Serbia → Taiwan 塞爾維亞 → 臺灣

Luka Ivošević
From Serbia to Taiwan

I’m Luka Ivošević, also known as Luka Ivosevic, founder of Eastbound Hoops. I spent four years studying and playing university basketball in Taiwan, at Chinese Culture University in Taipei and Vanung University in Taoyuan.

SRB → TWNUniversity basketball · Education · First-hand experience
Luka Ivošević playing for Chinese Culture University

From Serbia to Taiwan 塞爾維亞 → 臺灣

I planned for the US.
I found Taiwan.

Taiwan was never part of my original plan. Looking back, going there was the best decision I made.

I wanted to study and play NCAA basketball in the United States. In 2020, COVID disrupted recruiting and travel, and I had to rethink the plan.

Then an opportunity came up in Taiwan. I had not expected to go there, but I decided to take it.

I played first at Chinese Culture University in Taipei, then at Vanung University in Taoyuan. Over four years, I studied Business Management, earned my degree and learned to live in a different language and culture.

I started Eastbound Hoops to help other players understand that kind of move. The people I met and the things I learned in Taiwan are part of how we work today.

NCAAMy original plan
2020A change of plan
4Years playing in Taiwan

From teammates to co-founders

We started
on the same team.

Luka and Che Yen met while studying and playing at Chinese Culture University in Taipei. Their shared experience is where Eastbound Hoops began.

CHE YEN Hsiung 熊哲言 wearing a Chinese Culture University basketball shirt
Photo: UBA / CTUSF · 2020–21 ↗

Co-founder · Taiwan

CHE YEN Hsiung

熊哲言

Che Yen is a Taiwanese basketball player and co-founder of Eastbound Hoops. He studied and played at Chinese Culture University in Taipei, where he graduated.

Luka and Che Yen played together there. They shared university life, training and games, and now bring that experience to their work at Eastbound Hoops.

Che Yen also played professional basketball in China. He brings experience of university basketball in Taiwan and professional club life in China, alongside Luka’s background in Serbia and Taiwan.

Co-founderChinese Culture University graduateProfessional basketball · China

A CHANGE OF PLAN · 轉折點

How I ended up
in Taiwan.

44.8125° N · BELGRADE 25.0330° N · TAIPEI
01 / The planUSA
NCAA

I wanted to study and play college basketball in the US.

02 / 2020COVID changed
the plan.

In 2020, recruiting and travel were disrupted.

03 / TaiwanTAIWAN
臺灣

I chose an opportunity in a country I had not considered before.

04 / What followed4 years.
Playing and studying.

I played at two universities and graduated in Business Management.

Editorial composition of Luka playing basketball in Taiwan with Taipei 101 in the background

Original photographs · Taiwan chapter · 臺灣篇

Two cities.
Two universities.
Four years.

中國文化大學TAIPEI→萬能科技大學TAOYUAN
02Universities
04Years in Taiwan
01Business degree

THE TAIWAN YEARS 臺灣四年

Where I
studied and played.

01 / 臺北 TAIPEI

中國文化大學

Chinese Culture University

This was my first team in Taiwan and my introduction to UBA university basketball.

02 / 桃園 TAOYUAN

萬能科技大學

Vanung University

I continued playing here and completed my Business Management degree.

03 / 四年 FOUR YEARS

獎助學金與大學生活

Studying on a scholarship

A scholarship helped me combine university studies with basketball.

What I learned 我的方式

Experience I
can share.

Playing abroad taught me what to ask about the team, the university and daily life before making a decision.

01

Living there

I spent four years training, studying and dealing with everyday life in Taiwan.

02

People I know

The relationships I built came from playing, studying and spending time with people there.

03

Understanding the team

A useful introduction starts with knowing what a team needs and whether the player fits that role.

04

Preparing for the move

I know how many questions come up for players and families, from training and classes to housing and arrival.

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