Nenad Krstić

For the Serbian politician, see Nenad Krstić (politician). For the Serbian footballer, see Nenad Krstičić.

Nenad Krstić (Serbian Cyrillic: Ненад Крстић, born July 25, 1983) is a Serbian basketball executive and former professional player.

Nenad Krstić

Krstić with the Thunder in March 2010.
Personal information
Born	(1983-07-25) July 25, 1983 (age 40) Kraljevo, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality	Serbian
Listed height	2.13 m (7 ft 0 in)
Listed weight	121 kg (267 lb)
Career information
NBA draft	2002: 1st round, 24th overall pick
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Playing career	2000–2016
Position	Center
Number	12, 4
Career history
2000–2004	Partizan
2004–2008	New Jersey Nets
2008	Triumph Lyubertsy
2008–2011	Oklahoma City Thunder
2011	Boston Celtics
2011–2014	CSKA Moscow
2014–2016	Anadolu Efes
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2005) 2× All-Euroleague First Team (2012, 2013) 3× YUBA League champion (2002–2004) 3× VTB League champion (2012–2014) All-VTB United League Second Team (2013) Russian League champion (2012) 2× All-Russian League First Team (2012, 2013)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Serbia World Cup 2014 Spain Team EuroBasket 2009 Poland Team

Krstić represented and captained the Serbian national basketball team internationally. Standing at 2.12 m (7 ft 0 in), he played the center position. Krstić was an NBA All-Rookie Second Team member in 2005 and a two-time All-Euroleague First Team selection in 2012 and 2013.

Professional career

Partizan Belgrade

His first professional team was Partizan Belgrade where he spent four seasons, making his debut in 2000–01. In the 2003–04 season, his last with Partizan, he averaged 13.4 points per game in the Euroleague. With Partizan, he also won three YUBA League championships in a row, and one Serbian Cup championship in the 2001–02 season.

On June 26, 2002, he was drafted with the 24th overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. However, he didn't join the Nets for two seasons, continuing to play with Partizan Belgrade.^[1]

New Jersey Nets

During the 2004–05 NBA season, Krstić logged an impressive rookie campaign for the New Jersey Nets, averaging 10.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.84 blocked shots per game.^[2] He was honored as part of the All-Rookie NBA second team.^[3]

In his debut in the playoffs against the Miami Heat, Krstić averaged 18.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game;^[2] an exceptional performance for a rookie in the playoffs. This followed a greater trend where Krstić had consistently improved at a great pace as his rookie season progressed. He showed a wide skill set for a big man, including refined post moves and a shooting touch from eighteen feet.

Throughout the 2005–06 season, Krstić's play had continued to rapidly improve. Three quarters of the way through the season, he averaged 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds, and had become an integral part of the Nets offense. In the first round of the 2006 NBA playoffs against Indiana he averaged 18 points per game along with 7.1 rebounds.

In 2006–07 despite the rough Nets start, Krstić was averaging career-highs in points (16.6), rebounds (6.8), and assists (1.8)^[2] before falling to the ground after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee versus the L.A. Lakers at Continental Airlines Arena on December 22, 2006.^[4] His surgery was successful.^[5] Krstić was out for the rest of the 2006–07 NBA season, but returned ahead of schedule to start the 2007–08 NBA season.^[6]

His 2007–08 season was a disappointment, as his injury disrupted his play and confidence on the court and he was largely a liability. Krstić later stated in his blog that he felt he let the team down, and vowed to return to his old form at the start of the 08–09 season.

Triumph Lyubertsy

During the 2008 summer off-season, Krstić entered negotiations with the Russian Super League team Triumph Lyubertsy and eventually signed a 2-year contract (with the NBA an opt-out option) worth €6 million euros net income with them on July 29, 2008.^[7][8] He averaged 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in seven games in the Russian Super League^[9][10] and 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in 6 games in the EuroChallenge.^[11]

Oklahoma City Thunder

On December 19, 2008, two NBA league sources told ESPN.com that the Oklahoma City Thunder had agreed in principle to sign Krstić to a three-year offer sheet.^[12] On December 22, Krstić officially signed the offer sheet. The New Jersey Nets had seven days to match the offer, or Krstić would be free to join the Thunder.^[13] The Nets declined to match, and the Thunder waived Steven Hill to make room for Krstić.^[14]

He played for the first time in a Thunder uniform on January 7, 2009, versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring six points and blocking 2 shots in 16 minutes.^[15]

Boston Celtics

On February 24, 2011, Krstić was traded along with Jeff Green and a 2012 first-round pick to the Boston Celtics for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.^[16] In his first game as a Celtic, he recorded 9 points and 6 rebounds in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 26.^[17]

Krstić's final NBA game was on May 11, 2011, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat. Boston would lose that game 87 - 97 (thus losing the series to Miami 4 - 1) with Krstić recording 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks.

