Marko Kešelj (Serbian Cyrillic: Марко Кешељ, born 2 January 1988) is a Serbian politician and retired professional basketball player serving as the state secretary in the Ministry of Sports since 4 November 2022.[1] He previously served as a member of the National Assembly from 1 August 2022 until his resignation on 10 November 2022.[2]
However, Kešelj could not establish himself in the squad and got very little playing time. In the summer of 2007, he transferred to the German League to the Köln 99ers, which were led by another Serbian coach, Saša Obradović. Following a so-so season, Obradović left to coach Kyiv, and Kešelj also started looking for a transfer.
Upon rumors that Pešić, his mentor from his Girona days, might be taking over Crvena 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 the Greek League club Olympiacos.[4] With Olympiacos, he won the EuroLeague and Greek League championships in 2012.[5]
On 14 August 2012 Kešelj signed one-year contract with Valencia.[6] On 5 February 2013 he left Valencia and signed with Le Mans Sarthe Basket for the rest of the season.[7] On 8 August 2013 he signed a one-year contract with ASVEL Basket.[8]
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]
In August 2020, Kešelj was appointed as a presidency member of Crvena zvezda in charge of the sport issues.[16] He was re-elected for 5-year term on 27 December 2021.[17][18] Following the resignation of Predrag Danilović as the president of the Basketball Federation of Serbia (KSS), Sport Klub mentioned Kešelj as one of the main contenders for the position.[19]