NBA veteran Frank Kaminsky says Bogdan Bogdanovic inspired decision to sign for Serbia’s Partizan

30-year-old Frank Kaminsky is a free agent no more, as this Thursday he inked a new contract that takes him to Europe after eight-long years playing in the NBA. Serbia’s Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade will be his new team, as he becomes his squad’s fourth addition of the summer.

The Euroleague giants have made very important decisions this offseason, not only have key players like Kevin Punter, Zach LeDay, James Nunnally, Aleksa Avramovic, and Balsa Koprivica have extended their contracts, but also they’ve brought in NBA guard PJ Dozier, veteran Mateusz Ponitka, plus the return of Ognjen Jaramaz.

The former center for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, and Houston Rockets has agreed on a one-year deal with the Belgrade squad.

Check out one of his best performances of his career during a 31-point exhibition wearing the Suns jersey last year:

Arriving in the Serbian capital, Kaminsky can’t hide his excitement over his newest chapter in his basketball career.

“I am excited about the opportunity that has come my way. I know I am coming to a club with a rich history and a mission to win trophies. I am very happy about the opportunity to play big games. The support of this club’s fans is crazy, and I can’t wait to play in front of them,” he said in an interview that can be seen in the club’s official website.

One of the biggest reasons why this decision really hits home, is that the big man has Serbian roots on his mother’s side. Even though he grew up in Woodridge, Illinois, it was inside a Serbian community. During his high school years, he participated in basketball tournaments which were organizaed by the Serbian National Federation as part of the Eagles AC.

“My family is still close to the Serbian community in Illinois and the Serbian National Federation in the United States, which organizes a big basketball tournament yearly. I used to be involved in that too,” Kaminsky said.

The veteran center revealed that his former Hawks teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic helped him reach the decision of playing in Serbia

Last season, Kaminsky shared the court with former Hawks teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic and talked plenty about life playing in Europe. According to the new Partizan signing, the Serbian guard was central in his decision to take on this new challenge.

“It was great to play with him. He is a fantastic basketball player and an even better friend,” the player shared. “When the opportunity to move to Partizan arose, he was the first person I reached out to. He said a lot of nice things about the club and the city, which helped me decide to sign the contract.”

Agent Bogdan Bogdanovic secured Partizan’s deal with Frank Kaminsky 👌😄 pic.twitter.com/ppp7NQ97MU

— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 18, 2023

The 30-year-old leaves the NBA after playing a total of 413 regular season matches with averages of 8.8 points with 3.8 rebounds and 17 playoff matches, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 boards.

This offseason, Kaminsky got married to television icon Ashley Brewer who was recently laid off by ESPN in their latest summer firing spree.