Željko Obradovic
Encyclopedia
Želimir “Željko” Obradović (Serbian Cyrillic: Желимир Жељко Обрадовић) (born March 9, 1960, in Čačak
, Serbia
, FPR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian
professional basketball
coach
and a former professional basketball player. He is currently the head coach
of Panathinaikos Athens and is generally considered one of the best European coaches ever, having won eight Euroleague
titles with four different clubs. In addition to his success at the club level, he has won major trophies as Serbian national basketball team
head coach
, such as the 1997 FIBA European Championship
and the 1998 FIBA World Championship
.
where he ended up playing 4 senior seasons from 1980 until 1984 as a point guard
. Over the summer of 1984, he joined KK Partizan
at the age of 24. His first coach in KK Partizan
was legendary player of Yugoslav national team Zoran Slavnić
(1984-1985).
In Obradović's third season with the team, the team won the 1986-87 Yugoslavian Championship
. The next season they reached the 1988 European Champions Cup
Final Four
. Finally, they won the Yugoslavian Cup and the Korać Cup
in 1989. During this period of time, he established himself as one the best and reliable point guards in Yugoslavia.
He was also a member of the Yugoslavian national basketball team
that won the silver medal
at the 1988 Olympics Basketball Tournament
and the gold medal
at the 1990 FIBA World Championship
.
His playing career was put to a halt when he was sentenced to years in prison after causing the death of a pedestrian in a car accident. After serving his prison sentence, Obradović returned to the court as a player, and already in his latter days as a player he coached Partizan's youth team. He retired from playing basketball in 1991 and immediately signed as the head coach of the senior team of the club
.
(with four different teams), two Saporta Cup
s, numerous domestic league championships and cups, the silver medal at the 1996 Olympics Basketball Tournament
, the gold medal at the 1997 FIBA European Championship
, the gold medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championship
, and the bronze medal at the 1999 FIBA European Championship
while coaching the FR Yugoslavian national basketball team
, where he was the head coach from 1996-00. He was also the head coach of the Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team
in 2004-05.
He has been the head coach of Panathinaikos Athens since the summer of 1999, and he has led the team to become the top club in European club basketball during that time, while simultaneously maintaining the club at the top position in the HEBA A1 Greek national championship. In total, Obradović has won 11 Greek Championships, 6 Greek Cups
and 5 Euroleague titles (2000, 2002
, 2007
, 2009
and 2011) with the "Greens". In 2007, he achieved winning the highly coveted Triple Crown
championship for the second time as a head coach (the first was in 1992 with Partizan
) and won the Euroleague Coach of the Year award
. Also in 2009, he managed for third time this achievement in Berlin as a head coach. In 2011 he won his 8th Euroleague trophy with Panathinaikos. His list of titles is unmatched by any other current European coach.
As a player:
As head coach:
Cacak
Čačak is a city in central Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Moravica District of Serbia. Čačak is also the main industrial, cultural and sport center of the district...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, FPR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach
Coach (basketball)
Basketball coaching is the act of directing and strategizing the behaviour of a basketball team or individual basketball player. Basketball coaching typically encompasses the improvement of individual and team offensive and defensive skills, as well as overall physical conditioning.Coaching is...
and a former professional basketball player. He is currently the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of Panathinaikos Athens and is generally considered one of the best European coaches ever, having won eight Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
titles with four different clubs. In addition to his success at the club level, he has won major trophies as Serbian national basketball team
Serbia national basketball team
The Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches....
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, such as the 1997 FIBA European Championship
EuroBasket 1997
-Venues:The tournament was played at three venues in Spain. Girona and Badalona hosted the first and the second round, while the entire knockout stage was played at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona.-First round:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:...
and the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
.
Playing career
Obradović started his career as a basketball player with Borac ČačakKK Borac Čačak
Košarkaški klub Borac Čačak is a professional basketball club from Čačak, Serbia. The club currently plays in the Serbian League.-History:Basketball club Borac Čačak is a member of the First Federal League since 1952...
where he ended up playing 4 senior seasons from 1980 until 1984 as a point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
. Over the summer of 1984, he joined KK Partizan
KK Partizan
Košarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....
at the age of 24. His first coach in KK Partizan
KK Partizan
Košarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....
was legendary player of Yugoslav national team Zoran Slavnić
Zoran Slavnić
Zoran "Moka" Slavnić is a Serbian retired basketball player and current coach. He played with KK Crvena zvezda for 10 senior seasons. One of the best European point gards of all time. With KK Crvena zvezda he won 2 National Championships, 3 National Cups and one Saporta Cup. He also won ACB with...
