BADALONA (Spain) - Sports run in athletes’ veins, and it is transmitted genetically. It’s inevitable.
Just think about the Maldini legacy in football, or Graham and Damon Hill in Formula 1. Or Dell Curry passing on an unbelievable shooting ability to his sons, Steph and Seth, in basketball.
Growing up in a sports-oriented family can naturally lead one down a certain direction in life. If you’re named Michael, due to your parents’ affection for two icons like Jordan and Schumacher, things get fated.
Volleyball on one side with his mother Barbara, his grandfather Ivica, and his aunt Vesna; basketball on the other with his dad Tomislav and his uncle Jurica.
Michael Ruzic’s path had already been drawn way before he could even think about a future in sports. But, at first, he chose a different landscape. No net, poles, rims, or baskets. His trajectory started underneath the water.
“He was a very active child. He could not stay in just one place. We wanted him first to learn how to swim, and he was a good swimmer at that age,” Tomislav Ruzic opens to the BCL website about his son.
It couldn’t last long, though.
“He has loved the game of basketball as soon as he could hold a ball and walk, because around 4-5 years old, he started to ask questions about it.”
“He has always been in love with the sport. When he was in first grade, we found a basketball school, and he started practicing. He wanted to play basketball and be like me,” he adds.
Yes, to be like him. Like his dad, who has spent two decades on European courts, starting in Croatia and then moving to Türkiye and France. That’s where Michael was born, in 2006, as his dad was transitioning from ASVEL to Besançon.
“When I was 7, I started playing basketball mainly because of my father. I grew up watching all of his games; even when he was playing in Türkiye, we would visit him a lot,” he explains.
“As I started getting better and better, I definitely had great guidance from my parents, as they were both athletes. They knew what I had to do, on and off the court. That’s what got me here,” Asisa Joventut’s 19-year-old gem adds.
From his first breaths in France to early steps on the basketball court in Croatia, he then decided to take a step forward in his career in 2023, moving to Badalona.
“When I was a cadet-junior in Zadar, I was pretty much the main guy on my team. My father couldn’t really give me a lot of advice besides just to do my thing when I was out there,” the young talent underlines about his past in the white-and-blue Croatian side.
After all, Tomislav himself knows that he wouldn’t have to point out any specific advice or tips when he had an already mature son.
“He has always been very mature for his age; he could always speak about very wide topics. Mainly sports, but not only: he could express opinions about life in general even when he was 12-13 years old,” he recalls.
“You couldn’t believe that those words were coming out of such a young boy’s mouth. He was looking at things like people in their 20s would. He would surprise us with some points of view about life. Things you wouldn’t expect.”
Joining Joventut would have meant not only being immersed in devoted basketball culture in Catalunya, but also having the opportunity to jump to high-level playing stages.
“When the decision was made, it was only his."
Those are Tomislav's words. He continued:
"We advised him as parents, obviously. But we completely supported his decision. People around him, agents, relatives: everybody had their opinion about it, but he was the one choosing to go to Joventut,” father says.
“The reason why he chose Badalona among other options was linked to the great communication he had with David Jimeno, Joventut’s coach of the junior team,” he follows.
In just a matter of three years, he’s now become a constant presence on Dani Miret’s team, averaging 7.6 points - scoring more than 14 on three occasions - and 3.1 rebounds per game to write down his name among the main candidates for Best Young Player of the Season.
“As I shifted to senior basketball, he wanted me to believe in myself, to be tough and aggressive, to give my best in the weight room because it will translate on the court,” Michael adds about his dad, Tomislav.
Now, with Joventut ready to take on the challenge against AEK BC in the Quarter-Finals of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, he’s reaping the benefits of having chosen the green-and-black team to shape his beginnings.
“We’ve started the season in the BCL amazingly. We were undefeated up until February, and I definitely feel like the level is pretty high: a lot of high-level teams have joined the BCL.”
