"In some sense Slovenia has given me everything. Regarding basketball I didn't receive that in Bosnia. I didn't receive any calls from Bosnia," says the basketball player of Union Olimpija, Alen Omić.

Basketball wasn't Alen's first sport. In elementary school he played as a goalkeeper for a local football team. In eighth grade he was noticed by a sports agent, not for his saves but for his skills. Alen was then already 195 centimeters high.

"You're changing sports tomorrow"
"I was always out on the football field. One day a grown-up stranger walked up to me and asked me if I would be willing to change sports. He also asked me where my parents were. I told him: Forgive me, but I don't know who you are. Why do you need my parents?' - 'I see that you're going to be a tall man and I see your career in basketball,' was his answer. I then told him where I lived and sent him to my parents. When I came home my father told me that I was changing sports tomorrow. I said 'ok'."

Saying goodbye wasn't easy.
After almost two months of getting familiarized with the basketball and hoops, Alen received an offer to go play abroad. His agent found him a club in Črnomelj in Slovenia. Alen accepted the challenge, although saying goodbye wasn't easy.
"My father told me to be brave and that he knew I would make it. My mother just cried and couldn't say much. It was difficult for me as well to see my mother cry, but we said goodbye and I got on the bus."

He learned his first Slovene word on the court
Together with a friend the only 14-year-old Alen left his home country to go to Črnomelj. There he received everything he needed in order to develop as a basketball player. Adapting to the new place wasn't a problem and Alen started going to high school in Črnomelj. However he didn't learn his first Slovene word in school, but on the basketball court thanks to his strict coach. "All of a sudden I heard him yelling at me: "Daj žogo od sebe, daj žogo od sebe!" ('Pass the ball, pass the ball'). Žoga?! I had no idea what 'žoga' meant. I asked one of my friends, who was also from Bosnia, and he told me what 'žoga' was. That was the first Slovene word I learned."

He grew fast
During his first year in Slovenia, Alen didn't only practice hard but he also grew very fast. "While in Črnomelj, I grew around twenty centimeters in only one year. At the end of the season I went to Bosnia and they all looked at me strangely. They were wondering how I managed to grow and change so much in only one year. I told them that Slovenia does miracles!"

In short time he moved to Laško. With his good games in Laško he quickly received an invitation to play for Slovenia's youth national team. Playing well for the youth national team opened the doors to Ljubljana's Olimpija. In the future, Alen would like to play in the NBA. However he is in no rush at the moment. He feels good in Slovenia.

"If I'm honest, it's nice for me in Slovenia. This is my second home and I feel good here. I try and put a lot of effort for people in Slovenia to start liking me, and that's what I still do today. I want them to be satisfied with me and I want to be satisfied with them. In some sense, Slovenia has given me everything. Regarding basketball, I didn't receive that in Bosnia. I didn't receive any calls from Bosnia. Later, when they saw me playing for Slovenia, they did call my agent asking whether I would play for Bosnia. I said: 'I'm sorry, but I played for Slovenia and will continue playing for Slovenia until I have to'."

How is it up there at a height of 2 meters and 17 centimeters?
For the end, Alen told us what it was like to be 2 meters and 17 centimeters high: "When you're that high and look down on people you think, ok, I'm high, I know people will be looking strangely at me, but in a way you're not afraid of anyone."