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When Croatia Needs Victory, Dario Saric Shows Up

By Bret Stuter

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers have sought a man to show up at clutch time. That search is over, Dario Saric has integrity to do just that.

Integrity.

It’s the quality of a player who promises to play in the NBA two years after being drafted, and then honoring his word despite leaving millions of dollars on the table.

It’s the dedication of a young basketball player who commits two years of his life to improve in virtually all areas of his basketball game, and then take that talent to support his national team in the olympics.

Its the characteristic of a young man who leads his team through competition, encouraging his teammates while personifying the very skills he is asking of the players around him.

It’s the ability of a competitor to recognize the importance of the moment, and rise to the occasion, meeting the most important moment in a game with his greatest effort possible.

It’s the uncanny knack to always be involved in a game winning moment.

In croatian, the word is “cjelokupnost”.

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In Philadelphia, it’s Dario Saric.

Dario Saric was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Turin, after helping Croatia qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds and 2.2 assists throughout the tournament and played his best at the games’ most critical moments. He had 16 points and 8 rebounds in a 66-61 Semi-Final win over Greece on Friday and followed that up with 18 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in Saturday’s 84-78 overtime defeat of tournament hosts Italy. Just aged 22, he led all players in rebounding and ranked 7th in scoring.

Fast forward to the match-up of Croatia against Spain.  It was to be the appearance of two newly signed players to the Philadelphia 76ers: Spain’s point guard Sergio Rodriguez facing Croatia’s power forward Dario Saric.

But Saric once more showed why he is more just another guy.   His is the Croatian Sensation, a player who is good luck for the Cinderella-story-of-the-Olympics Croatia.  Clinging to a two point lead, Spain got the ball into the hands of their big man, Pau Gasol.  Gasol stands 7-feet-0 tall, and he had the ball and was setting up to shoot near the basket.

Coming the other direction was the young Croatian power forward, just reinserted into the game after nasty contact on his knee forced him to the sidelines.  Hobbled, but not crippled, Saric launched himself to tower over the Spaniard as the ball was released, placing his outstretched hand directly in the balls path, and blocked what was likely the game-tying shot.

Integrity is many things, but most of all, it’s showing up when the team, and the fans, need you to appear.

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Dario Saric is a Philadelphia 76er for tomorrow, but for today, he is a hero to his nation of Croatia.  To his fans in his homeland, he has “cjelokupnost”, which is easily translated as integrity.

Hopefully, his knack for showing up with the game winning play will translate as easily.