In this article, we will explore the fascinating life of Nebojša Popović, a character who has left an indelible mark on history. From his humble beginnings to his unexpected rise to fame, Nebojša Popović has captured the imagination of countless people around the world. Throughout these pages, we will discover his achievements, struggles and triumphs, as well as his impact on today's society. Through exclusive interviews and extensive research, we will unravel the secrets behind Nebojša Popović's success and analyze his lasting legacy. Get ready to immerse yourself in an exciting journey that will take you to know all the most relevant aspects of Nebojša Popović's life.
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Irig, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes | 8 February 1923|||||||||||||||||
Died | 20 October 2001 Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia | (aged 78)|||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Yugoslav | |||||||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 1945–1952 | |||||||||||||||||
Number | 8, 16 | |||||||||||||||||
Coaching career | 1945–1955 | |||||||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||||||
As player: | ||||||||||||||||||
1945–1951 | Crvena zvezda | |||||||||||||||||
1951–1952 | Gallaratese | |||||||||||||||||
As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||
1945–1955 | Crvena zvezda Men | |||||||||||||||||
1946–1952 | Crvena zvezda Women | |||||||||||||||||
1950–1953 | Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||
As a player:
As a coach:
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Career Yugoslav League statistics | ||||||||||||||||||
Points | 518 (8.9 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||
FIBA Hall of Fame as coach | ||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Nebojša Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Небојша Поповић; 8 February 1923 – 20 October 2001) was a Serbian basketball player, coach and administrator. He represented the Yugoslavia national basketball team internationally. He is the basketball legend of Red Star Belgrade. In 2007, he was enshrined as a contributor in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Popović lived with his family in Rijeka, where he played water polo as a goalkeeper. He learned about basketball from the Yugoslav water polo and a basketball pioneer Božo Grkinić.
Popović was a co-founder of the Crvena Zvezda basketball club in 1945. He held number 1 membership card. He played for Crvena Zvezda from 1945 to 1951, he also coached men's team at Red Star from 1945 to 1955 and women's Red Star team from 1946 to 1952. In July 1950, he was a member of the Zvezda squad that won an international cup tournament in Milan, Italy.
Popović played for the Italian team Gallaratese in 1951–1952.
As a player for the Yugoslavia national basketball team Popović participated in 1950 World Championship and 1947 European Championship. He scored first point in history of World Championships as player of Yugoslavia.
He coached Yugoslavia national basketball team at the 1950 World Championship and 1953 European Championship.
Popović served as the president of the Yugoslav Basketball Federation (1985–1987) and president of the Commission for International Competition of FIBA.
Popović also worked as a journalist, contributing to La Gazzetta dello Sport for four decades.
He was the executive of Yugoslav Radio Television (JRT), the Yugoslav national TV channel. He covered four Summer Olympic Games with JRT.
Legend | |||||||||||||
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W | Wins | L | Losses | D | Draws | W% | Winning percentage |
Season | Team | Games | W | D | L | W % | Result |
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1946 | Crvena zvezda | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | .857 | Champions |
1947 | Crvena zvezda | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Champions |
1948 | Crvena zvezda | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .800 | Champions |
1949 | Crvena zvezda | 18 | 17 | 0 | 1 | .944 | Champions |
1950 | Crvena zvezda | 18 | 16 | 0 | 2 | .889 | Champions |
1951 | Crvena zvezda | 22 | 18 | 2 | 2 | .818 | Champions |
1952 | Crvena zvezda | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Champions |
1953 | Crvena zvezda | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 | Champions |
1954 | Crvena zvezda | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | .727 | Champions |
1955 | Crvena zvezda | 18 | 14 | 1 | 3 | .778 | Champions |
Career | 124 | 104 | 4 | 16 | .839 |
Season | Team | Games | W | D | L | W % | Result |
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1946 | Crvena zvezda | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Champions |
1947 | Crvena zvezda | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Champions |
1948 | Crvena zvezda | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Champions |
1949 | Crvena zvezda | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Champions |
1950 | Crvena zvezda | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Champions |
1951 | Crvena zvezda | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | Champions |
1952 | Crvena zvezda | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | Champions |
Career | 34 | 33 | 1 | 0 | .971 |
Tournament | Team | Games | W | L | W % | Result |
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1950 World Championship | Yugoslavia | 5 | 0 | 5 | .000 | 10th place |
1953 EuroBasket | Yugoslavia | 11 | 6 | 5 | .545 | 6th place |
Career | 16 | 6 | 10 | .375 |