people who make you happy? Of course, it’s human nature. Boban is just one of those affable people who makes everyone around him smile. With a minimum contract, why not take a flyer?
Michael Dunlap Michael Dunlap covers the NBA for Heavy.com. His editorial career spans more than a decade. In 2012, Michael founded Hoops Habit, now part of Minute Media’s FanSided network, before rising through the ranks from NBA editor to Director of E-Commerce at Minute Media. Dunlap is currently Editorial Director at Fubo. Learn more about Michael Dunlap
