By catching or throwing the ball, a man gets transformed, becomes different, lighter and nicer, exceeds his own powers and gets closer to the state of weightlessness and a flight up high, to a triumph of his body and at the same time, to a victory over it.
– Ivo Andric
1924 – Belgrade Seminar Participants
1940 – The Team of Matica at the Championship in Borovo
From Willand to Liberation
The October of 1923, when William Willand, the US Red Cross (Salvation Army) Envoy came to Belgrade, is considered to be the first encounter of Serbia with basketball. In addition to other American sports of that time, basketball was also demonstrated to the attendees of the seminar, mainly scholars, teachers of physical education and members of the SOKO (Society of Gymnastics and Sports). Supported and assisted by the SOKO Association, during his two-month visit, Willand held seminars attended by a lot of curious people who wanted to get acquainted with this game, completely unfamiliar to them. Before leaving, Willand left behind all basketball equipment, hoops and balls. The equipment was installed in the school yard of the Belgrade Second Men’s High School that was located in the place where the building of a daily newspaper Politika stays today. The students continued to play basketball.
At the beginning of 1930s, due to the openness of the SOKO Association for team sports, as well as a desire of the state to promote sports through the schools, basketball got a new impetus. Almost all basketball activities in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia of that time were carried out by the SOKOL Association, whereas its members tirelessly worked on the elaboration of basketball rules and improvement of the playing and training conditions. The new sport finally got its generally adopted name “kosarka” (basketball).
The national championship, so called “Svesokolski slet”, organized in Borovo in 1940, undoubtedly represented a crown of basketball competitions before World War II. A total of 170 men and women players took part, divided in a four age category groups. Belgrade “Matica” Women’s Team won the title after winning the game with a bizarre 2:0 score, due to adverse weather conditions. The only points were scored by Ruzica Radovanovic.
The greatest credit for the development and improvement of basketball in Belgrade before World War II goes to Zdenko Pavic, Head of the SOKO department for competitive games, and his wife Vera, who promoted basketball both through the SOKO and the schools’ sport. In addition to establishing the SOKO basketball team, he was one of the main organizers of the secondary schools’ basketball tournaments in Belgrade by the end of ‘30s in the last century. He also translated the basketball rules and worked at the construction of basketball courts and basket supports and backboards.
The first basketball clubs were established as sections within football clubs just before the outbreak of World War II. However, a considerable increase in the founding of clubs took place right after the occupation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in spring 1941. The first ones were Matica, Omladinac, Sask, Izbeglice, SK 1913, followed by BASK, BSK, MITIC, OBILIC, BTK, BOB. The players were former members of SOKO and students (M. Stefanovic, N. Popovic, I Dimic, Sokolovic, S. Saper, B. Aksentijevic…) as well as a group of refugees, top basketball players, who had to flee to Belgrade from the war (Neferovic, Tesin, Putnik, Ronac, Madjeruh…) During the occupation, basketball in Belgrade was played on Tasmajdan and Kalemegdan, as well as on the courts of SK 1913 and Topcidersko brdo (Topcider Hill – now stadium of the football club Crvena Zvezda). The Belgrade Championship was organized in September 1941 and the Serbian Association of Basketball and Volleyball was established in the spring of 1942. In less than a year, the Association had 23 member clubs, whereas the basketball and volleyball games of that period had around 15.000 spectators. The President of the Association was Svetislav Bata Bulovic, a participant of Mr. Willand’s Seminar in 1923.
Period from 1945 – 1959
It was even in 1945 that our basketball players had their first international appearances. The men’s and women’s selected teams representing Belgrade played against their counterparts from the city of Sofia. The Basketball Championship of the Republics was organized in Subotica and the title was won by the team of the Yugoslav Army.
A lot of work was done, primarily at the promotion and expansion of basketball. The tournament of the cities was staged in Rijeka. It was in 1947 European Championship in Prague that our national team for the first time participated in an European basketball championship.
Crvena Zvezda dominated the national championships in both men’s and women’s competitions. Nebojsa Popovic, as a coach, won even 17 national titles.
Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia was founded by the end of 1948. The magazine “Kosarka” (Basketball) was launched for the first time. After the qualifying tournament in Nice, we participated at the 1st World Championship in Buenos Aires in 1950.
Danilo Knezevic, a long-time President of KSJ (Kosarkaski savez Jugoslavije – Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia) opened the 1954 European Championship for Women at Belgrade’s Tasmajdan. The organizers proved that we were capable of organizing the major basketball events at the top level.
Aleksandar Nikolic took over the position of the national team head coach from Nebojsa Popovic and started to create a team for high achievements. The Future world-class stars were born by the end of 1950s, above all Radivoj Korac, and then Nemanja Djuric, Slobodan Gordic, Ivo Daneu, Josip Djerdja… We won the 1959 Mediterranean Games in Beirut and were placed sixth in the final standings of the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
It was the time for Radomir Saper and Borislav Stankovic to take an active part in the work of the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia.
Vilmos Loci (Partizan, Proleter) was a first player registered to have one hundred games played in the national team jersey. Demsar, Gec, Sokolovic, Popovic, Roklicer, Kalember and Marjanovic were gaining experience with the national team and passing it over to their clubs’ teammates … Basketball moved forward strongly in all of its segments and attained popularity all across the territory of Yugoslavia.
1947 – European Championship in Prague
1948 – Men’s and Women’s National Team at the Balkan Championship
1950 – World Championship in Argentina
1959 – First Gold Medal – Mediterranean Games in Beirut
1960 – Olympic game in Rome
1961 – The first medal, European Championship in Belgrade
1968 – Olympic silver, Mexico
Period from 1961 – 1968
The sixties of the 20th century were marked with success and medals. 6 silver and 1 bronze medal were won at the European and World Championships and the Olympic Games. The only gold in this period was won at the unofficial World Championship in Chile, in 1966. A chain of medals would be completed with the European Championship silver medal won by the Women’s National Team in Italy, in 1968.
The 1961 European Championship held in Belgrade in front of the crowded stands of the Belgrade Fair adapted for the occasion opened a new chapter in the history of our basketball. The silver medal would prove to be just the beginning in a series of medals to be won in the decades to come. In the final game, we strongly opposed until that time dominant Soviet Union and Radivoj Korac was pronounced the best scorer of the championship.
In 1967, Ranko Zeravica took the position at the helm of the national team replacing Aleksandar Nikolic. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, led by Korac, with assistance of Daneu, Cermak, Trajko Rajkovic, Raznatovic, and the golden free-throws scored by Cvetkovic against the Soviet Union in the semi-final game, we advanced to our first Olympic finals.
The silver medal won at the 1969 European Championship turned a new page in the basketball history. The golden era of our national team was to follow.
Period from 1970 – 1980
The 5th World Championship held in Ljubljana in 1970 was a climax of one generation that greatly contributed to the popularity of basketball throughout the country. The heroes of our sleepless nights, when we had impatiently waited for live TV broadcasts of the games from distant America and had been delighted with their wonderful performance and success, converted their silver medals into one – gold – into the title of WORLD CHAMPIONS.
Daneu, Cosic, Trajko Rajkovic, Cermak, Plecas, Simonovic, Kapicic and their teammates, magnificently led by Ranko Zeravica, also played for Radivoj Korac, the best scorer of the national team, who had been killed in a car accident a year before.
In the Radivoj Korac’s Cup, the European Club competition established in the honor of Korac, the final game was played between Lokomotiva and Beograd. Crvena Zvezda won the European Cup of Cups, whereas Radnicki, led by Raznatovic, Marovic, Jaric, Ivkovic and Damjanovic reached the semi-finals of the Cup of Champions.
The 1973 European Championship in Barcelona turned another golden page of our basketball. Kicanovic, Slavnic, Dalipagic… Cosic, Jelovac, Tvrdic, Plecas, Jerkov, Solman, Marovic, Ivkovic and Knezevic won the first European gold in a dominating fashion. They won 7 of the 7 games played, prevailing against the host country Spain in the final game which ended with a 78:67 in favor of our team.
