An Interview with Dušan Domović Bulut, Basketball Player

Hello Tose, my name is Dusan Bulut, and I am a professional 3X3 player, born and raised in Novi Sad, Serbia. I got caught up in the game at a really young age. At the age of 9, I started to play basketball, and at age 10, I started to play 3X3 tournaments. This was one of the things that Serbians did during the summer, and I fell in love with the game immediately.

When I was a teenager, at age 16-17, I already played enough 3X3 tournaments to earn some pocket money with my friends during the summer. During the winter, we went back and played 5×5 basketball.

Back in 2021, when FIBA organized the basketball 3X3 international tournaments, I gathered a team, and we went all in. Therefore, I stopped playing professional basketball and dreamed of becoming one of the best 3X3 players because I preferred the freedom and creativity this game gives you.

I don’t have an exact routine I practice, but instead, I do some kind of light meditation before a game. Therefore, my routine consists of just staying prepared all season, hitting the court daily, perfecting my technique, taking care of my body, and hitting the gym almost every day. To sum it up, I just dedicate myself to the craft, and that’s the best preparation for the game.

I like pressure. Therefore, I think that if you want anything good to happen in your life, you need to have pressure, just like diamonds, which are a chunk of coal that is made good under pressure. Also, nothing good ever happened while sitting on the beach and drinking coffee. When you advance, there is always going to be some kind of pressure. You just need to embrace it and play along.

I just practice a lot. Of course, I’m not perfect, and sometimes my mind is not prepared, or I get angry. However, I always try to shut down my emotions during the games. No matter what happens, I just continue and stick to the game plan and the things I know. Sticking to what I practiced during the training is how I try to be calm and relaxed during all kinds of situations.

I just have an enormous passion for the game, and even if I lose or win tomorrow, I’m back on the court the next day, trying to improve myself. Even when I lose, I look at it as a lesson. I don’t have a problem with the critics or not playing perfectly because sometimes it happens.

So, just keep going and give your best day after day!

I don’t look at the past or the future too much, so when you ask me what is the most important game in my career, I will always say the next one. This is because I want to live in the moment and embrace what’s in front of me.

The main difference between basketball and 3×3 players is the mental attitude. Even though it’s the same sport, it’s a totally different discipline. To better explain the difference between the two, I always mention Usain Bolt, one of the world’s best runners. He can probably do a long jump too, but he doesn’t want to since it’s a totally different technique and practice.

When it comes to the difference between an academy and a camp, an academy is supposed to be a more comprehensive way of learning. Therefore, an academy should take care of your mind and body and educate you in a proper way. However, people use the term “academy” just because it sounds good. When I organize something, I organize camps or training camps, which last 3 or 4 days. In those camps, we gather, practice together, and share our experiences and knowledge.

Basketball is my life. Therefore, a lot of values that I learn in the game I implement in my everyday life. Also, representing my country is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and it’s a major honor to have this moment in my professional carrier.

My personal opinion is that 3×3 basketball is never going to be bigger than 5×5 basketball. The reason for this is that 5×5 basketball is more complex, and it’s harder to play with a smaller hole. Therefore, 3×3 will always be a secondary sport to 5×5 basketball, and that’s my personal opinion, but we will see.

Just do it for the love of the game. There will always be ups and downs, and there will always be problems, not just in sports but in everyday life. But, if you have passion for things that you do, everything will fall into place, and it is going to be much easier for you.