Marko Kešelj | |
|---|---|
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| State Secretary in theMinistry of Sports | |
| Assumed office 4 November 2022 | |
| Minister | Zoran Gajić |
| Member of theNational Assembly of Serbia | |
| In office 1 August 2022 – 10 November 2022 | |
| President | Vladimir Orlić |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1988-01-02)2 January 1988 (age 37) |
| Political party | SNS (2022–present) |
| Basketball career | |
| Personal information | |
| Nationality | Serbian |
| Listed height | 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) |
| Listed weight | 94 kg (207 lb) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2010:undrafted |
| Playing career | 2004–2019 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 4, 6, 10 |
| Career history | |
| 2004–2006 | Avala Ada / Mega Ishrana |
| 2006–2007 | Akasvayu Girona |
| 2007–2008 | Köln 99ers |
| 2008–2010 | Crvena zvezda |
| 2010–2012 | Olympiacos |
| 2012–2013 | Valencia |
| 2013 | Le Mans Sarthe |
| 2013–2014 | ASVEL Basket |
| 2014–2015 | Mega Vizura / Leks |
| 2016 | Lavrio |
| 2016–2017 | Oostende |
| 2017–2019 | Crvena zvezda |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Marko Kešelj (Serbian Cyrillic:Марко Кешељ, born 2 January 1988) is a Serbian politician and retired professionalbasketball player serving as the state secretary in theMinistry of Sports since 4 November 2022.[1] He previously served as a member of theNational Assembly from 1 August 2022 until his resignation on 10 November 2022.[2]
He is also a presidency member ofCrvena zvezda. He represented theSerbia national team in the international competitions. He is a 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) tallsmall forward.[3]
Kešelj started his career in his hometown with a club calledMega Ishrana. Despite his young age, Kešelj already has the experience of playing for two top-quality foreign clubs, theSpanish ACB League clubAkasvayu Girona and theGerman League clubKöln 99ers. During the summer of 2006, his talents were spotted by Serbian coachSvetislav Pešić, who brought him toGirona in theSpanish ACB League at the age of 18.
However, Kešelj could not establish himself in the squad and got very little playing time. In the summer of 2007, he transferred to theGerman League to theKöln 99ers, which were led by another Serbian coach,Saša Obradović. Following a so-so season, Obradović left to coachKyiv, and Kešelj also started looking for a transfer.
Upon rumors that Pešić, his mentor from his Girona days, might be taking overCrvena zvezda, Keselj decided to sign with the club during the summer of 2008, even before Pešić's arrival had become official. In 2010, he signed a 3-year contract with theGreek League clubOlympiacos.[4] With Olympiacos, he won theEuroLeague and Greek League championships in 2012.[5]
On 14 August 2012 Kešelj signed one-year contract withValencia.[6] On 5 February 2013 he left Valencia and signed withLe Mans Sarthe Basket for the rest of the season.[7] On 8 August 2013 he signed a one-year contract withASVEL Basket.[8]
On 14 October 2014 he signed an open contract with the Serbian teamMega Vizura.[9] On 17 June 2015 it was confirmed that Kešelj would play with thePortland Trail Blazers at the2015 NBA Summer League.[10]
On 6 January 2016 Kešelj signed with the Greek clubLavrio for the rest of the2015–16 Greek Basket League season.[11] On 18 September 2016 Kešelj signed with Belgian clubTelenet Oostende.[12]
On 28 July 2017 Kešelj returned to Crvena zvezda, signing a two-year deal.[13] On 4 January 2019 he scored 20 points for the night and his 1,000th point for the Zvezda.[14][15]
Kešelj was a member of the Serbian junior national teams, and he played at the2007 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Novi Sad and at the2008 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. Kešelj was also a member of the seniorSerbia national team at the2010 FIBA World Championship, where Serbia was defeated byLithuania, in the game for the bronze medal. He was alsocapped for the national team of Serbia at theEuroBasket 2011, in Lithuania, where Serbia finished in 8th place.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| † | Denotes seasons in which Kešelj won theEuroLeague |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Olympiacos | 12 | 3 | 12.3 | .476 | .435 | .500 | 1.0 | .2 | .3 | .3 | 3.8 | 2.1 |
| 2011–12† | 14 | 8 | 15.6 | .396 | .270 | .600 | 2.0 | .3 | .4 | — | 3.9 | 2.4 | |
| 2017–18 | Crvena zvezda | 6 | 0 | 6.0 | .000 | .000 | — | 1.0 | .5 | — | — | 0.0 | -0.3 |
| Career | 32 | 11 | 12.6 | .398 | .308 | .538 | 1.4 | .3 | .3 | .1 | 3.2 | 1.8 | |
In August 2020, Kešelj was appointed as a presidency member ofCrvena zvezda in charge of the sport issues.[16] He was re-elected for 5-yearterm on 27 December 2021.[17][18] Following the resignation ofPredrag Danilović as the president of theBasketball Federation of Serbia (KSS),Sport Klub mentioned Kešelj as one of the main contenders for the position.[19]
Kešelj appeared on theSerbian Progressive Party (SNS)-ledTogether We Can Do Everything ballot list for the2022 general election, as an independent candidate.[20] Following the election, Kešelj was elected to theNational Assembly as MP.[21] Kešelj was appointed state secretary in theMinistry of Sports on 4 November 2022.[1] On 10 November, he resigned as MP.[2] Kešelj is a member of the main board of SNS.[22]
Kešelj owns and operates ablueberry orchard.[23]
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