The 1975 European Championship held in Belgrade proved the domination of the Blues. The city of Belgrade as a host once again showed to Europe its brilliant face. The team mainly included the players who had already played in Barcelona to win the gold with assistance of newly acquired future stars of basketball Mirza Delibasic and Rajko Zizic. Mirko Novosel led the blues to the second gold in the game against the Soviet Union that ended 90:84 with a decider scored by Dragan Kicanovic in the final moments of the game.
Professor Aleksandars Nikolic triumphantly returned to the national team helm by winning the third gold medal in a row at the 1977 European Championship in Liege. The famous “volleyball” played between Kicanovic and Slavnic would become an almost mandatory highlight replayed over and over again in all TV sport programs for a whole decade.
The World Championship in Manila again proved the domination of the GOLDEN BOYS OF THE YUGOSLAV BASKETBALL. Led by Kicanovic and Dalipagic (announced the best scorer of the World Championship), the title of the WORLD CHAMPIONS was won again after 8 years.
At the same time, the clubs’ basketball also achieved fantastic results. Partizan won three Radivoj Korac’s Cups, Bosna was a Champion of Europe, Crvena Zvezda Women’s Team led by Pekic, Djurkovic, Mitic also won the title of European Champions. The women’s national teams also won medals in this period. Silver at the European Championship in Poznan in 1978 and bronze at the 1980 European Championship in Banja Luka. By 1980, at the European Championships, the Junior and Cadet national teams won a total of 12 medals of which 5 were gold.
The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow would experience the crowning of one magnificent generation… from 1973 to 1980, the men’s national team captured five gold medals, of which three were European, one World and one Olympic gold. At the same time, the women’s national team won bronze in their first appearance at the Olympic Games ever.
1970 – World Championship in Ljubljana
1973 – The First European Gold – Barcelona
1975 – Gold Medal at the European Championship in Belgrade
1977 – Third European Gold in a Row – Liege
1989 – “Punishing Expedition” at the European Championship in Zagreb
1991 – European Supremacy in Rome
Period: The Eighties
The newly appointed head coach Kresimir Cosic and captain Drazen Dalipagic – Praja led the Blues at the World Championship in Barcelona in 1986. Praja, Ratko Radovanovic, Drazen Petrovic and others reached the bronze medal. This competition was also a debut for Vlade Divac, the first sprout of a new GOLDEN GENERATION – the white dream team.
The European Championship bronze was also won in Athens a year later. The national team was joined by three more teenagers, Djordjevic, Kukoc and Radja, who had earlier that year won gold at the World Junior Championship in Bormio, Italy.
The national team led by Dusan Ivkovic missed the opportunity to win another gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. However, Petrovic, Divac, Radja, Kukoc and Zeljko Obradovic announced a new golden string. The Women’s national team was also successful. The girls reached the podium as silver medalists.
It may be said that the new golden era started at the 1989 European Championship in Zagreb where our national team triumphantly attained the gold medal by winning all the games with a margin of 20 or more points in excess. Zagreb also saw the first appearance of the future world class basketball star Predrag Sasa Danilovic. The guys in blue jerseys also dominated the following World Championship in Buenos Aires, winning the gold for a third time.
Rome 1991 again experienced an absolute supremacy of our team over their opponents. Sasa Djordjevic, Danilovic, Kukoc, Radja, Savic, Sretenovic and Paspalj announced that the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona would witness a long time expected clash between a WHITE and a BLACK Dream Team.
1995 – 2002 European Nightmare
Unfortunately, the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona did not experience the expected encounter of the century. Due to the sanction imposed on our country, the generation rightfully name the European Nightmare, had to miss the European Championship held in Germany and the 1994 World Championship hosted in Toronto instead of Belgrade. The basketball players of Partizan, who had to play their games in Fuenlabrada due to the first year of sanctions, reached the title of European Champions at the final-four in Istanbul.
A new beginning of a new national team and a new country would start at the European Championship in Athens, in 1995.
