Reminiscing on Boban Marjanovic’s best moments

We all know the timeless adage about sports trades:

“You have to give up something to get something.”

With the Dallas Mavericks sending the 26^th pick in the 2022 draft and end-of-the-bench players to the Houston Rockets for Christian Wood, it seems like the Mavericks might have proven the proverb false on paper.

But NBA trades are never evaluated solely on paper, and headed to Houston is Boban Marjanovic - the NBA’s most likable player who was a rare human highlight reel on and off the court.

Before we completely turn the page on the affable Serbian’s Mavericks’ career, let’s take a moment and relive, relish and revel in some of Boban’s finest moments.

Boban saves the ball with a broomstick

In the 2020 season, the Mavericks matched up with the Utah Jazz when a Jordan Clarkson missed a shot that ricocheted off the rim and landed on top of the backboard. Kristaps Porzingis tried valiantly to poke the ball free, but this was a job on Boban could do, much to the crowd's delight. In a zany turn of events, the exact same scenario played out in the next game against the Sacramento Kings. With the crowd erupting and Luka Doncic and J.J. Barea egging him on, Boban saved the day once again. It even happened a third time in the playoffs against the Clippers!

Boban at the state fair

Then there was the time Boban went to the state fair for the first time in the first episode of Boban on the Goban. He pulls off a pretty good Big Tex if you ask me.

Hi mom, hi dad!

In his first season with the Mavericks, Boban turned in a fantastic performance (15 points and 16 rebounds) earning him a post-game interview where he hilariously shouts out his mom and dad and lets them know he’s playing basketball in Dallas.

Boban in the bubble

Boban was a content machine in the NBA bubble getting into many antics and shenanigans with his teammates.

Like when he lip-synced Barbie Girl with Maxi Kleber:

And the time he tried to make amends with Tobias Harris, but Harris was jealous of Boban’s new friends:

Or when he narrowly missed out on reeling in a fish:

And when he and Luka tried to make the Disney Mickey Mouse ears:

Name that tune

Try not to smile watching Boban and Luka play ‘Name That Tune’:

You rang?

My personal favorite moment happened when Boban went on Inside The NBA after the Mavericks won Game 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2020 playoffs. I still can’t stop grinning ear-to-ear rewatching Boban say he was nervous the headset wouldn’t fit, telling Luka he owes him a drink, confirming he would “kick Keanu Reaves ass, and of course, where he indulges Shaq by belting “YOU RANG?”. Bobi making the heart shape with his arms makes me chuckle every time.

The whole interview is worth a watch because it encapsulates a lot of who Boban is: a selfless guy and a great teammate who is confident but doesn’t take himself too seriously after ups and downs in his life and professional career.

While Boban wasn’t a full-time player with the Mavericks, his lockerroom impact and influence on the culture was immeasurable during a time the Mavericks went through rapid growing pains. From consecutive first-round playoff exits to a trip to the Western Conference finals, Boban was a mainstay through it all.

And during a historic and uneasy past few years, Boban did his part to put a smile on people’s faces. He was a joy to watch and cover, and we wish him all the best in Houston.

Here’s one more video of Boban and Luka moments for the road: