Former Partizan basketball player Uroš Tripković reminisced about the legendary rivalry with Red Star during his time with the club, which was led by Duško Vujošević. His recollections vividly portray the intense atmosphere.

He revealed that the days leading up to a match with Red Star were akin to a siege, with immense pressure building up days before the game. “It was a war-like state! The tension was much higher back then. I remember, three or four days before the derby, everything starts to boil. Newspapers, statements, the atmosphere… And Dule would further ‘roast’ us at practice. On the day of the match, you feel like you’re going to war, not playing basketball,” Tripković recalled.

One derby in particular stood out to him, held in "Pionir," which he described as complete chaos. "Maybe the last derby I played, where we won the title, is my favorite. In June, the hall was packed! Crowds, smoke, humidity… I remember I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t attack or defend. When it was over, I just sat on the bench and cooled myself with a bottle of water," he recounted in the podcast "X&O’s Chat."

Tripković also fondly remembered his teammates from those golden years, including Tepa, Novica, and Pera Božić, describing the camaraderie and enjoyment he shared with them.