Boban Marjanović facts for kids
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Marjanović with Fenerbahçe Beko in 2024
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| No. 51 – Zhejiang Lions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Center | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 15, 1988 Boljevac, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia |
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| Nationality | Serbian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 290 lb (132 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2010 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2006–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | CBA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Hemofarm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | →Swisslion Takovo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | CSKA Moscow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | →Žalgiris | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Nizhny Novgorod | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | →Radnički Kragujevac | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Mega Vizura | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Crvena Zvezda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | San Antonio Spurs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | →Austin Spurs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Philadelphia 76ers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Fenerbahçe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Zhejiang Lions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Boban Marjanović (born August 15, 1988) is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is known for being very tall, standing at 7 feet 4 inches (2.24 meters)! He plays as a center for the Zhejiang Lions in China. Boban also plays for the Serbian national team.
Boban became a junior world champion in 2007. He played basketball in Russia and Lithuania before becoming famous in his home country. In 2013, he was named the best player in the Serbian league. He then joined KK Crvena zvezda, where he won the national championship and the Adriatic Basketball League in 2015.
He was also chosen as one of the top five players in the ABA League and Europe's biggest club competition, the EuroLeague, in 2015. At 27 years old, Boban signed his first NBA contract with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015. He also played for other NBA teams like the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Boban Marjanović was born and grew up in Boljevac, a town in eastern Serbia. Even though he was very tall from a young age, his family members are all of average height. His father, for example, is only 5 feet 9 inches tall. Doctors believe a special condition related to his pituitary gland helped him grow so tall.
Boban started playing basketball with youth teams in his hometown. By the time he was 14, he was already 2.09 meters (about 6 feet 10 inches) tall! He then began playing for the professional Serbian team Hemofarm. He stayed with their youth teams until the 2005–06 season.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing in Serbia and Europe
Boban joined Hemofarm's main team in 2006. He played in the Adriatic League. He was sometimes loaned to other Serbian teams like Swisslion Takovo and Radnički Kragujevac to get more playing time.
In 2010, Boban signed with CSKA Moscow in Russia. After a short time there, he was loaned to Žalgiris in Lithuania. He also played for Nizhny Novgorod in Russia.
In 2012, Boban returned to Serbia and played for Mega Vizura. He was named the best player in the Serbian League that season.
Success with Crvena Zvezda
In 2013, Boban joined KK Crvena zvezda, a big team in Serbia. He quickly became a star. In December 2013, he was named the best player of a round in the EuroLeague, which is Europe's top club competition.
During the 2014–15 EuroLeague season, Boban was amazing. He led his team to a win against Galatasaray with 22 points and 10 rebounds. He also set a new EuroLeague record for the most rebounds in a single season with 256! He also had the most "double-doubles" (getting 10 or more in two stats like points and rebounds) in a season with 16.
Boban helped Crvena zvezda win the 2014–15 ABA League trophy and was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the playoffs. He was also chosen for the All-EuroLeague First Team, meaning he was one of the five best players in Europe. For the third year in a row, he was named the Serbian Super League MVP in 2015.
Joining the NBA
San Antonio Spurs (2015–2016)
On July 17, 2015, Boban signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. He made his NBA debut on October 30. He quickly showed how good he was, scoring 18 points in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He even became the first Spurs player to get 12 rebounds in 15 minutes or less!
On April 13, 2016, Boban had his best game with the Spurs, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Detroit Pistons (2016–2018)
After his time with the Spurs, Boban joined the Detroit Pistons in July 2016. On January 5, 2017, he had a huge game with 15 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. Later that season, he scored a career-high 27 points against the Houston Rockets.
Los Angeles Clippers (2018–2019)
In January 2018, Boban was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He continued to be a strong player, scoring 18 points in a game against the Denver Nuggets.
Philadelphia 76ers (2019)
Boban was traded again in February 2019, this time to the Philadelphia 76ers. He played well for the 76ers, helping them win their first playoff series.
Dallas Mavericks (2019–2022)
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In July 2019, Boban signed with the Dallas Mavericks. On March 11, 2020, he had an amazing game, scoring a career-high 31 points and getting 17 rebounds against the Denver Nuggets. This was just before the NBA season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He re-signed with the Mavericks in 2021.
Houston Rockets (2022–2024)
In June 2022, Boban was traded to the Houston Rockets. He was briefly waived by the Rockets but then re-signed with them a few days later.
In April 2024, during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boban did something very kind for the fans. The Clippers had a deal with a fast-food chain: if the visiting team missed two free throws in a row in the fourth quarter, everyone in the audience would get a free chicken sandwich! Boban intentionally missed both of his free throws, making sure all the fans got their free chicken. The announcers on TV cheered, "He gave them chicken! He's a man of the people!"
Return to Europe and China
In September 2024, Boban returned to Europe and signed with Fenerbahçe Beko in Turkey. He played there for a few months.
Then, on January 2, 2025, Boban signed with the Zhejiang Lions in China, starting a new chapter in his career.
National Team Career
Boban has also had a great career playing for the Serbian national basketball team.
- As a young player, he won gold medals at the 2007 FIBA Under-19 World Championship and the 2008 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.
- He played for the senior Serbian team at EuroBasket 2011.
- At EuroBasket 2017, Serbia won the silver medal, with Boban playing a key role.
- He also represented Serbia at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Appearances in Films and Television
Boban Marjanović is not just a basketball star; he's also an actor!
- In 2015, he had a small role in a Serbian sports movie called We Will Be the World Champions.
- In 2019, he played an assassin named Ernest in the American action movie John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. He even had a fight scene with Keanu Reeves!
- In 2021, he appeared in a Serbian TV comedy show called Državni posao.
- Boban is good friends with fellow basketball player Tobias Harris. They have appeared together in commercials for Goldfish crackers and State Farm Insurance.
- He also had a role in the 2022 Netflix movie Hustle, which was produced by LeBron James and Adam Sandler.
- In 2023, Boban appeared in another movie, the comedy thriller Self Reliance.
See also
- List of European basketball players in the United States
- List of Serbian NBA players
- List of tallest players in NBA history
- List of tallest people