(1984-1985).
In Obradović's third season with the team, the team won the 1986-87 Yugoslavian Championship
YUBA Liga
The Yugoslav Basketball League was the name of two successive national basketball leagues:* the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia league from 1945 to 1992* the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro from 1992 to 2006...
. The next season they reached the 1988 European Champions Cup
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
. Finally, they won the Yugoslavian Cup and the Korać Cup
Korac Cup
The Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
in 1989. During this period of time, he established himself as one the best and reliable point guards in Yugoslavia.
He was also a member of the Yugoslavian national basketball team
Yugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
that won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 1988 Olympics Basketball Tournament
Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at the Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. The United States won the gold medal in the women's competition, thus repeating their performance from the 1984 tournament. In the men's tournament, the Soviet Union took home their second gold medal in...
and the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 1990 FIBA World Championship
1990 FIBA World Championship
The 1990 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Argentina from August 8 to August 20, 1990.The competition final phase was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires.Yugoslavia emerged as the tournament winner...
.
His playing career was put to a halt when he was sentenced to years in prison after causing the death of a pedestrian in a car accident. After serving his prison sentence, Obradović returned to the court as a player, and already in his latter days as a player he coached Partizan's youth team. He retired from playing basketball in 1991 and immediately signed as the head coach of the senior team of the club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
.
Coaching career
Obradović's greatness as a basketball head coach is fully confirmed by the great collection of titles he has acquired in his seventeen-year career as a coach: a record eight pro sports club European Champions CupsEuroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
(with four different teams), two Saporta Cup
Saporta Cup
Saporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
s, numerous domestic league championships and cups, the silver medal at the 1996 Olympics Basketball Tournament
Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal...
, the gold medal at the 1997 FIBA European Championship
EuroBasket 1997
-Venues:The tournament was played at three venues in Spain. Girona and Badalona hosted the first and the second round, while the entire knockout stage was played at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona.-First round:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:...
, the gold medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
, and the bronze medal at the 1999 FIBA European Championship
EuroBasket 1999
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:-5th place bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
while coaching the FR Yugoslavian national basketball team
Serbia national basketball team
The Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches....
, where he was the head coach from 1996-00. He was also the head coach of the Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team
Serbia national basketball team
The Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches....
in 2004-05.
He has been the head coach of Panathinaikos Athens since the summer of 1999, and he has led the team to become the top club in European club basketball during that time, while simultaneously maintaining the club at the top position in the HEBA A1 Greek national championship. In total, Obradović has won 11 Greek Championships, 6 Greek Cups
Greek basketball Cup
The Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
and 5 Euroleague titles (2000, 2002
Euroleague 2001-02
The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The Euroleague season 2001-02 started on October 10, 2001 and ended with the championship final game on May 5, 2002, in PalaMalaguti, Bologna, Italy. 32 teams competed for the championship, which was...
, 2007
Euroleague 2006-07
The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The 2006-2007 season featured 24 competing teams from 13 different countries. The draw for the groups was held on September 14, 2006 in Athens. The competition began on October 24, 2006 at the Olympic...
, 2009
Euroleague 2008-09
The Euroleague 2008-09 season was the ninth international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe under the ULEB umbrella. The season, which featured 24 teams from 13 different countries, culminated in the 2008-09 Euroleague Final Four at the new O2 World arena in Berlin,...
and 2011) with the "Greens". In 2007, he achieved winning the highly coveted Triple Crown
Triple Crown in Basketball
The Triple Crown is a term in European professional club basketball that refers to a club winning their country's top tier national domestic league, primary national domestic cup, and the top tier European continental level competition in the same season. It is the highest accomplishment that a...
championship for the second time as a head coach (the first was in 1992 with Partizan
KK Partizan
Košarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....
