Nikola Kusturica of Serbia looks on during the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup final match between the United States and Serbia at BDC Main Venue in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 5, 2026. (Photo by Yagiz Gurtug/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images Nikola Jokic. Nikola Jovic. Nikola Topic. And now… Nikola Kusturica. There is clearly something about the name Nikola when it comes to Serbian basketball and the United States. The latest Nikola to arrive on the American basketball scene is 17-year-old Kusturica, but his path will look different from those who came before him. He is not coming to the United States after a professional career in Europe with the NBA as the immediate destination. Instead, Kusturica is taking advantage of the new NIL era, choosing college basketball as the next step in what has already been a remarkable rise. And he has landed at UCLA. The Bruins won the race for one of Europe’s most intriguing young prospects, giving head coach Mick Cronin a player who could become one of the program’s most important pieces over the next two seasons. Kusturica’s name has already started to travel well beyond Serbia and Europe. His performance at this summer’s FIBA U17 World Cup only accelerated the attention. In the championship game, Kusturica faced off against another elite prospect, Duke big man Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, who ultimately helped the United States capture the gold medal. But the matchup also offered a glimpse into a potential college rivalry down the road: Boumtje at Duke, Kusturica at UCLA. Two blue-blood programs. Two highly touted young players. And potentially plenty of battles still to come. For Kusturica, this is the latest chapter of a rise that has happened remarkably quickly. The 17-year-old small forward comes from Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city – a place that has produced plenty of basketball talent, including Darko Milicic, the No. 2 overall pick in the legendary 2003 NBA Draft, ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and others. Just two years ago, Kusturica was still establishing himself. Last year, he won a gold medal with Serbia at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket and spent time in Barcelona’s youth system. This summer, he took another step. On the biggest stage available to a player his age, he showed why some of the biggest college programs in the country were willing to compete for his commitment. But to understand how Kusturica got here, it is worth going back to the beginning. Filip Jokic knows exactly what Kusturica looked like before the hype. The Serbian coach worked with him for three years at BC Defense in Novi Sad, when Kusturica was just 12 years old. Jokic recognized almost immediately that he was dealing with a different kind of talent. He also has some experience identifying high-level prospects. Among the players he has worked with is Topic, who was selected No. 12 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. “From the very beginning, it was clear that Kusturica had more talent and more confidence than the other kids,” Jokic said to SB Nation. That confidence was not simply rewarded with more responsibility. Instead, Kusturica was challenged. “We immediately decided to move him up and have him work with players who were one and two years older, even though he was only 12 at the time. We wanted to see how he would respond.” Against players one year older, Kusturica eventually found his footing. The next challenge was considerably harder. “Things were different with the group that was two years older than him. Physically, that team was stronger, and at that age, a two-year difference is significant.” That was when Kusturica had to learn something that would become crucial to his development: he could not always be the star. “We decided to put him in a secondary role rather than making him the dominant player. He had to learn how to move without the ball and how to defend from the help side.” It was not an easy transition. Kusturica was suddenly playing alongside bigger, stronger players who were not going to hand him the ball simply because he was talented. But that was the point. “At first, he couldn’t earn a bigger role because the players around him were physically much stronger. But over time, through his talent and hard work, he worked his way into the starting five.” That experience helped shape the player UCLA is getting today. Kusturica learned that being a good basketball player was not simply about having the ball in his hands. Sometimes it meant cutting. Sometimes defending. Sometimes spacing the floor. Sometimes accepting a smaller role and finding another way to impact the game. Eventually, those lessons made him a more complete player. And when the ball finally did come his way in the biggest moments, he was ready for it. Jokic believes that mentality is one of the biggest reasons Kusturica has developed so quickly. “His passion and desire to win set him apart. You can see it in him. It doesn’t matter who he is playing against, what the drill is, whether it’s a shooting competition, one-on-one, whether he is facing a favorite or an underdog… He wants to beat everyone as convincingly as possible and score as many points as he can.” There is a word Jokic keeps coming back to. Fire. “He has that fire in his eyes. He does everything at 100 percent. He never took his foot off the gas. He was always outside his comfort zone.” And then there are the physical tools. “His height and wingspan were huge factors in his rise.” Put all of that together, and you begin to understand why UCLA was willing to make Kusturica such a priority. By the time Kusturica became a legitimate recruiting target in the United States, UCLA was far from