Boban Marjanović: Defining a Legend

Picture a seven foot four and a quarter of an inch tall Serbian giant with ears as big as your hands, innocently smiling down at you as he offers you Goldfish and a hug. Now put him in a #51 Dallas Mavericks jersey, and you have Boban “Bobi” Marjanović.

Marjanović is among the world’s most talented athletes, yet astoundingly one of the most underappreciated. Despite his status as a certified NBA superstar, his high-caliber plays on the court have not been as popular as the time when he treated Anthony Davis like a child or when he went head to head with John Wick.

What makes Bobi legendary is so much more universal than his basketball skill: it’s his personality. “He’s immediately your best friend,” billionaire owner of the Mavericks Mark Cuban said. Known for his hugs and the State Farm coasters with his face on it, Bobi is loved by everyone. All NBA fans are inspired by the friendships Bobi has with both his teammates and opponents. Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris once told Bobi, “You might be the nicest guy I’ve ever met.”

Bobi played in the EuroLeague from 2010 to 2015, leading the league in field goal percentage, rebounds per game, and performance index rating during his final season. He was the Serbian Super League MVP for three consecutive years until he signed a one year, $1.2 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015. Since then, Bobi has been on five NBA teams. Every team wants him, likely because of his extraordinary statistics. He has the number one player efficiency rating in NBA history, which accounts for all of the contributions a player makes in a single statistic. His true shooting percentage is in Steph Curry’s range. He leads the league in points per shot attempt all time. Bobi is so efficient that if he played as many minutes as LeBron James, he would be tied with Michael Jordan for total points in NBA history. The only question that remains is, why does this statistical phenomenon rarely come off the bench? The answer remains a mystery.

The “Bobi Effect,” the craze over the NBA star, has spread beyond the bounds of the basketball court. Employers in every industry are trying to get their hands on this transcendent figure. The Serbian giant starred in “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” alongside Keanu Reeves, playing a nearly unstoppable assassin out for blood. Every one of his scenes is a cinematic masterpiece, with Bobi executing his role to perfection until his ultimate death at the hands of Wick. Moviegoers would assume Bobi is a seasoned actor from his instantly iconic performance, though the truth of the matter is that he has only been in one previous movie, a cameo credit in a Serbian basketball movie from 2015.

Bobi is also a consistent star in commercials. A plethora of companies try to utilize his worldly appeal in order to sell more of their products, and as a result, he’s advertised everything from Goldfish to insurance. Now that Bobi has conquered basketball, acting, and the commercial industry, the world is waiting to see what he’ll do next.

Being such an adored figure isn’t easy for Bobi, even though most other things seem to be. For example, living in a society catered to normal people has its downsides. Though he can dunk a basketball without jumping, Bobi isn’t able to work out at SoulCycle because their bikes can’t accommodate his massive size 20 shoes. The least that fans can do to live and love like Bobi is support him by buying Goldfish, writing about his dominance, and cheering him on in every possible way.