CSKA Moscow

On June 22, 2011, Krstić signed a two-year contract with the Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow.^[18] Over the season, he averaged 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game in the Euroleague. That earned him his first selection for the All-Euroleague First Team.^[19] In the Euroleague Final against Olympiacos, CSKA Moscow lost by 61-62 after Georgios Printezis's buzzer beater in the last seconds of the game, securing his team second Euroleague championship in history.^[20]

After a good season with CSKA Moscow, there were rumors that he was considering a return to the Boston Celtics.^[21][22] However, on July 10, 2012, Krstić signed a new two-year contract with CSKA Moscow, including a team's option to extend him for one more season.^[23][24] At the end of the 2012–13 Euroleague season, Krstić was included for the second-straight time in the All-Euroleague First Team.^[25][26]

2013–14 season

After slow start at the beginning of the 2013–2014 season, caused by some private problems he was having outside basketball,^[27] by the time he was improving his performances. In December 2013 it was revealed that he is a candidate for FIBA Europe Player of the Year.^[28][29] Eventually, Tony Parker would go for the second straight award.^[30] In loss to his former club Partizan Belgrade, he played his best game of the season by scoring 27 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.^[31] He was named Euroleague MVP for month January, averaging fifth-highest 16.4 points, 6 rebounds and 21.6 in PIR.^[32][33] After beating Panathinaikos in the playoff series, CSKA Moscow lost in the semifinal of the Euroleague Final Four to Maccabi Tel Aviv.^[34] Shortly after failing to win the Euroleague for third straight year, the president of CSKA blamed Krstić and his Serbian teammate Miloš Teodosić for not putting enough effort over the season.^[27][35] Krstić finished his third Euroleague season with CSKA Moscow with the lowest averages of 9.6 points and 3.2 rebounds over 29 games. Shortly after the Final 4, CSKA was facing elimination in the VTB United League from Lokomotiv Kuban, travelling by 2-0 without home advantage. Krstić helped CSKA eventually win the series after big comeback and advance to semifinals, answering to previous critics of the club's president. Eventually, CSKA won the VTB United League by sweeping Nizhny Novgorod 3–0 in the final series.^[36]

In the late June, CSKA Moscow used option in his contract to part ways and allow him to sign with another team.^[37][38] In July 2014, weeks after signing with Anadolu Efes, he had an interview for Večernje novosti. He stated that Ettore Messina, former coach of CSKA Moscow, was "killing him as a player", putting him to play at unnatural to him power forward position, which affected on his performances over the last two seasons with the club.^[39]

Anadolu Efes

On June 26, 2014, Krstić signed a two-year contract with the Turkish team Anadolu Efes.^[40] He came in the club just after Dušan Ivković was appointed as new head coach, with whom he worked in the national team for many years.

2014–15 season

On November 2, 2014, he fractured his left forearm, after flagrant foul by Mutlu Demir, in a game against Pınar Karşıyaka and was estimated to return in 6 to 8 weeks.^[41][42] He returned on the court on December 24, in a game against Darüşşafaka Doğuş and scored 2 points.^[43]

As the season was reaching to an end, Anadolu Efes cemented second position of the regular season in the Turkish League. However, they were stopped in the Euroleague after the quarter-final series 1–3 loss to the eventual champion Real Madrid.

On June 14, 2015, in a Game 3 of the Turkish League final series against Pınar Karşıyaka, he tore ACL on his right knee.^[44] The injury will keep him off-the-court for estimated 6 months.

Over the season, he averaged 12.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 27 games played of the Turkish League. He also played in 19 Euroleague games, where he averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and a career-high 1.4 assists per game.

Galatasaray Odeabank

On June 30, 2016, Krstić signed with Turkish club Galatasaray Odeabank for the 2016–17 season.^[45] On September 9, 2016, he parted ways with Galatasaray.^[46]

National team career

Krstić played with the Serbia and Montenegro national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics and EuroBasket 2005.

