Skills on the court and in the arts put Vukovic in spotlight

With an athletic 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame and an enviable array of skills, Boris Vukovic can find any number of ways to affect a basketball game.

In Saint Francis School’s victory over Kalani for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II championship, for example, the Serbian-born Vukovic scored 13 points — including a pair of game-clinching free throws with 16.3 seconds left — and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Depending on the need, Vukovic can play anything from shooting guard to center, and can turn a game with his scoring, rebounding, passing or defense.

But his versatility isn’t limited to the hardwood.

Looking for a charismatic lead to play Jimmy Chitwood in a school production of “Hoosiers”? Need someone to take a stylized photograph of the school gym? In search of an incisive short story about a young athlete in love or a supple cinquain that captures the ambivalence of victory?

Vu-ko-vich! Vu-ko-­vich!

“I’ve always been drawn to the arts as a way of expressing my feelings and connecting with other people,” said Vukovic, who will be a senior this fall. “I like to put emotions out there and create an atmosphere through performing.”

Vukovic was born and raised in Belgrade and moved to Hawaii three years ago to pursue basketball opportunities. In addition to Saint Francis, Vukovic also plays for the H1 Thunder youth basketball club.

As a young child, Vukovic trained in karate and basketball, eventually focusing on basketball in hopes of following the footsteps of his idol, Kobe Bryant.

But Vukovic said he was equally drawn to performing arts and literature. For him the seemingly incongruous realms of sport and art have much in common.

“I like the mental preparation,” he said. “I like getting into your own area, your own world, and just enjoying the moment.”

Thus, in the same way that Vukovic admired the obsessive focus and discipline that propelled Bryant to five NBA championships, so too does he admire the physical and psychological boundaries his favorite actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, pushed to achieve his performances in films like “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Revenant.”

Vukovic’s creativity flows in myriad channels. He enjoys writing short stories and poetry, allowing his ideas to flow freely onto the page before he attempts to impose organization. As a reader, he enjoys the work of Stephen King but said he is more likely to write romance than horror.

After taking a class in photojournalism last year, he’s also developed a love of photography, favoring landscapes both natural and urban.

Vukovic hopes to attend college after he graduates next year, but money is an issue and financial aid can be difficult to obtain for international students.

“I want to go to college,” he says. “And I definitely want to continue studying the arts.”

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.