A s is the case with many Serbians, Boban Marjanovic reveres Novak Djokovic.

So much so that the Spurs’ gargantuan 7-foot-3 center has in his iPhone a shot of himself and the tennis great together at a basketball game in Europe. It’s a prized possession he proudly shared with a recent visitor to the Spurs’ locker room at the AT&T Center.

“Everybody loves him,” Marjanovic said of Djokovic. “He’s a very nice person.”

The same is true of Marjanovic, whose greeting always includes a handshake and a smile. But a pleasing public demeanor isn’t the only trait he shares with the 10-time Grand Slam champion.

Like “The Joker,” who is famous for his dedication to his craft and legendary training regimen, Marjanovic tirelessly works to improve his game.

“He’s very, very Yugoslavian in that sense,” Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina said of Marjanovic, 27. “He’s very focused at practice. He has no problem coming to the gym. He absorbs a lot.”

Marjanovic’s devotion to his craft and gentle giant demeanor combine to make him a fan favorite at the AT&T Center, the epicenter of Boban-mania. Cheers break out when he enters the game, which, with just a few exceptions, typically occurs after the Spurs have sewn up yet another victory.

But no matter when he plays, the applause pleases the player his teammates affectionately call “Bobby.”

“They say something about me,” he said of the fans, “and it makes me really feel nice when I come onto the court. I am enjoying it.”

It’s also a treat for Marjanovic to meet fans away from the arena.

“There are a lot of people who come up to me out of the gym,” he said. “They know who I am and they take picture with me. It feels really nice.”

While fans in San Antonio have warmly embraced him, he’s often viewed on the road as a curiosity piece.

“Who is that monster?” a Kings employee asked a visitor from San Antonio at a game in Sacramento. “Where did he come from?”

In Denver, a Nuggets reporter eyeballed him from head to toe in the visitor’s locker room at the Pepsi Center before asking a newspaperman from San Antonio, “Who is that guy?”

Indeed, Marjanovic seems to be endlessly fascinating to many fans and NBA observers, and it all begins with his looks. Unlike many 7-plus footers, he’s neither rail thin (think Shawn Bradley or Manute Bol) or overweight (think Dwayne Schintzius or an aging Shaquille O’Neal). Instead, Marjanovic has an impressive, chiseled 290-pound build, giving him a true giant-like appearance.

Nicknamed “The Bobinator” in Serbia, Marjanovic has enormous feet — size 19 shoe — and hands. His standing reach of 9-7 eclipses those of Yao Ming, Wilt Chamberlain and O’Neal, and his 7-8 wingspan would have placed him third in the NBA last season behind Utah’s Rudy Gobert and New Orleans’ Alexis Ajinca.

The second tallest player in Spurs history, Marjanovic is shorter than only the 7-foot-5 Chuck Nevitt, who played just one minute with the club in 1993-94.

Marjanovic is so tall that members of the Spurs’ developmental squad that work with him have to hold up oars to simulate shot blockers.

“He could put his hand all the way down, and it’s still a high-five,” said Spurs point guard Patty Mills, who stands 6-foot.

“He’d be an exquisite Bond villain,” one observer wrote on Twitter, evoking images of menacing Richard Kiel, the late 7-2 actor who played “Jaws,” the James Bond villain with teeth of steel in “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker.”

One media wag likened Marjanovic to the circus strongman who can straighten out a horseshoe with his bare hands. There’s also been speculation about how much he could bench press or what position he would play for an NFL team.

One reporter made the mistake of greeting Marjanvoic with a firm handshake. Marjanovic returned the grip in kind, leaving the scribe to scribble notes and type with a throbbing hand.

Occupying space

Before each game, Marjanovic performs stretching exercises inside the locker room. When he sprawls out on the floor, he resembles one of those huge bear skin rugs found in rustic ski lodges.

But for many Spurs fans, their fascination with Marjanovic centers more on his potential than his physical attributes. They view him as a diamond in the rough, someone Gregg Popovich can develop into a solid contributor along the lines of, say, a Tiago Splitter.

Combine that belief with his earnestness and it’s easy to see why fans love him.

“You can just tell by the way he plays, the way he tries, that he’s got a lot of heart,” said Spurs fan Bo McDermott, 45. “It just seems like he wants to fit in so badly, that he wants to help the team any way he can.”

And in an attempt to further explain Marjanovic’s appeal, McDermott adds, “being 7-foot-3 doesn’t hurt. There’s an intimidation factor with him.”

“My personal opinion,” said Lee Tompkins, 66, “is he’s just another part of that chemistry Gregg Popovich has put together in terms of bringing in very talented foreign athletes.

“There’s a lot of talent over in Europe,” Tompkins added, “and Pop really knows how to capitalize on that. You are seeing a lot more teams going in that direction because of what Popovich has done. I would love to see Marjanovic get more minutes.”

Tompkins’ wish came true Nov. 27 on a snowy night in Denver. With Tim Duncan left at home to rest, Popovich gave Marjanovic his first NBA start.

