Who is the best one on one basketball Player? Red Bull King of the Rock Champ!
Who is the best one on one basketball Player? Red Bull King of the Rock Champ! |
Stefan Kojić claims one-on-one basketball world title on home soil
The best players from 21 countries - from the Netherlands to Argentina, from Russia to Angola - made their way to Belgrade after advancing through the 64 qualifying tournaments all around the world to face off in a true showdown.This year's world finals were hosted at the iconic basketball court of BC Red Star Belgrade inside the walls of the historic Kalemegdan Fortress and fully lived up to NBA star Anthony Davis' expectations.
"I grew up playing one-on-one basketball in Chicago. It helped me grow as a player and think of it as a great way to develop skills on the court.
"Confidence, aggressiveness and smarts will help decide who ends up with the crown at the Red Bull King of the Rock world finals in Belgrade," said the NBA All-Star center for the New Orleans Pelicans while on the sidelines of a video shoot.
After a day of intense battles and high quality basketball, the crowd was fired up when it came to the final match between the Serbian and Karolis Sarukas from Lithuania.
While Sarukas beat Russian Alexander Zakharov in the semis, Kojić faced a tough setback when he had to receive medical treatment due to an injury in his semi-final against Vakhtang Kadaria from Georgia.
Stunningly he came back, carried by standing ovations from the crowd, and managed to turn around a game which already seemed to be a loss.
The stage couldn't have been set any better.
A tough final match unfolded straight away with both players putting on a spectacular show with Kojić finally coming out on top 14:12, which made him the first ever Serbian to win the Red Bull King of the Rock world finals.
"It was unbelievable. I don’t know how to express my feelings. My victory is just one more piece of evidence that Serbia is a basketball country.
"We have the best 3x3 team plus our national basketball team is second in the world and the Olympics," the overwhelmed champion said after the match.
Despite a disappointing loss in the final match, runner-up Sarukas was still happy with his performance.
"It's a hard competition because there are many good players in this tournament so everyone is hard to me, but I am very happy.
"I don't believe it now, but it's a dream come true and the second place is very good for me - very good."
About Red Bull King of the Rock
Red Bull King of the Rock is the first and only global one-on-one street basketball competition. It is the toughest head-to-head battle in basketball taking place in unique locations around the globe. Playing single elimination mode, there is neither room for error nor excuses. After a series of qualifying events taking place around the world, the best and toughest finalists face off to crown the new champion. The tournament follows a straightforward concept where players battle head-to-head in raw outdoor basketball, using a single-elimination tournament bracket. Games last five minutes and are subject to regulation hoops rules and scoring (two and three-pointers). Players have to be tough to make it to the finals, but also have to play smart – five fouls equal an automatic loss.