As captain of Serbian national team he played at the EuroBasket 2009, where he won the silver medal and 2010 FIBA World Championship, where he won the fourth place. In the following year, he played at the 2010 FIBA World Championship where Serbia was defeated 99–88 by Lithuania in the game for the bronze medal. He represented the national team at the EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania where Serbia finished eighth and at the EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia where Serbia finished seventh and qualified for 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. At the World Cup in Spain, Serbian national team took the silver medal. Shortly after the final game of the tournament, he retired from the national team, after ten years of playing and six years of captaining.^[47]

Post-playing career

On August 22, 2019, Krstić was named a director of the youth national basketball teams at the Basketball Federation of Serbia (KSS).^[48] On December 14, 2020, Krstić was elected vice-president of the Basketball Federation of Serbia.^[49]

After stepping down from his position at Basketball Federation of Serbia, Krstić was named the president of his hometown team KK Sloga Kraljevo.

Personal life

Krstić is married to his wife Tanja and has one daughter.^[50] Krstić, whose nickname is "Curly", was voted the third most eligible bachelor by Serbia's version of People magazine.^[51] On August 19, 2010, in a game against Greece for the Acropolis International Tournament 2010, he participated in a fight between players and threw a chair at Greek Ioannis Bourousis. That resulted in his spending the night at the police station, from where he was released the day after.^[52] He stated in his defence that he thought Bourousis was a fan when he threw the chair at him. In the same fight Krstić attacked Greek player Sofoklis Schortsanitis a number of times from behind.

After the 2010 Serbia earthquake, Krstić and his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates donated $10,000 to help his hometown of Kraljevo, which was directly affected by the nearby calamity.^[53]

Krstić owns and operates a distillery.^[54]

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	PIR	Performance Index Rating
Bold	Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2004–05	New Jersey	75	57	26.2	.493	.000	.725	5.3	1.0	.4	.8	10.0
2005–06	New Jersey	80	80	30.9	.507	.250	.698	6.4	1.1	.4	.8	13.5
2006–07	New Jersey	26	26	32.6	.526	.000	.711	6.8	1.8	.4	.9	16.4
2007–08	New Jersey	45	38	18.0	.410	.000	.754	4.4	.6	.2	.4	6.6
2008–09	Oklahoma City	46	29	24.8	.469	.000	.797	5.5	.6	.5	1.1	9.7
2009–10	Oklahoma City	76	76	22.9	.502	.200	.717	5.0	.7	.4	.6	8.4
2010–11	Oklahoma City	47	47	21.7	.498	.000	.803	4.4	.4	.4	.4	7.6
	Boston	24	20	23.0	.537	.000	.750	5.3	.3	.3	.3	9.1
Career		419	373	25.2	.494	.143	.730	5.4	.8	.4	.7	10.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2005	New Jersey	4	4	38.5	.563	.000	.792	7.5	1.8	.3	.5	18.3
2006	New Jersey	11	11	33.3	.504	.000	.711	6.8	.7	.5	.9	14.7
2010	Oklahoma City	6	6	21.5	.405	.000	.929	5.8	.7	.5	.7	7.2
2011	Boston	7	0	8.0	.625	.000	.667	1.7	.3	.0	.6	1.7
Career		28	21	25.2	.505	.000	.767	5.4	.8	.3	.7	10.4

Euroleague

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG	PIR
2001–02	Partizan	13	8	19.7	.385	.000	.595	4.4	.2	.5	.6	4.8	4.2
2002–03		10	7	30.1	.489	.000	.717	6.2	.9	1.2	.6	12.8	13.1
2003–04		9	7	24.8	.600	.000	.721	2.9	.6	.2	1.0	13.4	13.0
2011–12	CSKA Moscow	22	18	24.5	.629	.000	.786	5.5	.6	.5	.5	14.2	18.4
2012–13		29	7	23.4	.613	1.000	.738	4.4	1.0	.3	.7	13.0	16.8
2013–14		29	15	19.4	.502	.600	.630	3.2	.8	.3	.6	9.6	10.0
2014–15	Anadolu Efes	19	10	21.5	.571	.000	.808	5.1	1.4	.3	.5	12.8	17.1
Career		131	72	22.7	.560	.500	.732	4.5	.8	.4	.6	11.6	13.9

See also

•   Sports portal
• List of European basketball players in the United States
• List of Serbian NBA players