Divac, Savic, Danilovic, Paspalj, Sreternovic and Djordjevic, assisted by youngsters Bodiroga, Tomasevic, Beric, Rebraca, Koturovic and Sasa Obradovic and led by coaches Dusan Ivkovic and Zeljko Obradovic, won the gold medal. In the final game against Lithuania, Sasa Djordjevic played one of the best games in his career, scoring 41 points. Next to him was a masterly performance of Danilovic, who scored 23 points. One of the most memorable moments of the game was a dunk of Danilovic over the NBA star Arvidas Sabonis. That shot in the best way reflected our team’s power, knowledge, skill and motivation at this competition.
This team once again showed their potential and quality by winning silver at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
We won the Gold again at the 1997 European Championship in Barcelona, with Zeljko Obradovic as a head coach.
Sasa Djordjevic scored a decisive winning three-pointer against Croatia in an almost identical fashion as he had made it 5 years earlier for his club Partizan in Istanbul. Italy, our great rival, was finally left at 49 points only, as the second placed team.
Athens 1998 brought us joy again. We faced Russia in the finals. Fantastic Zeljko Rebraca led our team to the fourth World Gold with 16 points and an absolute domination under both baskets.
After the bronze medal won in France and a bad luck at the Sydney Olympics, Svetislav Pesic came at the helm of our national team.
At the 2001 European Championship in Turkey, led by Pesic as a head coach and the NBA star Predrag Stojakovic, along with Dejan Bodiroga, Gurovic, Scepanovic, Drobnjak and Tarlac, our team reached their EIGHTH TITLE of European Champions.
The FIFTH GOLD at the World Championships was won by our national team in Indianapolis in 2002. It is worth mentioning that, despite playing in the USA, our team felt at home due to a great number of our fans, who fervently cheered our team throughout the tournament.
They defeated the USA Team in the quarter-finals. The NBA stars had to lay down their arms before the inspired Gurovic, Jaric, Stojakovic, Divac, Bodiroga… After a huge minus by the end of the third period, they regained their strength and succeeded to defeat the greatest favorite of the championship.
In the finals, our team played one of the most exciting games in the history of world championships against Argentina. After an extra time played, Dejan Bodiroga was the one who lifted the World Championship Trophy. The medals were received from the hands of Borislav Stankovic, FIBA Secretary General, a legend of the world and our basketball
1995 – Gold Medal at the European Championship in Athens
1995 – Renowned Jubilation of the Golden Basketball Players
2002 – Gold Medal
2002 – The Fifth World Gold in Indianapolis
2009 – Silver Medal at EuroBasket in Poland
2010 – National Team of Serbia at the World Championship in Turkey
2014 – сребрна медаља на Светском првенству
2016 – сребрна медаља на Олимпијским играма
2017 – сребрна медаља на ЕП
Србија 2007–2019.
Прву утакмицу под именом Србија кошаркашки репрезентација је одиграла против репрезентације Турске на турниру у италијанском градићу Бормију 1. августа 2007. године.
Под вођством селектора Зорана Славнића остварена је победа резултатом 78:77, а за нашу репрезентацију наступaли су: Дарко Миличић (23 поена), Марко Јарић (8), Милан Гуровић (12), Миле Илић (2), Зоран Ерцег (12), Миленко Тепић (1), Бранко Цветковић (4), Милош Теодосић (5), Вук Радивојевић, Александар Рашић (11), Драган Лабовић (1) и Немања Александров.
На Европском првенству одржаном у Шпанији нисмо остварили пласман у други круг такмичења, али ће та 2007, прва година у којој се наша репрезентација такмичила под именом Србија, остати упамћена по сјајном успеху наших млађих репрезентативних селекција. Наиме све селекције – млада, јуниорска и кадетска, током лета су постале ШАМПИОНИ ЕВРОПЕ у својим категоријама, најављујући сјајне резултате у будућности и у сениорској конкуренцији.
Под вођством Душана Ивковића лако смо савладали све препреке и пласирали се на Европско првенство 2009. године у Пољској, где смо изгубили у финалу од Шпаније, коју смо на почетку овог првенства победили (92:89) фантастичном тројком младог Милоша Теодосића три секунде пре краја сусрета преко Шпанца Гарбахосе. Прву сениорску медаљу за Србију освојили су: Бојан Поповић, Миленко Тепић, Милош Теодосић, Иван Паунић, Немања Бјелица, Стефан Марковић, Урош Трипковић, Мирослав Радуљица, Ненад Крстић, Коста Перовић, Новица Величковић и Милан Мачван.
