Josef Dulibic is head coach of Alba Berlin’s JBBL (U-16) team. He was 13 years active in the organization as coach with Croatian top team Cibona Zagreb. He came to Alba Berlin first as NBBL coach wining the 2018 NBBL title and won the JBBL title in 2023. He spoke to germanhoops.com about the title weekend in Frankfurt.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Josef Dulibic in Frankfurt at the 2023 NBBL/JBBL Top 4

Congrats Josef on winning the 2023 JBBL title. It was 5 years since the organization last won a JBBL title. The last time Alba won was in 2018 winning the double. How good did the win feel for you personally?

I’m really proud of the guys. We had a goal 2 years ago to reach the top 4 and to win it. It is always nice to reach your goal. It is even nicer winning against a good team like Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Sklyiners

You led the Alba Berlin NBBL squad to the 2018 NBBL title. What is the biggest difference to coaching U-16 kids then U-19 kinds?

U-19 guys are a lot further in their development of the tactics of the game. Some of the U-19 guys train with pro’s and are more developed while a lot can still happen with guys coming from the JBBL to the NBBL level. Some of our U-19 guys trained with Aito. It is easier for an NBBL players to train with pro’s then JBBL guys with NBBL guys.

Coming into the game Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners were the massive underdog for me. You told me before the game something I will never forget. In the end there isn’t a difference between the Alba and Frankfurt players. At the end it took you 2 Ot’s to win?

We were undefeated and the expectations going to Frankfurt were huge. The NBBL team had the best players in Germany and then top recruits with Rikus Schulte and Linus Ruff. The JBBL players are all from Berlin. Even if many feel because we were undefeated we are a dominant team, we aren’t? We never played against Frankfurt or Cologne during the regular season. Both those teams had 5 national players combined. One third of the national team is from those two teams. We only had Mattieu Grujicic.

Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners gave Alba Berlin all they had. How much respect do you have for Olaf Kanngiesser for leading his players to making it such a tough final for you?

He did a super job. Frankfurt has shown in the past that it has 2 faces. Sometimes they play great while other times don’t seem as motivated. This year they were one year more experienced. He did a great job with the guys and took us to the limit. We didn’t have much more to give in the final.

In the second OT Alba Berlin finally took control. Would you still have won without Matthieu Grujicic?

That is like saying would the Chicago Bulls have won the triple without Michael Jordan? Mattieu is the best player in Germany. We have all solid players, but more role players. It would have been difficult to win without him. You could also ask would Frankfurt have been in the final without Crnjac and Messer or Cologne without Remagen?

I was amazed by Mathieu Grujicic (193-G-2007). The more he scored the more excited I got. When he was at 50 the next Doncic slipped out of my mouth. How talented is this kid?

He is very talented. To become a great player, you need the body and character. He works very hard in the gym especially on his shot. How far one can get too relies on a lot of factors. Dirk Bauermann said it best. ‘You need to become the best version of yourself’. He is on a goodway.

How did you see Mathieu Grujicic‘s development in the JBBL? What is always key in the JBBL happening to a player in their development before reaching the NBBL level?

He needs to think what do I need to do best to become a pro. A player that wants to become a pro needs a good skill set. It’s not about how many lay ups you can make. Two years ago he had no shot. He had good ball handling and only made lay ups in the U-14. This season he became a real good shooter. I thought Roy Krupnikas was a really good shooter last season but Mattieu is a step further. I remember someone saying that it seemed like someone had given Mattieu an Andi Obst jersey for the final.

What is your summary of the Alba Berlin JBBL season? What kind of team was it in September and what kind of team did it become in May 2023?

It was a process of 2 years. We became a team with a high IQ and understood when to dribble and when to pass. They were great guys that liked to practice together. They liked to listen and at the end played good JBBL basketball.

The unsung hero for me in the final game was Yari Monninkhoff. He may have scored 15 points, but he did so many other positive things. How did you see his development this season?

It wasn’t just him in the final that stepped up, but we had so many other guys that could do it at any time. Mattieu is our Jimmy Butler, but the rest can play. A guy can always jump in and help. We get the maximum out of everyone. When we see one guys having a good game, then we tend to give them more focus.

How did you see the development of Matheo Hermann? Is he on the way of being a type of Entezami or Kayil in the future?

Both can jump, but have different bodies. Matheo is lighter but also explosive. He reminds me of Jordan Poole. He has to improve shot and ball handling. When he sees a Jordan Poole play is always helpful to improving when he sees someone like that doing it well.

The 2023 NBBL/JBBL finals may have been the best in the history of the competition: How important were these 2 games and did the sport win some new fans?

The question is how many not basketball fans saw the games on the weekend? Was it just basketball lovers? I think the weekend was great to see good teams and players. Maybe steal a few things from others and build it into your own philosophy and get new ideas. In the end you want the sport to become as best as it can.

What was your favorite moment at the 2023 JBBL competition besides winning the title?

Just seeing the emotions of the guys. Seeing them in each timeout and in the locker room and looking in their faces and seeing that joy and belief that they could win the title. I saw this special togetherness fighting to achieve the goal of winning

What is your summer plan? What are your goals for the summer? Do you have nay new talents in your mind?

We will start to plan for the next season.

Who will win the 2023 NBA title. Miami or Denver?

I have become a Miami fan. I always told the guys we want to be like Miami and get the maximum out of each player. It is incredible how they have 4 undrafted guys and can still play at a top level. It is also fun to watch Denver. My heart is with Miami, but I fear that they are the underdog.

Is there any team that will be bale to stop the Telekom Baskets Bonn?

It looks like maybe Ulm will challenge them. They got extra confidence beating Alba Berlin and now already won game one against FC Bayern Munich. Bonn has had a great season, but I think it will be tight.

Thanks Josef for the chat.

Tags : MATHIEU GRUJICIC, ALBA BERLIN 2ND TEAM, GERMAN BASKETBALL