References

1. "NBA Players – Nenad Krstic". HoopsHype.com. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
2. . NBA.com. Archived from the original on 2007-04-27. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
3. "Krstic Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team". Nets.com. 2005-05-05. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
4. "Nets center Krstic has torn ACL, out for year". ESPN.com. 2006-12-23. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
5. "Krstic Has Successful Surgery". Nets.com. 2005-05-03. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
6. . NBA.com. Archived from the original on 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
7. "Nenad Krstić signs deal with Russian team in Moscow". nydailynews.com. 2008-07-29. Retrieved 2008-07-29.^{[permanent dead link]}
8. Ford, Chad (2008-07-29). "Kristic signs with Triumph for 2 years $18 million USD". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
9. Triumph Center Nenad Krstic will play for NBA.
10. Триумф (Люберцы, Московская область) » СУММАРНАЯ СТАТИСТИКА. December 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
11. "Krstić EuroChallenge stats". Fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
12. Chad Ford (2008-12-19). "Sources: Krstic, Thunder agree to deal". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
13. "Thunder sign Krstic to offer sheet". Sports.espn.go.com. 2008-12-22. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
14. "Krstic gives Thunder another 7-footer". Sports.espn.go.com. 2008-12-30. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
15. Target Center, Minneapolis (2009-01-07). "Foye, Wolves beat Thunder for fourth straight victory". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
16. Ford, Chad (25 February 2011). "Celtics get Thunder's Jeff Green". ESPN. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
17. "New-look Celtics rally for 4th win in last 5 games". ESPN. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
18. "CSKA puts veteran Krstic at center". Euroleague.net. 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
19. "2011-12 All-Euroleague First, Second teams announced". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
20. "Olympiacos is the Euroleague winner". Sportando. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
21. "Nenad Krstic: 'I have NBA options, but I haven't decided yet'". Sportando.
22. Farnsworth, Nick. "NBA Rumors: Is Nenad Krstic Considering a Return to the Boston Celtics?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
23. "Nenad Krstic signs a new contract with CSKA Moscow". Sportando. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
24. "Nenad Krstic returns to CSKA Moscow in Russia with no opt-outs". celticstown.com. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
25. "2012-13 All-Euroleague First and Second Teams announced". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
26. "2012-13 All-Euroleague First and Second Teams announced". Sportando. Euroleague.net. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
27. "Predsednik CSKA više neće Tea i Krleta". 24sata.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 20 May 2014.
28. "10 players are the candidates for FIBA Europe Player of the Year". Sportando. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
29. "NENAD KRSTIC – CSKA MOSCOW AND SERBIA". fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
30. "Parker igrač godine, Krstić deseti". b92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 7 February 2014.
31. "EL: Bogdanović srušio CSKA!". b92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 February 2014.
32. "bwin MVP for January: Nenad Krstic, CSKA Moscow". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
33. "EL: Krstić MVP januara". b92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 3 February 2014.
34. "Maccabi rallies from 15 down to stun CSKA, advance to championship game!". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
35. "Teodosić: Sami smo krivi". b92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 20 May 2014.
36. . vtb-league.com. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
37. "Hvala, Nenad!". cskabasket.com. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
38. "Nenad Krstic leaves CSKA Moscow". sportando.net. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
39. Jakovljević, I. "Krstić: Mesina me "ubijao"". novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 26 July 2014.
40. "Anadolu Efes goes big with Krstic". Euroleague.net. June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
41. "Anadolu Efes center Nenad Krstic of Serbia will be out for at least 6 weeks with a broken left forearm". trt.net.tr. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
42. "Efes big man Nenad Krstic out 6-8 weeks with broken arm". sportando.com. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
43. "Anadolu Efes 73 - 72 Darussafaka Dogus, December 24, 2014". TBLStat.net.
44. "Geçmiş olsun Krstic..." anadoluefessk.org (in Turkish). Retrieved 15 June 2015.
45. "Nenad Krstic Galatasaray Odeabank'ta". galatasaray.org (in Turkish). 30 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
46. "Galata potvrdila: Krstićev ugovor raskinut". mondo.rs (in Serbian). 9 September 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
47. "Krstić se oprostio od reprezentacije". b92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 September 2014.
48. "Nenad Krstić postao direktor mlađih selekcija Srbije". b92.net. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
49. "Daniloviću novi mandat, Krstić potpredsednik". b92.net.
50. "Nenad Krstić postao otac | Mondo". Mondo.rs. 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
51. "Five Tiny Tidbits On: The New Jersey Nets". Deadspin. 2006-10-30. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
52. "Police release Nenad Krstic after melee". ESPN.com.
53. "Nenad Krstic, Oklahoma City Thunder raising money for victims of Serbian earthquake - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. 2010-11-07. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
54. "Intervju, Uroš Tripković: Od "bloka za Uroša" do plantaža borovnica". moravainfo.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 5 March 2019.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nenad Krstić.

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com   and Basketball-Reference.com
• Nenad Krstić at espn.com
• Nenad Krstić at euroleague.net
• Nenad Krstić at fibaeurope.com
• Nenad Krstić at tblstat.net
• at vtb-league.com
• Nenad Krstić on Twitter  

Sporting positions
Preceded by Igor Rakočević	Vice president of the Basketball Federation of Serbia for men's basketball 2020–present	Incumbent