Nikola Kusturica, Serbian teen, receives NBA offer as U17 squad cheered

Seventeen‑year‑old Nikola Kusturica has emerged as Serbia’s most promising basketball talent after a standout performance at the recent World Championship. He joined Barcelona’s youth academy at 14, becoming the youngest player to debut for the club’s first team and the youngest ever in Spain’s ACB league. His rapid rise attracted attention from NCAA programs and the NBA, with a reported US college offering a $12 million two‑year contract and the NBA showing interest.

At the same time, Serbia’s under‑17 national team, the “Orlići,” who earned a world silver medal, were greeted by a standing ovation from fans in Belgrade’s Aleksandar Nikolić arena before their World Championship qualifying match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The celebration highlighted future senior stars such as Luka Galić, Nikola Đurović, Vuk Stepanović, and Kusturica himself.