Logging just six minutes in the first period before occupying his usual spot on the bench the rest of the game, Marjanovic scored two points on a pair of free throws and pulled down four rebounds, including two on the offensive end. He also earned an assist with a nifty inside dish to LaMarcus Aldridge.

“I thought he did a good job,” Popovich said.

Point guard Tony Parker, who barked at Marjanovic early in the game in an attempt to get him positioned quickly on the offensive end, agreed.

“It was his first start and he’s still trying to learn the system,” Parker said. “It is a lot of stuff going at him at once. He is going to improve. He is going to get better. The talent is there, but it’s going to take a little time.”

Afterward, before he replenished himself with a warm bowl of soup in the locker room that seemed thimble-sized as he cupped it in his enormous hand, Marjanovic said he was just happy to contribute.

“It was nice to help my teammates,” he said. “I do what they want me to do. I am team player.”

But make no mistake. The ever-patient Popovich is in no hurry to push Marjanovic into the regular rotation. In the hopes of furthering his development, Marjanovic recently received an assignment to the club’s NBA Development League team in Austin.

When news broke of the assignment, fans rushed to social media to express their anxiety about the move.

“Not Boban!!!!!!” one fan wrote on Twitter.

“My hubby is sad bc Boban is off to the d league,” wrote another.

None of that, of course, mattered to Popovich.

“He just needs playing time,” the coach said. “He needs to play and get used to the league and not just sit there and watch us play. So that’s the main thing, just play.”

At a start of a whirlwind four-game stretch for Marjanovic that saw him post impressive numbers both in the minors and the NBA, he tallied 16 points on 7 of 11 in his Austin debut Dec. 4. He also contributed nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in a 102-94 loss to the Westchester Knicks. On the negative side, he committed a game-high seven turnovers.

One night later, he scored 34 points on 16-of-18 shooting and added 12 rebounds in Austin’s 137-132 victory over Reno. That game included a one-handed slam by Marjanovic that shook loose the rim, forcing a delay and giving him a Paul Bunyonesque moment.

The Spurs recalled him the next day for their trip to Philadelphia and he responded on Dec. 7 with a career night against the hapless 76ers, scoring 18 points on 8 of 10 after entering the game midway through the third period.

That contest included a put-back dunk that drew a foul and triggered a joyous eruption from the Spurs bench and even the notoriously jaded Philadelphia fans, so much so that the game operations crew replayed the dunk on the scoreboard’s big screen.

“I feel like home, even thought we changed cities,” said Marjanovic, who also drew cheers when he buried a 21-footer to beat the shot clock with 20.3 seconds left in the Spurs’ 119-68 plastering of the worst team in the NBA.

Afterward, Marjanovic was at literally at a loss to describe what the game meant to him, “I don’t have words in English.”

One thing was certain, he learned the equipment used in the NBA is much sturdier than that used in the D-League.

“They are better rims here,” Marjanovic said

Despite the star-turn in Philly, Marjanovic is likely to see more time in Austin.

“He’s a young guy,” Popovich said of Marjanovic who as of Dec. 7 had appeared in just 10 games for the Spurs before going to Austin, averaging 3.8 minutes.

“He just has to develop his complete game — everything. But that’s hard to do when you don’t get any minutes. So his development is basically before practice, after practice, during practice as far as working on his shot, moving around the basket, that sort of thing.

“But beyond that there is not much that is going to make him improve other than playing time, and he’s not getting that.”

That’s where Marjanovic’s work ethic comes in, Popovich’s top lieutenant said.

“The Serbian (style) is very, very dedicated to hard work through a lot of practice,” Messina said. “They really make a point of emphasizing individual preparation, not only team preparation, working individually on your game.

“So he is into it. He has had good coaches, people who taught him to be demanding with himself.”

Fans aren’t the only ones yearning to see him develop. Teammates feel the “buzz” at the AT&T Center when he trots toward the scorer’s table.

“Definitely,” Mills said. “I’m amongst that buzz, along with everyone else on the bench. It’s great. He’s going to be valuable to us as the season goes on.”

Mills knows what it’s like to be a project player in the Spurs organization. But after a few seasons of being best known for waving a towel from the bench in support of his teammates, Mills is now a key contributor backing up Parker.

The Australian believes his is a path Marjanovic can follow.

“He is in a great spot to develop,” Mills said. “Obviously, it’s a different style of game than what he is probably used to. But to come here and be in an environment where he can develop, he’s going to be huge. He’s obviously the type of person that welcomes that as well and wants to get better. And he’s a tremendously hard worker, whether it’s in the weight room or on the court, he’s got a high work ethic.”

But Mills said there’s more to Marjanovic than his willingness to sweat.

“He has a great knack for understanding the game, really soft hands, good touches, good offense,” Mills said. “So it’s kind of exciting to think of what he is already now and how good he can get.”

