Bogdan Bogdanovic isn’t intimidated by loud crowds in the NBA. On the contrary, the forward isn’t afraid of challenges since he first played in Europe, against thunderous crowds that used every strategy on the book to mess with players.
He went through that and is perfectly fine to see fans in New York or Philly trying to get under his skin. His Atlanta Hawks just came out of hostile territory in Philadelphia, winning one game and losing another at the Wells Fargo Center.
Philly fans don’t have a good reputation around the league, but Bogdan wasn’t bothered by that. After Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Serbian was asked about the atmosphere at the arena, but he replied that he’s been in worse scenarios before (6:02).
“In the NBA, you’re not getting hit with coins or lighters during the free throws, they’re not gonna point lasers into your eyes. It’s super tough to score a free throw then. Now I know I’m not in that type of environment, it’s all confidence and mental [toughness].”
If you’re familiar with European basketball and its crowds, you know they are very passionate about their teams and tried a lot of things to help them win. They bring the party to the game with all their colors, but it’s also dangerous if you’re playing against them.
Bogdan played in Partizan and Fenerbahce before making it to the NBA. Serbian and Turkish fans, as well as Greek, are fierce supporters, and they don’t hesitate to use anything against you.
This doesn’t happen that often in the NBA, and even though we saw several fans doing questionable things during the first round of the playoffs, the waters have calmed now.
