The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
former Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
(
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
,
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
,
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
,
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
and
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
). Due to sponsorship reasons, the league was also known as the Goodyear League from 2001 to 2006, the NLB League from 2006 to 2011, and as the AdmiralBet ABA League from 2021.
The league coexists alongside scaled-down national leagues in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
,
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
,
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
,
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
, and
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
. All but one of Adriatic League clubs join their country's own competitions in late spring after the Adriatic League regular season and post-season have been completed. In the past, the league has also consisted of clubs from
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
(
ČEZ Nymburk
Basketball Nymburk, also known as ERA Nymburk due to sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team that is based in the town of Nymburk. The club plays in the top-tier level professional Czech National League (NBL). Nymburk regularly pl ...
),
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
(
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
) that received wild card invitations.
The Adriatic League is a private venture, founded in 2001 and run until 2015 by the Sidro, a Slovenian limited liability company. Since 2015, the league has been operated by
ABA League JTD
Adriatic Basketball Association – ABA League, G.P., commonly referred to as the ABA League JTD, is a Croatian company based in Zagreb. It is the general partnership for organizing sports competitions. The company has been running the Adriatic L ...
, a Zagreb-based general partnership for organizing sports competitions.
Adriatic Basketball Association
Adriatic Basketball Association – ABA League, G.P., commonly referred to as the ABA League JTD, is a Croatian company based in Zagreb. It is the general partnership for organizing sports competitions. The company has been running the Adriatic L ...
is the body that organizes the league and is a full member of
ULEB
Union of European Leagues of Basketball (ULEB; french: Union des Ligues Européennes de Basket-Ball) is a sports organization within basketball created for growth of professional basketball in Europe.Euroleague Basketball's board.
History
At various points throughout mid-to-late 1990s, in the years following the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia and ensuing
Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...
, different basketball administrators from the newly independent Balkan states floated and informally discussed the idea of re-assembling a joint basketball competition to fill the void left by the dissolution of the former
Yugoslav Basketball League
The First Federal Basketball League () was the highest tier level men's professional club basketball competition in SFR Yugoslavia. Founded in 1945 and folded in 1992 (1991-92 Winer Broker YUBA League), it was run by the Basketball Federation ...
whose last season was 1991–92.
However, no concrete action towards that end was taken before the summer 2000
ULEB
Union of European Leagues of Basketball (ULEB; french: Union des Ligues Européennes de Basket-Ball) is a sports organization within basketball created for growth of professional basketball in Europe.Euroleague Basketball Company
Euroleague Basketball is the private company that runs and operates the top continental-wide basketball men's professional sports club competitions in Europe, the first-tier level EuroLeague, and the second-tier level EuroCup. It has been or ...
under the leadership of Jordi Bertomeu that immediately confronted FIBA Europe, then proceeded to take a handful of top European clubs into its new competition for the 2000–01 season thereby opening an organizational split in European club basketball. During the 2000–01 split in the continent's top club competition, local Balkan basketball administrators from the ULEB-affiliated clubs Cibona, Olimpija, and Budućnost (that already competed in this new 'breakaway' Euroleague competition) shifted the discussions of creating a regional Balkan-wide basketball league into higher gear.
On the public relations front, Adriatic League was met with strong and mixed reactions. Though many hailed it as an important step for the development of club basketball in the Balkans region, many others felt that it brings no new quality and that it's not worth dismantling three domestic leagues. There was a lot of negative reaction from political circles, especially in Croatia, with even TV panel discussions being broadcast on Croatian state television. A very vociferous opinion in the country saw the league's formation as a political attempt to reinstate Yugoslavia. The league organizers for their part did their best to appease the Croatian public with statements such as the one delivered by Radovan Lorbek in ''
Slobodna Dalmacija
''Slobodna Dalmacija'' () is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.
The first issue of ''Slobodna Dalmacija'' was published on 17 June 1943 by Tito's Partisans in an abandoned stone barn on Mosor, a mountain near Split, while the cit ...
'' in September 2001:
Ten years later, in a 2011 interview for the Serbian newspaper '' Press'', Roman Lisac explained the league's behind the scenes strategy during its nascent stages was actually quite different:
On 28 September 2001, the league announced a five-year sponsorship deal with Slovenian company
Sava Tires
Sava Tires is a Slovenian tyre and other rubber related products' manufacturer, it is now a subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. It is located in Kranj, Slovenia. The company was formed in 1998 under the name ''Sava Tyres'' d.o.o. ...
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturing company founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling and based in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, S ...
. The deal also included naming rights, hence from 2001 until 2006, the competition was known as the Goodyear League.
Debut season
With twelve clubs taking part in the inaugural 2001–02 season, the competition commenced in fall 2001 with four teams from Slovenia, four teams from Croatia, three teams from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and one team from
FR Yugoslavia
Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yug ...
. The very first game was contested in Ljubljana between Olimpija and Široki on Saturday, 29 September 2001 at 5:30pm.Deset godina NLB lige: Huligani odložili ulazak Partizana ''Press'', 12 July 2011
Though the competition purported to gather the strongest sides from former Yugoslavia, as mentioned, teams from Serbia were noticeably absent, particularly Belgrade powerhouses and biggest regional crowd draws Partizan and Crvena zvezda. In addition to no clubs from Serbia proper, the league had no Serb-dominated clubs from Bosnia-Herzegovina either. Since the league founders mostly avoided talking about the issue due to fears of media backlash, the fact that no invitations were extended to Serbian clubs was generally explained through security issues due to organizers' fears of crowd trouble if Croatian and Serbian clubs were to start playing again in the same competition. Then in early February 2002, the public got a preview of just that when Cibona and Partizan met in Zagreb as part of that season's EuroLeague group stage. In a nationalistically charged and incident-filled encounter, Croatian fans peppered the Partizan players with rocks, flares, and even ceramic tiles before physically assaulting Partizan head coach
Duško Vujošević
Duško Vujošević ( sr-Cyrl, Душко Вујошевић; born 3 March 1959) is a Montenegrin and Serbian professional basketball coach.
Early life
Duško Vujošević was born in Titograd (modern-day Podgorica), PR Montenegro, FPR Yugoslavi ...
in the guest team dressing room after the game.
The Adriatic League debut season was marked by dwindling attendances and lukewarm media support. Still the league did receive a bit of a shot in the arm on 24 February 2002, when its managing body ABA got accepted as full member of
ULEB
Union of European Leagues of Basketball (ULEB; french: Union des Ligues Européennes de Basket-Ball) is a sports organization within basketball created for growth of professional basketball in Europe.Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i powerhouse
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
, Crvena zvezda (the first team from Serbia in the competition), the Bosnian outfit KK Borac, and Croatian club KK Zagreb.
It was important for the league's long-term business to negotiate acceptable terms for the Serbian clubs to join the competition. To that end, Lorbek and Lisac went to Belgrade in early April 2002 with an offer of taking in three clubs from FR Yugoslavia for the Adriatic League's 2002–03 season.Deset godina NLB lige: Zvezdin izlazak na Jadran ''Press'', 13 July 2011 The offer was flatly rejected initially by the representatives of five
YUBA Liga
The YUBA League was the top-tier men's professional basketball league in Serbia and Montenegro (previously FR Yugoslavia). Founded in 1992 and folded in 2006, it was run by the Basketball Federation of Serbia and Montenegro.
