The reluctant king; the team-first superstar and short-list MVP candidate is fine with leading Sacramento to the promised land—just don't ask him to brag about it

Basketball Digest, May-June, 2004 by Brett Ballantini

IF PEJA STOJAKOVIC IS VOTED THE NBA's MVP in 2003-04, he might just give the award back.

It's not that the sixth-year Sacramento Kings star lacks confidence; no steely sharpshooter of his ilk (he's a .392 career shooter from the arc) can lack confidence and have any kind of success. It's just that Stojakovic has raised self-consciousness to an art form.

See for yourself in this very interview When Stojakovic was asked about his extraordinary shooting skill, he talks about how well the team is doing and how wonderful an addition Brad Miller is to the team. Asked about getting into a "zone" on offense, Stojakovic discusses the solidity of Sacramento's defense. Trust that anywhere you read Stojakovic saying "I" it's in sotto voce, wary of a teammate catching him in a moment of braggadocio.

Reticence aside, Stojakovic fits comfortably into a locker room that boasts as much talent as any in the NBA--and for our talk in Milwaukee, that was with Chris Webber back home in Sacramento still awaiting his season debut. The Kings' chemistry is tangible, with Mike Bibby hopping about the locker room claiming a he's been robbed of his per diem, Vlade Divac returning fire by offering a 850 bet that no one will return the lost meal money ... "character issues" like this on a quick-to-smile club eventually can lead to champagne showers and ring ceremonies.

Stojakovic has stepped forward as the top talent on the Kings, status that will not change with Webber's return. In 2003-04 Stojakovic is destined for his first All-NBA honors after shooting the lights out all season and increasing his rebounding and scoring.

Perhaps most impressively, Stojakovic has become a tough defender, and that alone sets him apart from his most famous Euro counterpart, Dirk Nowitzki.

"He's much better defensively than he was when he first came in," Kings coach Rick Adelman says. "He moves his feet better. He's not afraid to be physical. He doesn't get credit for that. When he first came in, he was really a lost soul."

Stojakovic sat down with BASKETBALL DIGEST before and after lighting up the Milwaukee Bucks for 31 points in a 124-117 Kings win.

BASKETBALL DIGEST: You turned pro in Greece at 17, and was drafted by Sacramento at 19. Why didn't play immediately for the Kings?

PEJA STOJAKOVIC: I didn't feel ready, so I stayed two more years in Greece and came when I was 21. It was frustrating in the beginning, accepting a different role, coming from the bench and being the eighth or ninth player. NBA teams treated players coming from Europe differently than U.S. players coming from high school or college; back then players coming from Europe had to prove themselves more.

BD: Players from outside of the U.S. seem more and more ready to play right away. How ready were you to play in the NBA? Was there anything intimidating about coming to the NBA to play?

PS: I'd been playing at the professional level since I was 17, playing against guys who used to be in the NBA, and that gave me the confidence to come to the NBA.

BD: Did it help to have a countryman like Divac on the team right from the start, as someone who found success in the NBA and could identify with some of what you were going through?

PS: It was a great thing for me, coming from the same country and knowing that Vlade was going to give me the right advice at the right time. Luckily, he went through some of the same things I did. It was a relief to have him around. I wasn't so nervous, because he told me he went through the same things as me, struggling with playing less minutes. It's something every European must go through.

BD: You've always been a great shooter, but this year you've stepped it up to career-best levels. What's changed?

PS: The team is playing well, and I'm just trying to fit in with the other guys. I'm being aggressive. We understood that Chris [Webber] wouldn't be with us for most of the season, so we all started out with some aggression.

We've also gained a lot with the addition of Brad Miller. Nobody expected that he would fit so well in our system, and no one expected that he would be as a great a passer as he is.

It's been a great team effort. We're playing well, even though we're playing without our best player, and with him back healthy hopefully we can be even better.

BD: Can you ever have too much talent on a team?

PS: It's a good problem to have. [Laughs] Having the best record in the league without Chris is amazing. With him back, it won't be any different. He knows the system. He's been here as long as anybody. It's more a question of how comfortable he's going to be coming off of his injury than it is how he's going to fit with us.

We won't have any problems. It was more of a concern how the new guys were going to fit in, and they've fit so fast.

BD: You're coming into your own as the best player on the team. Has the extra attention that comes with superstardom on and off the floor been hard to adjust to?

PS: I don't know about that. I'm just happy that the team has a good record, is doing well, and is winning games without Chris. Maybe I am receiving more attention from opponents, but everything else has been the same. We have great, great players on this team. It's a great team effort. We're really playing well.