Fabijan Kršlović

Fabijan, an Australian-born Croatian, found his passion for sports as a young child and decided to focus on basketball which ultimately led him to play in college. Australia, like many countries around the world, does not have the option for young people to attend college and play sports at the same time, so when his time came, Fabijan needed to travel to the other side of the world in order to continue with his passion. Here, he talks about his journey and how college basketball led him to play in the National Basketball League in Australia.

Where are you from and what sports did you play growing up?

I grew up in southwest Sydney, in Abbotsbury, where there is a large Croatian population. I had a lot of cousins in the area and there was a Croatian Center just down the road. In grade school I moved to northern Sydney which was much different, there were not many Croatians in the area which was made up mostly of people with Anglo-Saxon backgrounds. During my high school years my family moved back to Abbotsbury and I was there until I went to college. Growing up I played mainly soccer and basketball and soccer was pretty serious to me because everyone played soccer there, and it is in my blood with my dad and uncle playing. I only started playing basketball because someone asked me to join their team simply because I was tall. I continued to play soccer up until my late teens, but once it became evident that basketball was my priority I stopped soccer altogether.

You played for the Australian national team before going to college, tell us a little bit about that experience.

I started making state teams and going to Australia basketball camps and ended up playing for some youth Australia teams. I went to a few world championships with them and played with and against some great guys who have made it to the NBA - like Dante Exum and Ben Simmons. I was able to play in a world championship where we came in second place, losing to the United States, which was a great experience. We actually played against Croatia in the semi-finals of that tournament which was cool for me.

How did you eventually come to the idea that college in the U.S. was the best option for you?

I played the U19 world championships with Australia and in the first minute of one of the games someone fell on my knee and I unfortunately tore my MCL, which was heartbreaking. After that I wasn’t able to play for quite some time, I think it was about six or seven months. There was a time when I actually thought about quitting basketball and just going to college after high school. But I started to gain the passion back and continued to play. In Australia you can’t play a sport for a university. Some people study at a university and play in a league outside of the school they attend, but there is no “league” like the NCAA amongst schools. The only two pathways are to either go to the U.S. to play or play professionally here in Australia without school. That is a huge reason I thought going to the U.S. would be the best for me, because at the time I did not think I was going to play professionally, especially at 18 years old. I decided that playing for four years at college while also getting a degree on a full scholarship would be a great experience.

How did you begin your college recruitment process?

I hadn’t really been speaking to any schools throughout high school but my coach in Australia was fortunately friends with one of the assistant coaches at the University of Montana and we began talking about my game and the possibility of my going to play there. It all happened pretty quickly, and after only a month or two of starting this conversation I was offered a scholarship which I accepted. The decision was pretty easy for me as it was my only full scholarship offer at a DI school in the States. So I ended up going to the University of Montana from 2014 to 2018 and received a degree in finance with a minor in math.

What was the transition like going from Australia to Montana?

I had been to the U.S. before going to school there but had only been to big cities, nothing like Missoula, Montana. I didn’t know what to expect, all I knew was that it was going to be very different from where I grew up, Sydney is a big city. I first arrived in the summer with some of my teammates and none of them were from Missoula so we were all experiencing this new place together and trying to get accustomed to it with the older guys on the team helping us along the way. One of my teammates happened to also be from Sydney and we knew each other from prior years. There were also a few other international students on our team so we were all in the same boat, figuring out everything together.

Did your university supply you with sufficient resources academically?

Yes, we had a few academic advisors for all student athletes and one specifically for the basketball team which was really helpful in figuring out which classes to take, what to major in, how to schedule around practices and games, etc. Once you start taking classes you meet professors and other faculty who end up helping you out throughout your entire college career. I felt well supported throughout my years at the University of Montana.

How does the style of basketball differ in the U.S. compared to Australia?

It was very different. The level of competition was a lot higher in college. I was lucky enough to be part of the national teams in Australia playing with high class players which did prepare me a little, but the speed and athleticism was so much higher in college than the leagues I was used to in Australia. In Australia, basketball is very structured and team concept-based whereas in the U.S. the emphasis is on the individual. It took me a while to adjust to the athleticism and speed, but I believe team oriented play was a huge strength of mine while at Montana. I had the ability to easily grasp team concepts and know my place on the team. I was well aware of my strengths and challenges - while I didn’t spontaneously create like a lot of players in the U.S. do, the distribution of the ball throughout the whole team is something that my coaches didn’t expect from me but loved and valued very much.