The name ''YUBA Leag ...
clubs – Partizan, Crvena zvezda, Hemofarm, FMP, and Budućnost – as their unified platform was either all five or nothing. Taking in all five required expanding the league to 14 teams, which was something the league organizers weren't prepared to do due to the associated increase in operating costs. The negotiated agreement thus fell through for the time being. However, it didn't take long for dents to appear in the unified front put forth by five YUBA league clubs – in May 2002 Crvena zvezda's management (three businessmen close to the ruling Democratic Party in Serbia: Živorad Anđelković, Igor Žeželj, and
Goran Vesić
Goran Vesić (; born 18 February 1969) is a Serbian politician serving as minister of construction, transport and infrastructure since 2022. A member of the Serbian Progressive Party, he has been serving as a member of the National Assembly of Se ...
) hired Zmago Sagadin to be the club's new general manager – and soon after, in June 2002, the club broke the ranks by negotiating terms on its own thus agreeing to join the Adriatic League for the 2002–03 season.
Competition
Competition system
As of the 2013–14 season the league comprises a 26-game regular season, with the top 4 sides making the play-offs.
From 2002 through 2004, four teams qualified, and the playoffs were termed the "Final Four"; starting in 2005, eight teams advanced to the "Final Eight" round. All playoff rounds consist of one-off knockout matches, unusual among European leagues. However, since all Adriatic League clubs play in domestic leagues at the same time, and many also play in the EuroLeague, the current format has the virtue of limiting fixture congestion for the playoff sides.
In 2017, the
ABA League Second Division
The ABA League Second Division, also ABA League 2, is the 2nd-tier men's basketball division of the ABA League system. It is run by the ABA League JTD. It is a regional competition between men's professional clubs from six countries: Bosnia and He ...
was created. The last qualified team from ABA League would be relegated to the Second Division and replaced by the winner of this one.
The following is a list of clubs who have played in the Adriatic League at any time since its formation in 2001 to the current season. A total of 41 teams from 10 countries have played in the League.
Awards
*
ABA League MVP
The ABA League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual ABA League award given since the inaugural season to the best performing player of the regular season. The League is the top-tier regional men's professional basketball league that ...
Dejan Milojević
Dejan Milojević ( sr-cyrl, Дејан Милојевић; born 15 April 1977) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player. Currently, since summer 2021, he is an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Bask ...
Zadar
Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...
on 9 October 2022
*Most Two Point Field Goals Made in a Game
**17 by
Márton Báder
Márton Báder (born September 23, 1980) is a Hungarian former professional basketball player. He is tall, and played as a forward-center.
After starting his career in his homeland, Báder played in several countries including Slovenia, Croati ...
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
on 18 December 2005
*Most Free Throws Made in a Game
**19 by
Igor Rakočević
Igor Rakočević ( sr-cyrl, Игор Ракочевић; born 29 March 1978) is a Serbian professional basketball executive and former player.
At a height of 1.94 m (6'4 ") tall, he played at both the point guard and shooting guard positions, but ...
,
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
Damir Mulaomerović
Damir Mulaomerović (born 19 September 1974) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for Cedevita Junior of the Croatian League.
Professional career
Mulaomerović started his career with S ...
,
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
vs. FMP on 19 January 2010
*Most Rebounds in a Game
**23 by Tommy Smith,
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
Boris Savović
Boris Savović (Serbian Cyrillic: Борис Савовић; born June 18, 1987) is a Serbian-Montenegrin professional basketball player for Al-Muharraq of the Bahraini Premier League. Standing at 2.10 meters, he mainly features as a power forward ...
Zadar
Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...
on 9 December 2019
*Most Steals in a Game
**9 by
Curtis McCants
Curtis Reynard McCants (born August 2, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-foot point guard, he played college basketball at George Mason for 3 years, being named CAA Rookie of the Year in 1994 and first team All-Confer ...
,
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
vs.
