Freddy House: I want to be on Partizan bench, to be new Vujosevic

- Partizan will always have a special place in my heart. I wanted to return as a player, but they chose someone else. I am a coach now and my greatest wish is to lead the Black-and-White team from the bench, like my team members and I were lead by the greatest coach of all times, Dule Vujosevic - said the eternal favorite of Grobari (Partizan supporters), former player of BC Partizan, Frederic House, who is celebrating his birthday today.

Even before his arrival, world class basketball was played in Serbia, but this man from Texas, with a smile on his face and number five on his back, made a true spectacle out of it.  

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- I've been calling and offering myself to Partizan for years. I've never stopped following them and i want to help in these difficult times when the club is not doing so well. In my house, everybody knows that Belgrade and Partizan are sacred. I am in contact with the boys i used to play back then, mostly with Milos Vujanic and Dusan Kecman. They made me play the best I could. And even more than that - Fred is thankful to his two friends.

After more than a decade since he left Belgrade, his attractive dunks, sacrificial steals and incredible three point shots are being talked about by basketball lovers.

- Partizan marked my career in every way, which I started professionally in Belgrade. I was like a son to Vujosevic, and he was like a father to me. I even managed to handle some of the Serbian language because he gave me books and introduced me to the history of Serbian people. He took care about me and my family - one of the best defensive players in the history of black-and-whites is grateful.

Foto: Privatna arhiva

He remembers the life lessons he got from the fans.

- They taught me how a man should behave during hard times. If we lost a game, the fans would come, they would sit with me and we talked for hours about life, everything else except basketballs because they wanted to take my mind off of the game and defeat. They included me into their families, they called me to have diner with them. They taught me that family and friends are the most important thing in life, and that defeats come and go - House remembers.

Foto: Privatna arhiva

Popular Freddy "House" however, managed to return to Serbia in 2013, but not to Partizan. He started playing for BC Peja which is in the first Kosovo league. But, however, he did not have nearly the same welcome as he did in Belgrade.

- I was sad when I heard about the war on Kosovo and I understood the proportions of the conflict that occurred. Because of everything, many people hated me down there since I played for Partizan and I remained attached to that club. Later on they liked me, but the start was really difficult - House remembers.

Foto: Privatna arhiva

He now lives in Texas and has year-and-a-half old son. He would love to bring him to Belgrade so he could feel the energy of Partizan fans.

Foto: Privatna arhiva

Besides Pec and Belgrade, American played for Lietuvos Rytas and TAU Cerámica in Europe, and he was in Russia and Ukraine.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Jasmina Stakic - j.stakic@telegraf.rs)