Philadelphia 76ers Destiny – Dario Saric Arrival Up To 99 er 100 Per Cent

The Headlines In Croatia Read “Dario Saric 99 %  100% Going To Philadelphia”.  Perhaps the destiny of the Philadelphia 76ers is brighter than many expected.

It is the age old Shakespearean dilemma: TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE QUESTION!

This is not the opening scene of HAMLET, nor is Dario Saric a despondent Prince Hamlet contemplating a disastrous ending after the death of his love, Ophelia.  This is about an NBA career, a career that is about to emerge from the dream to play for NBA.  Until an athlete reaches that pinnacle, the longing for the opportunity burns.  Longing that keeps you working towards the goal, improving, training, enduring.  A dream that knows no politics, age limits, or geographical boundaries.

On June 29, 2016, this was released:

And the final instrument to Sam Hinkie’s has joined the overture.

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It is a fire that is ignited in the hopes of a young man, a fire that burns until the day they step onto the basketball court of a live NBA game.  This fire, this passion, to play did not simply ignite in a young man from Croatia. It ignited in the hearts of his father, and of his mother.  Passed down like a family heirloom, this fire to play in the NBA is the Saric legacy.

Perhaps we have underestimated the compulsive force of that blaze in a young man’s heart.  In any objective assessment, it seems to make more sense financially for a young man to wait for the NBA if it were a matter of economics.  It is not just economics, is it? It is the passion of a young man.  Even more so, it is the promise of an honorable young man who has not forgotten the conviction of honor. That honor passed down from father to son, much as the love of basketball was.

We live is a skeptical world, a “show me” state of existence which taints our judgment, points our gaze downwards rather than upwards.  It is this world where we manage our expectations by expecting nothing, and lift ourselves up to hope only after hope is no longer needed.  Perhaps in the aftermath of the Philadelphia 76ers recent streak of futility in three years of NBA struggle, there is more to this story than just an arrival of a young Croatian seeking to fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA.

Next: Restoring Our Pride

Restoring Our Pride

22 year old Dario Saric, son of Predrag and Vesalinka Šarić, brings something far more valuable to this team and to this city.  He brings the realization that a promise is just that, a promise.  In the modern NBA, the shifting loyalties of free agencies, max contracts, and small ball has blurred our vision and we’ve lost the perspective fought so hard to establish by Wilt Chamberlain, Bobby Jones, Julius Erving, Darryl Dawkins, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and even Allen Iverson.

There is loyalty yet in this NBA.  The loyalty of Predrag Šarić, and his young son Dario Saric, have a lesson for the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers. If we have forgotten the significance of our team in the NBA, they have not.  This is not about money after all.  After all is said and done, this is about  the honor of donning the jersey of the Philadelphia 76ers jersey and joining a very select and distinguished group of men who have blazed a trail and a market for the NBA and for basketball worldwide.

This is not the team whom the NBA pundits and decriers would have us believe we are.  The Philadelphia 76ers have earned the right to be placed among the top tier of the NBA.   This team has long been the innovative, market making franchise which has brought electrifying  play to the television sets of families across this nation.

Next: Croatian Article

Croatian Article

The buzz on the streets now is the 15 June 2016 newspaper headline which translates “Dario Saric 99% Going To Philadelphia”

But this is not new.  Foreign news coverage has been consistent in the coverage that Dario Saric has been planning for some time.  Another article from Bosnia dated 29 April 2016 reaches a similar conclusion (I used my own knowledge and google’s online translator to compile this transcription. Yes, I am a man of many talents)