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
Partizan Partizan may refer to:
Sport
* JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs:
**AK Partizan, athletics
** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling
** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo
**FK Partizan, association fo ...
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
Crvena Zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
at
Partizan Partizan may refer to:
Sport
* JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs:
**AK Partizan, athletics
** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling
** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo
**FK Partizan, association fo ...
Partizan Partizan may refer to:
Sport
* JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs:
**AK Partizan, athletics
** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling
** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo
**FK Partizan, association fo ...
Shawn James
Shawn James (born September 10, 1983) is a Guyanese-American former professional basketball player. Standing at , he played at the power forward and center positions. In 2010–11, he was the top rebounder in the Israel Basketball Premier League ...
,
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
Uroš Luković
Uroš Luković ( sr-Cyrl, Урош Луковић; born June 8, 1989) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Mornar of the Adriatic League and the Prva A Liga.
Professional career
Luković played in youth categories with KK Torlak from ...
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
for the 2014–15 and 2016–17 seasons
*Longest losing streak
**21 games by
Levski Sofia
Levski Sofia ( bg, Левски София) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, which competes in the First League, the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. The club was founded on 24 May 1914 ...
for the 2014–15 season
*Biggest Winning Margin
**60 points by
Partizan Partizan may refer to:
Sport
* JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs:
**AK Partizan, athletics
** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling
** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo
**FK Partizan, association fo ...
vs.
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
in the 2021–22 season
*Most Won Games in a Season
**
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
won 25 out of 26 games for the 2016–17 season
*Most Lost Games in a Season
** Bosna lost 21 out of 22 games for the 2002–03 season
*Most Points scored in a Season
** Hemofarm scored 2591 points in 30 games for the 2004–05 season
**
Crvena zvezda
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional Association football, foot ...
scored 2325 points in 26 games for the 2006–07 season
*Lowest Scored Points in a Season
** Bosna scored 1443 points in 22 games for the 2001–02 season
** Zlatorog Laško scored 1688 points in 26 games for the 2011–12 season
Todor Gečevski
Todor Gečevski ( mk, Тодор Гечевски; born 28 August 1977) is a Macedonian former professional basketball player. Standing at a height of , he played at the center and power forward positions.
Professional career
While playing with ...
, , align=center, 3,212
, -
! Games Played
, Marin Rozić, , align=center, 377
Notable players
Well-known basketball players who have played in the Adriatic League include:
Australia
* Aron Baynes
*
Nathan Jawai
Nathan Leon Jawai (born 10 October 1986) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Darwin Salties of the NBL1 North. Standing at 209 cm, he plays at the power forward and centre positions.
Early life
Born at the Royal Hospi ...
*
Aleks Marić
Aleksandar "Aleks" Marić (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар "Алекс“ Марић, born 22 October 1984) is an Australian-Serbian former professional basketball player. Marić gained a reputation as a winner over the course of his succ ...
*
Steven Marković
Steven Marković (born 14 March 1985) is an Australian former professional basketball player.
Early life
Marković was born in the Sydney suburb of Liverpool to a Serbian father and an Italian mother.
Professional career
Marković was a develo ...
Milt Palacio
Milton Sigmund Palacio (born February 7, 1978) is a Belizean American professional basketball coach and former player.
Early life
Palacio, a Belizean citizen, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California by Belizean parents.
College career
P ...
Ratko Varda
Ratko Varda ( sr-cyr, Ратко Варда; born May 6, 1979) is a Serbian-Bosnian former basketball player who played professionally for 22 years. Standing at , he played the center position. He first represented FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montene ...
Filip Videnov
Filip Aleksandrov Videnov (born June 12, 1980) is a Bulgarian retired professional basketball player who last played for Beroe of the NBL. He was also a longtime member of the Bulgarian men's national team.
Videnov played college basketball ...
Bojan Bogdanović
Bojan Bogdanović (; born 18 April 1989) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Croatian national team internationally. Standing at , he plays t ...
Davor Kus
Davor Kus (born July 21, 1978) is a Croatian former professional basketball player. His natural position was point guard, although he can also feature as a shooting guard.
Player profile
Kus is known for his technical proficiency, precise passing ...