Fortunately for Marjanovic he has great role models, including Tim Duncan, whose tutorials the big man cherishes.

“I cannot explain the feeling I have when he does this for me,” Marjanovic said. “Big player, huge name, one of the best players in the world is explaining something, giving me some advice? Every time, I listen very carefully and try to do what he says because I know how he does it and this is the best for me, too.

“I am really happy for that because I would like to help this team as much as I can and learn as much as I can from this great All-Star.”

Popular teammate

While it will take time for Marjanovic to develop, he’s already a comfortable fit in the locker room.

“He’s a great guy,” Popovich said. “He’s already engendered the love of his teammates. They respect him. He’s got a great way about him. He does have a good sense of humor. He’s a good guy. He fits in well.”

What’s not to like about a 7-3 Serbian who raps?

Yes, that’s right: Boban can bust a rhyme.

“He loves to sing. He loves to rap,” Mills said. “That’s my little inside scoop on him.”

Rap? Boban? Really?

“Yeah … and with a Serbian accent, which makes it even better,” Mills said. “In English … I think it’s English.”

Spurs forward Kyle Anderson said he’s heard Marjanovic try his hand at some “Big Rings” by Drake and Future.

“He raps that hilariously,” Anderson said.

Marjanovic said he gravitated toward rap because “a lot of people around me listen to it on the radio, so I like the same.” Beyond that, he said he just enjoys singing because it makes him feel good.

“But my singing, it’s not so good, I think,” he said with a smile, politely apologizing once again for his heavily accented English.

But whether Marjanovic can hold a tune is irrelevant. The point is, the big man is a hit with his teammates.

“He’s a really, really genuine nice guy,” Mills said. “He loves to crack a joke all the time. Some are really funny, some you got to laugh at to make him feel good.”

Nobody laughed at Marjanovic during his days as a European star.

“Before the Celtics game (Nov. 1),” Spurs TV analyst Sean Elliott said, “I was talking to (Boston power forward) Jared Sullinger and he said one of this friends called him from Europe and said, ‘Don’t sleep on Boban. He’s really good. You got to be ready to play against him.’

“A lot of people think we brought this 7-3 guy in to fill a roster spot, but he’s very, very capable.”

Late to basketball

Although he began playing pro basketball in Europe as a teenager, Marjanovic didn’t embrace the sport until he was 12 and standing 6-2. At the time, he was a resident of Boljevac, a Serbian town of 5,000 in the eastern portion of the country.

“I just wanted to be close to my friends,” said Marjanovic, who also enjoyed volleyball as a youth. “I played (basketball) for a while and thought, ‘This is really fun.’”

When he wasn’t on the court, young Boban enjoyed watching NBA games featuring Michael Jordan and fellow Serb Vlade Divac.

“You would dream, ‘What would it be like to play with this guy?’” Marjanovic said.

After a four-season stint with a team in the Serbian B League, in Boljevac, Marjanovic split time playing in Lithuania and Moscow before joining Red Star Belgrade, where he starred in the Adriatic League as its top center last season and set a single-season record for rebounds.

After averaging 13.1 points and 8.6 boards, NBA teams and other European clubs called. He spurned richer offers in Europe to sign a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Spurs, who were impressed by his nimbleness.

“This is my childhood dream,” Marjanovic said.

While in Europe, Marjanovic also impressed with his selfless decision to play for Red Star in the 2015 Serbian championship series despite being plagued by a broken foot, a decision that could have jeopardized his NBA future.

Fortunately for Marjanovic, he didn’t incur further damage while helping Red Star demolish arch rival Partizan to win its first title since 1997-98.

“Marjanovic wasn’t even at 50 percent during the finals,” Red Star associate head coach Borko Radovic told European reporter David Pick. “He was running around on one leg with a broken foot, but he was willing to come off the bench to help the team win. He insisted on playing, and we admire him because he risked signing in the NBA for the team.”

Spurs fans got their first up-close glimpse of Marjanovic at a preseason game against Detroit. He immediately won them over with two dunks, five rebounds, two blocks and a hustling dive to save a loose ball, all in just eight minutes

Pleased with his effort, fans showered him with applause.

“I try to play hard and smart,” Marjanovic said. “I really like it when the first time I touch the ball: Dunk! I put the ball in the rim and really like how people react: ‘Ooh.’ They give me wind to my back and really help me to warm up for rest of the game.”

On game days, Marjanovic arrives at the arena early to work on his low-post moves. Fans clamor for his autograph when he leaves the court to head to the locker room. Some stay behind to discuss his dedication to getting better.

“He has worked his butt off to get where he is,” said a member of Marjanovic’s inner circle who declined to be identified. “This hasn’t just happened with him.”

In that sense, Marjanvoic and Djokovic are more than just countrymen. They’re kindred spirits.

torsborn@express-news.net

Twitter: @tom_orsborn

Express-News staff writers Jeff McDonald, Mike Monroe and Jabari Young contributed to this story.