When I started playing organized basketball as a 9-year-old, I never thought it would take me so far away from my hometown of Belgrade, Serbia.

Actually, the original reason I began was that I wanted to be better when playing with my classmates in front of school. I started improving, and when I was 18, I started receiving scholarship offers from many colleges.

Until that point, I had never once in my life thought about coming to the United States to study and play basketball. Yet now, I am a few weeks away from graduating from UCLA.

It feels amazing to be here, and I am very grateful for every opportunity that I have received. First of all, I have to thank coach Larry Krystkowiak for recruiting me to the University of Utah and making a college experience in the US a reality for me.

However, there was a coaching change at the school, and I never got to play for him. I was lucky enough that the coach who arrived, coach Craig Smith, was willing to give me an opportunity, so I still decided to go to Salt Lake City.

I spent two amazing years there, and I absolutely enjoyed every minute, but I was ready for change after my sophomore season.

This is why I decided to commit to UCLA. I am very grateful to coach Mick Cronin and the rest of the staff for giving me an opportunity to represent the best college basketball program in history.

My time here has been incredible, and it is hard to put into words some of the things I experienced – the love and support that I received from the fans in Westwood has been nothing short of amazing, and it is something that will stay with me forever.

People at this school care a lot about the basketball program and the players representing it, and I was fortunate enough to feel that firsthand. I’ve met so many wonderful people here and built many connections that I truly believe will last well beyond my time here.

I will never forget the feeling after beating USC on the road for two straight years and beating them again at home in Pauley Pavilion on my senior night.

In addition to that, this past season, I played in the March Madness tournament, which was my goal ever since coming to college.

Off the court, my family was able to come and visit me here in Westwood, which was their first time in the US. When they first arrived and took some time to explore the area, they simply told me, “You are so lucky to be here.” I am so happy that they got the opportunity to see where I live and how I spend my days, and I am very glad that they met all the amazing people who are close to me and who have been constantly supporting me.

Another memorable event that happened while my parents were here was that they were present at the game when I scored my 1000th college basketball point, and they also supported me in the game at an NBA arena, the Intuit Dome, that we won against Gonzaga.

My family is extremely important to me, and I am thankful they were able to be a part of some of my experiences at UCLA. It is hard to believe that my time as a student-athlete is coming to an end, as it seems like yesterday I was a 19-year-old kid flying from Serbia to the US for the first time, looking for new opportunities.

I want to thank everybody who was there for me and who supported me throughout this whole process. There are no words to describe the feeling of gratefulness and love that I have for this community for accepting me so well and giving me the opportunity to wear the UCLA jersey and represent the university. Thank you, and go Bruins!

Lazar Stefanović

Stefanović played for UCLA men’s basketball from 2023-2025.