Davor Marcelić
Davor Marcelić (born 20 May 1969) is a Croatian retired professional basketball player who last played for KK Krka
Košarkarski klub Krka (English: Basketball Club Krka), commonly referred to as KK Krka or simply Krka, is a professional basket ...
*
Damir Mulaomerović
Damir Mulaomerović (born 19 September 1974) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for Cedevita Junior of the Croatian League.
Professional career
Mulaomerović started his career with S ...
Dino Rađa
Dino Rađa (Anglicized: Dino Radja, ; born April 24, 1967) is a Croatian former professional basketball player. He was a member of the Jugoplastika team of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which he helped to win two FIBA European Champions Cup ...
Dario Šarić
Dario Šarić (; born 8 April 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He also represents the senior ...
Josip Vranković
Josip-Jerko "Joke" Vranković (born October 26, 1968) is a Croatian professional basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, c ...
*
Nikola Vujčić
Nikola Vujčić (born 14 June 1978) is a Croatian former professional basketball player, and the current team manager of the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv. During his playing career, at a height of 2.11 m (6' 11") tall, he played at both the cen ...
*
Andrija Žižić
Andrija Žižić (born 14 January 1980) is a Croatian former professional basketball player and executive. Standing of 2.07 m (6 ft 9 ½ in) tall, he played at both the power forward and center positions. He is currently the sporting director ...
Stéphane Lasme
Yann Ulrich Stéphane Lasme (born December 17, 1982) is a Gabonese former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Massachusetts (UMass), with the UMass Minutemen, and he was selected by the Golden State Wa ...
Sofoklis Schortsanitis
Sofoklis Schortsanitis (Greek: Σοφοκλής Σχορτσανίτης; born 22 June 1985) is a Greek former professional basketball player and Olympian.
An All-EuroLeague First Team selection in 2011, Schortsanitis won the EuroLeague title ...
Márton Báder
Márton Báder (born September 23, 1980) is a Hungarian former professional basketball player. He is tall, and played as a forward-center.
After starting his career in his homeland, Báder played in several countries including Slovenia, Croati ...
Lior Eliyahu
Lior Eliyahu ( he, לִיאוֹר אֱלִיָּהוּ; born 9 September 1985) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He is 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) in height and he weighs 105 kg (225 pounds). He plays at the power forward pos ...
Guy Pnini
Guy Pnini (Hebrew: גיא פניני) (born September 4, 1983) is an Israeli professional basketball player who currently plays for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League and the EuroLeague. Standing at a height of tall, he p ...
Gal Mekel
Gal Mekel ( he, גל מקל, pronounced ; born March 4, 1988) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He played for the Dallas Mavericks and spent time in Europe and Israel.
He played college basketball for two years at Wichita Sta ...
Jamaica
*
Kimani Ffriend
Kimani Ffriend (born 29 July 1977) is Jamaican former professional basketball player. He played at the center position.
College career
Ffriend played NCAA college basketball with the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1999 to 2001. Prior that, Ffriend ...
Dāvis Bertāns
Dāvis Bertāns (born 12 November 1992) is a Latvian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed the "Latvian Laser", he also represents the Latvian national team. He was the 4 ...
Nebojša Bogavac
Nebojša Bogavac ( sr-cyrl, Небојша Богавац; born December 14, 1973) is a Montenegrin professional basketball coach and former player who is the current head coach for KK Podgorica, Podgorica of the Prva A Liga and the ABA League Seco ...
Predrag Drobnjak
Peja Drobnjak (born 27 October 1975) is a Montenegrin professional basketball scout and former player. At , he played at the power forward and center positions. Throughout his nineteen-year career, Drobnjak has spent three full seasons playing in ...
Todor Gečevski
Todor Gečevski ( mk, Тодор Гечевски; born 28 August 1977) is a Macedonian former professional basketball player. Standing at a height of , he played at the center and power forward positions.
Professional career
While playing with ...
