Dante’s Euro Odyssey: How Partizan fuelled his NBA return

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Dante Exum's basketball journey has taken him around the world, from Australia to the NBA and across Europe.

Now back with the Dallas Mavericks, Exum shared his memories with NBL Media of his time playing European basketball, particularly his memorable stint with Serbian powerhouse Partizan Belgrade.

As Australian basketball fans prepare for a rare treat with Partizan and Olympiacos visiting our shores to face the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers, Exum’s experiences provide valuable context for what fans can expect from these historic matchups.

From Barcelona to Belgrade: A European Basketball Education

Exum’s European adventure began with FC Barcelona, where he was immediately thrown into the deep end.

“My first game actually was the El Clasico against Madrid,” Exum recalls.

“Then we were travelling, we went to Tenerife, then we went to Greece, and actually we went to Red Star, Partizan’s rivals.”

This initial experience helped Exum understand the differences between NBA and European basketball, noting the emphasis on "play calls controlling the game" in a style similar to FIBA basketball.

This initial journey in Spain lasted just one year, winning the 2022 Spanish National Cup, before the move to Partizan and the Serbian capital.

The Partizan Experience: A Career Reborn

Exum’s move to Partizan Belgrade proved transformative. Under the guidance of legendary coach Željko Obradović, Exum found both his confidence and rhythm, thriving in one of Europe’s most demanding basketball environments.

“It’s something you can’t explain, the passion of the fans. They’re not even fans at this point, they’re part of Partizan,” he explains.

“The people, it’s their life, they love it, the club is their blood.”

That passion, combined with Obradović’s relentless standards, brought the best out of Exum. He closed out the 2022–23 EuroLeague season as one of Partizan’s most important players, helping the Serbian giants reach the playoffs and re-establishing himself as a top-tier guard, averaging 13.2 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.

His success in Belgrade, which included winning Serbian domestic ABA League title, paved the way for his NBA return, with the Dallas Mavericks signing him ahead of the 2023–24 season.

Coaching and Culture Shock

Exum remembers vividly his early experiences with Obradović.

“It was preseason. We were in a little Serbian village called Chaak and we lost to a team that was not a high level team,” Exum recalls. “And he let us know who he was and how he was gonna be for the year. I said to myself, ‘What am I doing?’”

He laughs when asked how NBL players might handle such feedback, adding that much of the most heated instruction wasn’t even in English. “Kares was in Serbian… and then I’d go to an assistant coach, ‘What did he say?’ And he’s like, ‘You don’t wanna know what he said.’”

The Derby: Partizan vs Red Star

For Exum, nothing compared to the Belgrade derby between Partizan and Red Star.

“I think the whole day is the buildup. It’s a different energy on that day,” Exum describes. “As soon as you’re in the arena and you’re running out, it’s just a loud roar. And then when Red Star comes out, it’s just the biggest boo you’ve heard in your life.”

NBA vs European Fan Culture

When comparing atmospheres, Exum says the NBA playoffs come closest, but still can’t replicate what he experienced overseas.

“The NBA always tries to amp some of that… but you truly can’t compare,” he says. “It’s from the moment you run out, the moment you’re warming up, to like an hour after the game, they’re still chanting.”

One moment sticks with him above all: beating Red Star on the road, then staying in the locker room as fans kept chanting for nearly an hour before the players came back out to celebrate with them.

Asked where his time at Partizan ranks in his career, Exum doesn’t hesitate: “It’s definitely up the top, if not the top.”

His advice for younger players is clear: “Go experience it, go live in Europe, go play for a team like that. More and more guys are getting really good teams now cause guys see the quality of basketball, the quality of the fans.”

Looking Ahead to NBL vs EuroLeague

With Partizan and Olympiacos set to face the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers, Exum is eager to watch from afar.

“I’m actually super interested. I can’t wait to watch the games,” he says. “You never actually get a taste of it going from Australian basketball to how we kind of match up against a European team.

“Adelaide’s put a great roster together, Sydney’s put a great roster together. So they’re definitely gonna give them trouble, for sure.”

Australian fans will now get a taste of that passion themselves when Partizan and Olympiacos touch down later this month for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament.

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