“It’s a great league for young players’ development. The overall goal is to win the whole thing, at home,” he comments, dreaming of making it to the BCL Final Four in Badalona.
Breathing Joventut’s legacy and basketball love
As it was announced on Monday, Joventut won’t have both Simon Birgander and Ante Tomic for the whole duration of their Quarter-Finals series against AEK.
If that’s negative news for the team’s ambition heading to one of the toughest challenges of the season, on the other side, it will be the opportunity to see Michael’s playing time increase more and more in the frontcourt.
At the same time, he will be called up to the challenge of bringing back to the court what his countryman and role model has been teaching him since the start of the season.
“Every young player going into senior basketball must have one veteran guy who guides him. Ante (Tomic) has been great to me: he’s giving me advice all the time, and just the opportunity to watch him from up close in practice and during games, it’s a big thing,” he mentions.
“You can just improve from that, trying to copy and paste. Going up against him in practice makes me a better player. Both being from Croatia makes it even better.”
What about the other way around? How has it been for Ante Tomic to check in first-hand on the 19-year-old Croatian talent’s improvement throughout the campaign?
“When I first saw him and talked with him, it was obvious that he was already a mature kid. He was not glued to his phone, but completely and fully dedicated to basketball,” Tomic says.
“When he first came to Joventut, he was 16 years old, if I’m not mistaken: being so mature at such a young age, it’s not common. It actually reminded me of myself, because you don’t really have any other options than to leave home that young, and grow up fast.”
The now-veteran center from Croatia had to go through a similar path, leaving the country to shape a future for himself in Spain with Real Madrid. However, he did it at 23 years old.
Choosing Badalona as the cornerstone of his development was not only a smart choice, but likely the smartest of choices.
“Among the teams that were interested in him a few years ago when he was 16, Badalona was probably the best choice for two main reasons: how easily he could enter the first team rotations and how welcoming Joventut’s philosophy has always been,” Tomic answers.
“The club’s history is full of young players going straight to the first team and having impactful minutes from an early age. The exact same thing is happening with Michael: he’s our first option in his position, and doing it in the ACB at his age is a huge thing. I’m not sure if that would be possible in any other ACB team at the moment.”
“He also had a huge impact with the first team since the very beginning, due to the lack of players that year. He immediately showed everything he had in his arsenal, all the skills. It’s not always good to show all of your cards, but he had a huge impact."
“People in the club immediately realized what they had on their hands. He’s a huge talent, and he has a large room for improvement,” Tomic continues about his young countryman.
Tomislav Ruzic thinks exactly the same about his son’s current team, which is the perfect place for him to thrive. Or just be himself.
“I think the most important thing for a young player is to have some minutes on the court and be consistent. Not playing two minutes in one game, and five or ten minutes in the other. The good thing is that he’s having continuity,” Ruzic Sr says.
“He’s averaging 15 minutes per game, and he’s getting the club’s freedom. Obviously, as every young guy, he needs to work on a lot of stuff; you can’t relax and not chase progress even when you’re a veteran, imagine when you’re 19 years old.”
“He knows he needs to develop, because it’s all gonna come back someday. His hard work is going to pay off one way or the other. I think his progress has been as planned in the last three years. Joventut’s management and the coaching staff are the best at evaluating in which area of his game he needs to put the extra work,” he continues.
Having to go up against one of the most prominent players in Croatian basketball history not only makes him improve on a general level, but it also gives him the freedom to copy and paste whatever he feels he could benefit from his skillset.
Ante Tomic has figured out that the 2006-born big man possesses that kind of ability: understanding what he should implement and adding it to his arsenal.
“The great thing he has is the ability to copy someone else’s abilities. Our game is not really similar, as he has a way larger arsenal, offensive-wise. But he’s a kid who wants to learn and improve every day,” Tomic explains.
The result? Sometimes it looks like Joventut’s No.23 is the shadow of the experienced veteran wearing the same colors on the court. Especially when it comes to deciding how to handle situations on the short roll.