the only program interested. The Bruins simply did the best job of convincing him that Westwood was the right place for the next stage of his development. One of the people at the center of that process was Nemanja Jovanovic Jogi, UCLA’s offensive coordinator and international recruiting specialist. “I started following Kusturica more closely last year. Before that, I knew about him through my relationship with his Serbian agent, Bojan Sormaz. We talked about staying in touch if Nikola decided to go to college.” The opportunity came sooner than expected. “Around April, the idea came up. Nikola was finishing high school early, so we entered the recruiting process this year rather than next year, as originally planned.” Suddenly, UCLA had a chance to land one of the most intriguing young players in European basketball. The Bruins made their pitch from multiple angles. Academics. Basketball. Development. Culture. And perhaps most importantly for Kusturica, familiarity. “We presented him with a package that covered both the academic and athletic sides, together with our head coach, Mick Cronin.” There was another element that mattered. Community. “It was also important for him to be surrounded by people from the Balkans and to have a good situation within the team.” Kusturica will not be entering UCLA completely on his own. Filip Jovic and Sergej Macura are already there and speak the same language. Los Angeles also has a large Serbian community, giving the teenager a familiar environment thousands of miles from home. Ultimately, though, the basketball vision was the biggest piece. “His decision was a mix of all those factors. He trusts Mick Cronin and his work over the next two years, with the idea of developing into a top pick in the 2028 NBA Draft, as well as having the opportunity to win a championship with UCLA.” That vision is important. Kusturica is not simply coming to UCLA to play college basketball, he is coming with a plan. The $12 million question There was one part of Kusturica’s recruitment that generated significant attention in the United States: the reported size of his NIL deal. Multiple reports claimed that Kusturica would earn $12 million over two years at UCLA – essentially $6 million per season. According to Jovanovic, that number is simply not accurate. “The figure being reported came from universities that lost the battle for Nikola and then had to explain to their fan bases that this was what it cost them.” The real story, Jovanovic says, was much more about basketball than a headline number. “Nikola’s vision for how he can develop into an NBA player at UCLA was important, as were all the other factors we mentioned. The opportunity at his position was also important. He wanted to be a starter from the beginning.” For a 17-year-old prospect thinking about his NBA future, that matters. Kusturica was not looking simply for the biggest offer. He was looking for the best situation. And he believes he found it at UCLA. The physical tools are obvious, but Jovanovic believes the most important part may be what cannot be measured. “He has a very high level of athleticism and mobility. Physically, he is impressive. On top of that, you have his approach as an incredible worker and winner.” That combination has already produced results. Jovanovic points to Kusturica’s performances with the Serbian national team and Barcelona, where he consistently stepped up when the stakes were highest. “He played at the highest level when it mattered most, winning medals and titles.” For UCLA, that may be the most exciting part. Kusturica is not arriving as a raw prospect with nothing but potential. He has already played meaningful basketball. He has already competed for championships. He has already learned what it takes to sacrifice a role for the benefit of a team. Now he gets to test those lessons against college basketball. And, according to Jovanovic, the transition has already gone smoothly. Three Weeks In Kusturica’s first impression at UCLA has been overwhelmingly positive. “The first three weeks have gone extremely well. Nikola has adapted very well to the transition from the European system to college basketball.” Jovanovic also believes Kusturica is in the right hands. Cronin has already established himself as one of college basketball’s most accomplished coaches, and his experience developing winning teams should give Kusturica the structure he needs. “Cronin is the youngest coach to reach 500 wins in college basketball, and he knows how to develop winners and how to work with them. There won’t be any problems in that system. That symbiosis is going to be very good”, Jovanovic concluded to SB Nation. It is difficult to know exactly what Kusturica will look like two years from now. Prospects change, bodies develop, roles evolve. College basketball is unpredictable, but the foundation is already there. A teenager from Novi Sad who learned to compete against older players. A prospect who went from a secondary role to becoming the player trusted with the ball in the biggest moments. A Serbian international who has already won medals. A Barcelona-developed talent now entering one of the most recognizable programs in college basketball. And now, UCLA. The Bruins won the recruiting battle. Optimism is high in Westwood this season, with UCLA considered the 18th most likely team to win the men’s national championship by the FanDuel odds. Kusturica, meanwhile, appears to have found the environment he believes can take him to the next level. His development has been gradual, but his rise has been anything but slow. The next step will be played out in Westwood. Kusturica is now ready to put himself at the service of a UCLA program built around the very thing that has driven him since the earliest days of his basketball journey. Winning. And nothing but winning.