“Let me finish this contract and then I’ll go back to Nikšić and play darts.”
Bojan Dubljević used to say that jokingly when his journey in Spain was just beginning.
Now, at 34, he has retired from basketball.
Dubljević will be remembered as one of the last true Mohicans of European basketball. In an era when few players spend even two seasons with the same club, he gave his game, his heart and a large part of his life to one city – Valencia.
From 2012 to 2023, he wore the orange jersey. During that time, he won a Spanish League title, lifted two EuroCup trophies and became both the club’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
“Valencia accepted me as one of their own. I feel Valencian,” Dubljević once said.
Marinković: Dubi opened the doors of his home to me
Many Balkan players who passed through Valencia – Vanja Marinković, Vladimir Lučić and others – have spoken about Dubljević as both a guide and a friend.
“He’s a very special person in my life. When I left home for the first time to play abroad, he treated me like family. During the pandemic, when everything was shutting down, he opened the doors of his home to me. I spent a month and a half living with him and his wife, Kaća. In a moment when the whole world seemed to be falling apart, he showed just how big a person he is,“ Marinković told SKWeek.
Dubljević knew exactly how difficult those first months abroad could be because he had once been in the same position himself.
When a 20-year-old Dubljević first arrived in Spain, the man waiting for him was Stefan Marković.
“A family man, honest and easy to get along with. We clicked right away,“ Marković, now retired himself, told SKWeek.
The season before, Dubljević had caused Valencia plenty of trouble in the EuroCup. Marković was delighted when he learned that the 205-centimeter Montenegrin would soon become his teammate.
“Strong, tough, the kind of teammate every player wants. From the very beginning, I could see he was going to have one hell of a career.”
Marković: Dubljević never chased the glamorous life
At his peak, Dubljević was the complete offensive package. He could carve out deep position on the block, score with either hand, stretch the floor and make the extra pass. Before “stretch-five” became basketball’s favorite buzzword, Dubljević was already doing it.
Because of that, there was hardly a summer when Dubljević was not linked with a bigger club, a richer club or a more ambitious club.
Every summer seemed to bring another transfer rumor. CSKA Moscow. Fenerbahçe. One EuroLeague giant after another. Back in 2013, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him with the 59th pick in the NBA Draft.
Valencia is a beautiful city. Anyone who has visited knows that.
Still, why was he never tempted to leave?
“I think it has a lot to do with his character. Bojan is a humble guy. He was never flashy or arrogant. Every conversation with him was normal, and he was easy to like because he worked hard,” Marković says.
Then he adds:
“He never chased the glamorous life. Thankfully, financial success came his way too, but he was always simple and easy to talk to.”
Like every good drama, this story had its twist.
Dubljević wanted to finish his career in Valencia. Valencia wanted something else. The two sides could not reach an agreement on a new contract.
One season with Zenit. Two more with Zaragoza. And then the end.
Some will say it came too early. But Dubljević was never the type of player who would stay on the court if he felt he could no longer give everything to the game he loved.
“I understand him. I know how demanding this life can be. More than anything, he’s looking forward to spending time with his wife and their two children. He’ll remain in basketball in some capacity, but knowing Dubi, family comes first right now, along with some well-deserved rest – especially mentally,” Marinković says.
Dubljević belongs to Valencia, and Valencia belongs to Dubljević
The news of his retirement had barely begun circulating through the basketball world when Valencia released a statement.
There had been disappointment. There had been bitterness. But some bonds survive everything.
Dubljević belongs to Valencia, and Valencia belongs to Dubljević.
“Dubi’s No. 14 will be eternal. His jersey will be retired by the men’s team and will forever hang from the rafters of Roig Arena,” the club announced.
He didn’t need to leave Valencia to reach the EuroLeague.
Valencia got there with him.
Four EuroLeague seasons only confirmed what scouts, coaches and teammates had known for years – Dubljević belonged at that level.
Or, as Stefan Marković put it:
“He could have left. Instead, he chose to become a legend.”