) and won the Euroleague Coach of the Year award
Euroleague Coach of the Year Award
The Euroleague Coach of the Year is the annual award introduced in the 2004-05 season. The winner receives the Alexander Gomelsky Trophy, named after the great Russian head coach who among other achievements led ASK Riga to three consecutive Euroleague titles between 1958 and 1960, before adding...
. Also in 2009, he managed for third time this achievement in Berlin as a head coach. In 2011 he won his 8th Euroleague trophy with Panathinaikos. His list of titles is unmatched by any other current European coach.
Trophies and medals
- KK PartizanKK PartizanKošarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....
(1984–91):- Yugoslav Championship (1987)
- Final-four of Euroleague (1988)
- Yugoslav Cup (1989)
- Korać CupKorac CupThe Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
(1989)
- Yugoslav National TeamYugoslavia national basketball teamThe Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
:- 1988 Olympics Basketball TournamentBasketball at the 1988 Summer OlympicsBasketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at the Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. The United States won the gold medal in the women's competition, thus repeating their performance from the 1984 tournament. In the men's tournament, the Soviet Union took home their second gold medal in...
- Silver MedalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats.... - 1990 FIBA World Championship1990 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 1990 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Argentina from August 8 to August 20, 1990.The competition final phase was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires.Yugoslavia emerged as the tournament winner...
- Gold MedalGold MedalGold Medal is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band The Donnas, released in 2004 on Atlantic Records. It was one of the first albums released in the DualDisc format, but was recalled due to a mastering error which resulted in the final track being partially omitted from the CD...
- 1988 Olympics Basketball Tournament
As head coach:
- KK PartizanKK PartizanKošarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....
(1991–93):- Serbian Championship (1992)
- Serbian Cup (1992)
- Euroleague Championship (1992)
- Joventut BadalonaJoventut BadalonaClub Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, playing in the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto . Known to their fans as La Penya , it is one of only three teams that have never been relegated from the top division of the Spanish League...
(1993–94):- Euroleague Championship (1994)
- Real MadridReal Madrid BaloncestoReal Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
(1994–1997):- Euroleague Championship (1995)
- Saporta CupSaporta CupSaporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
(1997)
- Benetton TrevisoPallacanestro TrevisoPallacanestro Treviso, more often known by its sponsorship name of Benetton Basket, or Benetton Treviso, is an Italian Serie A League professional basketball club from Treviso, the headquarters city of its longtime owner Benetton Group...
(1997–99):- Saporta Cup (1999)
- Panathinaikos Athens (1999 - Today):
- Euroleague Championships (5): (2000, 2002Euroleague 2001-02The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The Euroleague season 2001-02 started on October 10, 2001 and ended with the championship final game on May 5, 2002, in PalaMalaguti, Bologna, Italy. 32 teams competed for the championship, which was...
, 2007Euroleague 2006-07The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The 2006-2007 season featured 24 competing teams from 13 different countries. The draw for the groups was held on September 14, 2006 in Athens. The competition began on October 24, 2006 at the Olympic...
, 2009Euroleague 2008-09The Euroleague 2008-09 season was the ninth international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe under the ULEB umbrella. The season, which featured 24 teams from 13 different countries, culminated in the 2008-09 Euroleague Final Four at the new O2 World arena in Berlin,...
, 2011) - Greek Championships (11): (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
- Greek CupsGreek basketball CupThe Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
(6): (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- Euroleague Championships (5): (2000, 2002
- FR Yugoslavia National TeamSerbia national basketball teamThe Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches....
(1996–00)- 1996 Olympics Basketball TournamentBasketball at the 1996 Summer OlympicsBasketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal...
- Silver MedalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats.... - 1997 FIBA European ChampionshipEuroBasket 1997-Venues:The tournament was played at three venues in Spain. Girona and Badalona hosted the first and the second round, while the entire knockout stage was played at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona.-First round:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:...
- Gold MedalGold MedalGold Medal is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band The Donnas, released in 2004 on Atlantic Records. It was one of the first albums released in the DualDisc format, but was recalled due to a mastering error which resulted in the final track being partially omitted from the CD... - 1998 FIBA World Championship1998 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
- Gold Medal - 1999 FIBA European ChampionshipEuroBasket 1999-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:-5th place bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
- Bronze MedalBronze medalA bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
- 1996 Olympics Basketball Tournament