Your team made it to the NCAA March Madness tournament, what was that experience like?

We had lost late in our conference tournament my freshman through junior years and finally my senior year after dominating the conference we ended up winning and getting the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Our first game was against Michigan who went on to go to the finals so we were a bit unlucky in the draw, but it was a great experience. We played in Wichita, Kansas which isn’t the most exciting of places, but the atmosphere and excitement around the city was great, especially because the University of Kansas, who was the number one seed, was also playing there. It was cool to finally experience the tournament for myself since I had just missed out on it my first three years at Montana.

Do you continue to have contact with your former college teammates, friends, coaches, etc. and have good relationships with them? Has this network helped you frame your plans for your future?

I talk to my coaches every so often but I have a number of teammates who I am in regular contact with and a lot who I message every so often. It’s not the easiest with the time difference but with all the social media now it’s not too hard. Even years later I still have that network, and we know that whenever we do see each other we’re going to have a good time. I was able to go back to Montana two times since I graduated which was nice so I could catch up and see everyone in person.

What was your path from college to the National Basketball League in Australia?

When I began at the University of Montana I did not think I was going to continue playing basketball after college. As I was nearing the end of school I had to think about what I was going to do next and one of my old coaches from Australia was coaching here in Cairns. I was offered some funds to play basketball and so I signed on. At first I became a training player with the Taipans in the professional league, then received a full contract the next year, and it is now my second year here with the Taipans. It just kept progressing and now I am really happy that I get to play basketball for a living. This season has been pretty weird with COVID-19 because if one case pops up everything shuts down for a little bit, but we have fans present unlike a lot of leagues around the world, so we are taking it game by game and I am excited to continue with the Taipans.

What do you think your next steps are?

The NBL season ends relatively early compared to other leagues around the world so a lot of players will finish the season here then go international and play with another team for a few months during the offseason. I think that may be something I’d like to do, but I love the position I am in currently. The NBL is a pretty high quality league, there is good pay, I am in Australia, my home, so I love it.

Has your family been supportive of you during this time?

My parents were able to go to Montana every year and my siblings were able to come a few times as well which was nice. For the rest of the season when they weren’t able to travel, they were able to watch every game on livestream and the time difference wasn’t that bad. My parents were also able to come out a couple of times to watch me play with Cairns since I first started playing with them, but luckily all of the games are played on national television so they can watch them when they are not able to go to them in person.

Do you have any tips for young athletes internationally looking to go to college in the U.S. to continue in their sport?

I would say just keep with it and keep pushing. There were so many players I have played with in high school and with the national teams who I thought were better than me but finished playing after high school or played a few years of college then stopped. So if you really want it, be persistent and take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way. In terms of getting into colleges in the U.S. specifically, networking is huge and if you don’t have many connections you have to be pretty proactive in making tapes and reaching out to different coaches. I know that in Australia there are a lot of coaches who went to America and built a network so you can approach them and they’ll help you out. Another thing is to know your level. A lot of guys are a bit overzealous and reach out to programs that they would not generally be a good match with athletically. It’s good to be confident, but if you really want to find a school for yourself you need to be realistic.

Finally, would you share with us your favorite sport as a spectator and who is your favorite athlete?

I do enjoy watching basketball, but soccer is definitely up there. I love Manchester United, if they play early in the morning at 6AM I still wake up to watch. I looked up to Andrew Bogut growing up because he was an Australian of Croatian descent and he made it to the best league in the world, the NBA. I actually got the chance to play against him a few times when he came to the NBL which was so cool. I think I like to emulate the game of a few different athletes like Michael Jordan; I also love(d) to watch Kobe Bryant, Cristiano Rondalo, and of course Luka Modrić play.

Thank you Fabijan, for speaking with us and sharing your experience playing around the United States and Australia. We wish you all the best with your current team and look forward to watching you further your professional career.