"BASKETBALL: WAITING FOR DARIO Dario Saric’s father told the truth about his son and the millions of dollars! When it comes to the career of 22-year-old Croatian basketball Dario Saric, who is currently playing his second season in the Turkish Anadolu Efes, it is not yet known whether he will play next season in the NBA. In previous interviews, 209 cm (6’10.27″) tall Saric has confirmed that he wants very much to join Philadelphia 76ers this summer, the team which selected him at the 12th spot in the 2014 NBA draft , but it’s also well known that his manager Mike Raznatovic wants his golden goose to remain another year in Europe. Apparently they want to keep Saric in their ranks to face such European powerhouses like Real Madrid and Olympiakos, and the other reason is – tens of millions more will be waiting for him in the NBA in the summer of 2017. We have discovered recently that there is enormous pressure upon Saric to agree that it is better for his career to stay another year in Europe. In fact , if Saric had joined Philadelphia last summer, he would have a contract of just $ 4.7 million but would have had to surrender nearly $2.0 million (NBA clubs can only contribute up to $650,000 for a buyout, with the remainder to be made up from the player’s own salary). However, if Saric stayed another year in Europe, because he had the right to negotiate his next contract, could end up with a contract of between $20 and $25 million for 3 seasons. What will Dario decide, whose play in the Euroleague has averaged 11.7 points , 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assistance (on just 22.5 minutes), only he knows . Those who are most familiar with Dario say the money was never a priority … “I am convinced that Dario need to go to the NBA this year because it would be ridiculous for him to stay another season in Europe . I do not want to interfere in his decision, but since you have brought up the huge amount of money to delay his move to the NBA for just a year, that may not be the deciding factor. Oh, there will be a lot of money sooner or later, when Dario reaches 25-26 years of age. In any case , Dario made a promise to the representatives to the Philadelphia 76ers” said Predrag Saric , the father of the great hope of the Croatian people. “Whoever follows the NBA, knows that Dario would have a chance to play immediately for the 76ers and similar to Slaven Rimac and Jurica Golemac in Košarkaški klub Cibona , meet a higher level of athletic competition. Dario has improved a great deal, not only in his shot accuracy, but also in his defense. He still has a question mark on his vertical jumper, and perhaps in the intensity of the workouts. I think he ‘s ready for the NBA ? ‘ said Saric’s father, himself a brilliant shooter and all time top scorer of Košarkaški klub Šibenik of Zadar Croatia. “Is my Dario getting better at shooting threes? ? It’s hard ,ha ha. He still has a lot of work to do “ Predrag Saric said with a smile."

From father to son, a love of the game, the ability to play, and the honor to make it memorable.  This is the heritage of the greats of the game.

Next: Linking Past to Future

Linking Past to Future

There is a story in this moment.  A forging of the past to the future.  The momentous occasion is lost on the mass media, because the name of their game is quick hitting headlines.  But this is a story of a father and his beloved son.  This is a story about a man whose passion to play the game of basketball has never been extinguished.  This is the story of a husband, Predrag, born in November 29, 1959, and his wife, Veselinka, herself quite knowledgeable in basketball with Sibenik club Elemes, whose career  was shadowed by best European basketball player of her time,  Danira Nakic.

This is a story of that couple who brought two children, Dario and Dane, into this world with the same passion and drive to become the best they could be in basketball.

This is a story of a national basketball hero father whose shooting is still atop the all time scorers of Košarkaški klub Šibenik .

But this is also a story of the city of Philadelphia,  itself home to basketball legends known around the world. It is the story of a team rising from the ashes, facing the admonishments of persons who have little understanding of what basketball truly means to the culture of this city.  Above all else, this is the story of the opportunity of a young man to realize the dream which was handed down to him from his loving parents, and the dream to bring the NBA Championship to the City of Brotherly Love to fruition.

Next: Setting the Record Straight

Setting the Record Straight

This is not a story of a 10-72 team trying to stand up, turn the corner, or remember how to win.  Neither is this a story about a young man trying to earn the biggest paycheck possible.  This is something far greater.  This is the story about passion for the game of basketball, for the opportunity of a couple to see their son step foot onto the greatest stage of the game, and to showcase his talents against that of the world’s best.

I didn’t know this before, and that error may have gotten this narrative incorrectly stated in previous articles.  But if I have erred, so did the majority of reports.

In researching this article, I was deeply disappointed to learn that the parents of Dario Saric cannot speak English.  All our words of hope and excitement of the arrival of their son to the NBA has never reached them.

Let me try to fix that.  To the parents of Dario Saric, Pedrag and Vaselinki,  I can only hope this narrative in Croatian makes it to you someday:

Hvala vam Pedrag i Veselinki Šarića , za dar svoje ljubavi prema košarci i čast svoje odanosti svom sinu Dario , a do grada Philadelphije.
Mi smo srodne duše , odvojene od mnogih milja ali su se u našoj ljubavi prema igri.
Mi ćemo razveseliti svog sina kao mnoštvo jednom vas navijali . To je naša nada, da je naš san o NBA prvenstva može se dovesti u Philadelphiju , a za Šarića kuće, po poklonima koje ste dali svome sinu .

(Translation: Thank you Pedrag and Veselinki Saric, for the gift of your love of basketball, and the honor of your devotion, to your son Dario, and to the city of Philadelphia.
We are kindred spirits, separated by many miles but joined in our love for the game.
We will cheer your son as the crowds once cheered you. It is our hope, that our dream of an NBA Championship can be brought to Philadelphia, and to the Saric home, by the gifts you have given to your son.)

Next: Jerami Grant Staking Claim To Philadelphia 76ers 2016 Starting Role

This is about the passion for the sport, something we know something about in Philadelphia.  This is about integrity and follow-through, something we respect a great deal.  This is about commitment to a dream.

This is about to get very exciting.