Vlado Ilievski
Vlado Ilievski ( mk, Владо Илиевски; born 19 January 1980) is a former Macedonian professional basketball. Standing at , he played at the point guard position.
Professional career
During his career, Ilievski played for KK Nemetali Og ...
*
Bo McCalebb
Lester "Bo" McCalebb ( mk, Лестер „Бо“ МекКејлеб; born May 4, 1985) is an American-Macedonian former professional basketball player. He represented the senior Macedonian national team internationally. Standing at , he played ...
Predrag Samardžiski
Predrag Samardžiski ( mk, Предраг Самарџиски; born April 11, 1986) is a Macedonian professional basketball player who plays for EuroNickel 2005 of the Macedonian League.
Professional career
Samardžiski started his career at K ...
Aleksandar Kostoski
Aleksandar Kostoski ( mk, Александар Костоски; born 5 March 1988) is a Macedonian professional basketball player. He currently plays for TFT. He is also a member of the Macedonian national team.
Pro career
Kostoski started his ...
Darko Sokolov
Darko Sokolov ( mk, Дарко Соколов; born May 8, 1986) is a Macedonian professional basketball player who plays for EuroNickel 2005 of the Macedonian First League.
Pro career
Since beginning his professional career in 2002, Sokolov has ...
Vule Avdalović
Vule Avdalović ( sr-cyr, Вуле Авдаловић; born 24 November 1981) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently works as the head coach for OKK Beograd.
National team career
As a member of the FR Yugosla ...
*
Stefan Birčević
Stefan Birčević ( sr, Стефан Бирчевић, born December 13, 1989) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Cluj of the Romanian Liga Națională. He also represents the Serbian national basketball team. Standing at , he plays ...
*
Nemanja Bjelica
Nemanja Bjelica ( sr-cyr, Немања Бјелица, ; born 9 May 1988) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe of the Basketball Super League and EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Serbian national basketball team ...
Tadija Dragićević
Tadija Dragićević ( sr-cyr, Тадија Драгићевић; born 28 January 1986) is a retired Serbian professional basketball player. Standing at , he played the power forward position.
Professional career
Dragićević grew up with the KK ...
Nikola Kalinić
Nikola Kalinić (; born 5 January 1988) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Croatian club Hajduk Split.
Kalinić began his career with Hajduk Split in his native Croatia before moving to English club Blackburn Rove ...
Ognjen Kuzmić
Ognjen Kuzmić ( sr-cyrl, Огњен Кузмић, ; born May 16, 1990) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Crvena zvezda of the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague. He also represented the senior Serbian national basketball team int ...
Dejan Milojević
Dejan Milojević ( sr-cyrl, Дејан Милојевић; born 15 April 1977) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player. Currently, since summer 2021, he is an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Bask ...
Miljan Pavković
Miljan Pavković (; born April 20, 1981) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for Šenčur of the Slovenian League and the ABA League 2.
Professional career
Pavković started his professional career ...
*
Kosta Perović
Kosta Perović ( sr-cyr, Коста Перовић; born February 19, 1985) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. He represented the Serbian national basketball team internationally. In the 2006 NBA draft he was a second-round selec ...
Miroslav Raduljica
Miroslav Raduljica ( sr-cyr, Мирослав Радуљица, born January 5, 1988) is a Serbian professional basketball player for KK Crvena zvezda, Crvena zvezda of the ABA League, Adriatic League and the EuroLeague. He also represents the Ser ...
*
Igor Rakočević
Igor Rakočević ( sr-cyrl, Игор Ракочевић; born 29 March 1978) is a Serbian professional basketball executive and former player.
At a height of 1.94 m (6'4 ") tall, he played at both the point guard and shooting guard positions, but ...
Duško Savanović
Duško Savanović ( sr-cyr, Душко Савановић, born September 5, 1983) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. A power forward, he represented the Serbian national basketball team internationally and was an All-Euroleague ...