“When I was with the national team in November, somebody told me that I play exactly like Ante. Especially in some situations on the short roll: that’s what I’ve mostly learned from him. In the future, I think I’m gonna be a big man, a five; getting some help from Ante will help me in the future, for sure,” Michael comments.
The impression doesn’t change once it’s Ante taking the mic.
“The similarities between him and me arose when he had the great game against Israel in November, when he scored a couple of points and had a few assists from the short roll,” he says.
"But the comparison is not fair, because Michael is way better than what I was at his age or in my 20s. I was not that athletic, and I wasn’t as good at shooting three-pointers."
“He has vastly improved on how to read the game, how to control his body in different positions. He started as a four, then switched to five, and now came back as a four. A few years ago, this might have been similar. But nowadays it’s quite different.”
“I guess it depends on the system also. But playing as a four, you need to have completely different movements in a completely different game. He has improved on the switch between the two positions. That’s the biggest improvement that I see,” Ante comments.
If that wasn’t enough, Ante Tomic isn’t even the only veteran who’s been helping Michael Ruzic thrive in both the ACB and the BCL. There’s a certain Ricky Rubio around in Badalona.
“Ricky has an immense basketball IQ and a lot of experience. Whenever he tells me something and advises me on something, I always listen to him. I’m gonna try and immediately do what he tells me,” Ruzic comments.
He’s helping me hugely not only on the court, but off the court too: we all remember he was a young player in Badalona as well. He knows that feeling; he’s been through it all as well.
Playing with Ricky Rubio and Ante Tomic, as a basketball lover who has grown up watching both deliver at the highest stages, it’s something difficult to describe.
“I don’t think that ever crossed my mind. I was watching them play when I was a little kid, and being teammates now makes me realize how far I’ve come in my career at such a young age. It’s a big honor to share the locker with Ricky and Ante.”
“I want Croatia to be at the top”
He has already proven that he owns not only the capacity but the potential as well to be a future star in national team basketball. And Croatia noticed it pretty well.
When he wasn’t even 19 years old, the opportunity of wearing the red-and-white jersey arose in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers.
One of those feelings that everybody would like to experience. In Michael Ruzic’s case, it peaked considering he knew his father represented his country as well.
He did it perfectly on his debut for Croatia, scoring 12 points out of 5-of-5 from the field in 2001. 24 years later, his son’s dream turned into reality.
“Playing for the national team had always been a dream of mine, and dreams do come true. It’s a special feeling whenever I suit up for Croatia,” Michael says.
The dream, however, wasn’t only his.
“As a family, we’re very proud of Michael being in the national team, especially now that he’s in the starting five of the team,” Tomislav proudly states.
“We’re very proud, and I don’t think words can express what we’re feeling right now. Every sports lover dreams of representing their national team, and we’re extremely happy and proud about Michael.”
The man behind Michael Ruzic’s first national-team basketball instances, repping his country’s jersey, is Tomislav Mijatovic. One who knows how important belief and time truly are.
He knew Michael Ruzic was special from the first practice in the summer of 2025, before his debut game against Norway on the road to FIBA EuroBasket 2027.
“Heading to the first practice I had with him in the national team last summer, I expected the usual approach of a talented player: somebody who’s going to be there, observe, and participate in the best way possible,” the Croatian national team’s head coach thinks back.
“But I got something completely opposite from him: an 18-year-old who lives with older players like he’s one of them. He hasn’t backed down from any contact, run away from the rebound or the defensive effort.”
“At first, I was like, 'Okay, maybe this is just the first practice, maybe it’s a lucky move.' But then, as the days progressed and went on, I saw that this is actually who he is. He is a very competitive and energetic young human being, who wants to be always involved,” he says.
“I was positively surprised that a young player of that age showed this much maturity and competitive effort against players who are older than him. There are his older peers, and he was very respectful and quiet to them, but on the court, he didn’t shy away from anything,” Tomislav Mijatovic adds once again.