Због пораза у полуфиналу од домаћина, репрезентације Турске (82:83), на Светском првенству одржаном 2010. године остали смо без медаље, коју смо игром свакако заслужили. У борби за треће место бољи су били Литванци – 88:89.
На Светском првенству 2014. године под вођством Александра Ђорђевића, Србија је одиграла још једно финале на великим такмичењима, овога пута са Америком и упркос поразу /92:129/ оставила сјајан утисак играјући храбро са пуно енергије и емоција свих 40 минута против апсолутних фаворита на овом такмичењу. Другу медаљу за Србију освојили су: Милош Теодосић, Богдан Богдановић, Немања Бјелица, Стефан Марковић, Никола Калинић, Мирослав Радуљица, Владимир Штимац, Стефан Бирчевић, Марко Симоновић, Стефан Јовић, Рашко Катић и Ненад Крстић.
На Европском првенству 2015. године били смо четврти. Пораз у полуфиналу од Литваније /64:67/ у последњим секундама меча нисмо успели да брзо преболимо, па смо у борби за треће место изгубили од домаћина Француске резултатом 68:81.
Олимпијске игре у Рију 2016. године донеле су сјајне игре нашег тима. У полуфиналу побеђена је Аустралија – убедљиво (87:61). У финалу су нас чекали Американци. Освојена је сребрна медаља, а за наш тим наступили су: Милош Теодосић, Богдан Богдановић, Немања Бјелица, Стефан Марковић, Никола Калинић, Мирослав Радуљица, Никола Јокић, Стефан Бирчевић, Марко Симоновић, Стефан Јовић, Немања Недовић и Милан Мачван.
На Европско првенство, одржаном 2017. године које се играло у четири земље (Финска, Израел, Румунија и Турска), услед повреда већег броја играча отишли смо у доста измењеном саставу у односу на Олимпијске игре.
У групној фази остварили смо четири победе уз један пораз (Русија 72:75) и заузели прво место у групи што нас је у разигравању водило на репрезентацију Мађарске, коју смо победили резултатом 86:78. У четвртфиналу смо били бољи од Италије коју смо убедљиво победили 83:67 и пласирали се у полуфинале, где нас је чекала репрезентација Русије.
Одличном игром целог тима (Богдановић 24, Марјановић 18 поена) и без повређеног Бранка Лазића, реванширали смо се Русима за пораз у групној фази. Србија је доминирала у скоку и шуту за два поена (70%). Финални сусрет против репрезентације Словеније донео је пуно неизвесности. Ипак, мала ротација наших играча и умор, уз одличну игру наших противника, на крају су резултирали поразом – 85:93 и освојеном сребрном медаљом. За нашу репрезентацију наступали су: Стефан Јовић, Василије Мицић, Богдан Богдановић, Милан Мачван, Драган Милосављевић, Бобан Марјановић, Марко Гудурић, Владимир Лучић, Стефан Бирчевић, Огњен Кузмић, Владимир Штимац и Бранко Лазић.
На Светско првенство које је одржано у Кини 2019, репрезентација Србије отишла је као један од фаворита за златну медаљу. После прве рунде, где смо остварили све три победе (Ангола, Филипини, Италија) остварили смо пласман у други круг. Међутим, ту смо претрпели пораз
од Шпаније – 69:81.
У четвртфиналу, одлична репрезентација Аргентине нас је елиминисала из борбе за медаље (87:97), али смо ипак смогли снаге да у наредна два сусрета забележимо две победе (Америка и Чешка) и освојимо пето место.
Остаће забележено да смо у разигравању за пласман, у несуђеном финалу Светског првенства, против репрезентације САД забележили победу (94:89), а да смо први период ове утакмице добили убедљиво, резултатом – 32:7. У мечу за пето место победили смо репрезентацију Чешке – 90:81.