The Paris Olympics were a special experience for the Serbia men's basketball team. The Serbian club took bronze at the event, and team member Bogdan Bogdanovic is thanking his coach for the run.

“He was ready with the meeting. He was ready with the same meeting we did the whole year,” Bogdanovic said of head coach Svetislav Pesic, after the team beat Germany for the bronze medal. “It was his way. We believed, we didn't complain.”

The shooting guard says the head coach was able to keep the team in line, despite a very disappointing close loss to Team USA. Team USA stormed back from a halftime deficit to knock Serbia out of a chance to win the gold medal.

“We play together, we win together. We lose together,” Bogdanovic added.

Serbia made a lot of noise in the Olympics

Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) shoots the ball during the second half against the United States in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena.
© Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Serbia made a great run in the Olympics in Paris. The team was led by NBA champion Nikola Jokic, who posted a triple-double in the team's final game against Germany. Jokic finished the Olympics with a stat line of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the Bronze medal matchup.

Bogdanovic also made waves with his play. He hit a ton of shots for Serbia in their close 95-91 loss to Team USA. Bogdanovic also seemed to be poking fun at Carmelo Anthony during the game. With Anthony sitting in the stands, Bogdanovic made a gesture with his hands toward his head. It was similar to a gesture Anthony used to make in the NBA when he played. Anthony seemed to take notice, as cameras panned over to him. He looked annoyed at times. Some members of Team USA including Devin Booker thought the Serbian player was being rude to Anthony.

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The incident got a lot of attention in the press. Bogdanovic will probably hear a lot more about his behavior, when he returns to the NBA this coming season. The shooting guard plays for the Atlanta Hawks. He is now a member of two Serbian teams to win Olympic medals. In 2016, the shooting guard helped his home country take silver in Rio.

Serbia has produced several great NBA players over the years. Jokic and Bogdanovic are just two of the country's players currently playing in the league. Others who have been NBA stars include the retired big man Vlade Divac, and the talented guard Peja Stojakovic.

Team USA plays France for the gold medal in men's basketball on Saturday. The tip off is at 3:30 Eastern. The Olympics end on Sunday, with the United States leading the total medal count.