While he started well already in the summer of 2025, the real breakthrough happened in the November window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers.
Spending 28 minutes on the court, he led Croatia to an important win against Israel, flirting with a double-double. He finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists, shooting 11-of-13 from two-point range. That was the game Ante Tomic mentioned earlier.
But Tomislav Mijatovic, seeing what stands behind basketball as a head coach, was more interested in something else rather than his significant scoring outcome against Israel.
“The game against Israel was impressive, because he scored 23 points and played against super-experienced players as one of the leaders of the team,” he starts.
“But what I'm very pleased with from the coaching side is the game he played against Germany in Zagreb during the last window. He played 20 minutes and everything he did, defensively and offensively, was correct.”
“He had one mistake where they scored a layup over him, and he didn't help too much. But everything else was on time and well-prepared. Everything was just the way it's supposed to be. That impresses me more,” Croatia’s head coach comments.
“Last summer, we had a friendly game against Ukraine. We were up by 15-17 points. I always preach to them that the 50-50 balls are very important to us.”
“All of a sudden, the guy is just diving on the court, out of bounds; he tries to save the ball, and busts open his chin; he needed three or four stitches to continue playing. This was the sign of a serious approach by a serious player. That impressed me,” Mijatovic continues.
Mario Hezonja, Dario Saric, Karlo Matkovic. These were just some of the names involved in Croatia’s training camp when Michael Ruzic made his debut for the national team in August 2025. Literally some of his basketball idols.
I love to watch his games, and playing with him in the national team has been a wonderful experience. I have the great opportunity to learn from him, and I’ve picked up a lot. It’s huge for me.
Similarly, he wants to pick up things from the New Orleans Pelicans center as well.
“Another Croatian guy I like to watch is Karlo Matkovic: super flashy and athletic, I love his game. Going up against him in practice and getting advice from him has been great,” he says.
The Croatian national team’s head coach also stresses the importance of having role models like the ones mentioned earlier.
“I think every young player who has role models of the magnitude of Dario Saric or Mario Hezonja can’t do anything but cherish that,” Mijatovic comments.
“That’s why it’s very important for him to have Ante (Tomic) on the team, because every day he’s going up against one of the best-skilled players in the last 10-15 years in European basketball. You can learn so much just by observing him and being there with him.”
“That is tremendously beneficial to a young player such as Michael. Every player who has grown into a serious European or even NBA-level player has had some of this leadership and role models around him. It’s super important because when they see their peers do the right thing, they might accept and follow it,” he also adds.
What’s next for Michael Ruzic? Certainly, his improvement is one of the answers. But Tomislav Mijatovic “wouldn't point out any specific details” about things he’s lacking.
“This guy has great role models at home: his father, his mother, and his aunt are former top-level athletes. His uncle is a former basketball player, and his grandfather is a volleyball coach. This guy has been brought up with the cultural and sports support he needed. Now he only needs health and to continue to work hard like he has been doing. Sky’s the limit.”
The Croatian national team have missed out on making it to back-to-back FIBA Basketball World Cups in 2019 and 2023, and haven't qualified for FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
After years of constant struggle, he might be one of the missing pieces for his country’s basketball renaissance. His ambition speaks loudly.
“I want Croatia to be at the top. We want to win as many games as possible; it doesn’t matter who we play against. If it’s San Marino or Team USA, it doesn’t matter. We want to win every time we step on the court.”
If that isn’t enough for you to understand how ambitious and fearless Joventut’s 19-year-old talent is, our best tip for you is to tune in and watch him go to war in the BCL Quarter-Finals.
You never know when the concrete transformation of a young talent into a star may happen. Without contributions from injured teammates, Michael Ruzic’s time could be now.
One of the candidates to be named Best Young Player of the Season wants to put the cherry on top of his cake in Badalona at the beginning of May.