Miloš Teodosić
Miloš Teodosić ( sr-cyr, Милош Теодосић, born March 19, 1987) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Virtus Bologna of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the National Basketball ...
*
Milenko Tepić
Milenko Tepić ( sr, Миленко Тепић; born February 27, 1987) is a Serbian professional basketball executive and former player. He is 2.02 m (6 ft 7.5 in) tall, and a combo guard-point forward.
Professional career
Tepić began his ...
*
Milenko Topić
Milenko Topić (; born 6 March 1969) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player.
Playing career
A power forward, Topić spent most of his professional career playing in the YUBA League, representing Profikolor, BFC Beočin ...
Jaka Lakovič
Jaka Lakovič (born 9 July 1978) is a Slovenian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as a head coach for Gran Canaria of the Liga ACB, as well as an assistant coach of the Slovenia national team.
Standing at , ...
Gašper Vidmar
Gašper Vidmar (born 14 September 1987) is a retired Slovenian professional basketball player. He is 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) tall and plays the center position.
Professional career
Vidmar played in youth categories of Geoplin Slovan in Slovenia. He m ...
*
Jurij Zdovc
Jurij "Jure" Zdovc (born 13 December 1966) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player and coach Zdovc Returning to Helm of National Team.] As a player, he was a 1.98 m (6'6") tall point guard, who began his professional playing career ...
Hüseyin Beşok
Hüseyin Beşok (born 8 February 1975) is a retired Turkish professional basketball player. Standing at 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) in height and 120 kg (265 lbs) in weight, he used to play as center.
Professional career
A solid big man, ...
Jordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an Israeli-American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was named the ''Los Angeles Times'' High School Player of the Y ...
Jamon Gordon
Jamon Alfred Lucas Gordon (born July 18, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Standing at 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) he played the point guard and shooting guard positions. He played college basketball with the Virginia Tech ...
Marcus Goree
Marcus Goree (born October 11, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player.
College career
Goree's collegiate team was the West Virginia University Mountaineers, where he played four seasons (109 games, starting 62), from 1996 to ...
Shawn James
Shawn James (born September 10, 1983) is a Guyanese-American former professional basketball player. Standing at , he played at the power forward and center positions. In 2010–11, he was the top rebounder in the Israel Basketball Premier League ...
Acie Law
Acie Law IV (born January 25, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. In his four seasons at Texas A&M University, Law scored 1,653 points and was credited with 540 assists. Nicknamed "Captain Clutch" for his ability to take o ...
Adam Morrison
Adam John Morrison (born July 19, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Morrison played for three years at Gonzaga University and was considered to be one of the top college basketball players in 2005–06. He was a finalist ...
Andre Owens
Andre Owens (born October 31, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach.
High school and college basketball
A 6'4" (1.93 m) guard, he played competitively at Perry Meridian High School where he was an Indiana All-S ...
Omar Thomas
Omar Abdul Thomas (born February 27, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player.
Early years
Thomas was born in Philadelphia.
Having taken the first steps to Strawberry Mansion High School and at Panola Junior College (Texas), ...
Rumeal Robinson
Rumeal James Robinson (born November 13, 1966) is a Jamaican-American former professional basketball player. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Robinson graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and went on to play point guard for th ...
*
David Simon
David Judah Simon (born February 9, 1960) is an American author, journalist, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on '' The Wire'' (2002–08).
He worked for '' The Baltimore Sun'' City Desk for twelve years (1982–95), wrote '' H ...
Kenyan Weaks
Kenyan Weaks (born August 13, 1977) is a retired American professional basketball player. He is 1.98 m shooting guard–small forward
The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation b ...
List of current ABA Liga team rosters
Below is a list of current rosters of teams from ABA League First Division and ABA League Second Division, Second Division:
First Division rosters
Second Division rosters
See also
* List of current Basketball League of Serbia team rosters
...