By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A veteran of 105 EuroCup games, including five with 7bet-Lietkabelis in the 2024-25 installment of the BKT EuroCup, Andrija Stipanovic reunited with Cedevita Olimpija.
The 37-year-old center signed a contract for the rest of the season, the team announced on Monday.
Per the press release: “At the center position, Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team will be reinforced for the remainder of the season by Andrija Stipanović, who returns to Stožice after more than four years and has signed a contract with the Ljubljana club until the end of the 2024/25 season.
Ahead of the continuation of the 2024/25 competitive season, Cedevita Olimpija has strengthened its center position with Andrija Stipanović. He previously played for the Ljubljana Dragons during the 2019/20 season and was also a member of Zagreb’s Cedevita. He spent the start of the current season with Lietkabelis. Stipanović has signed a contract with the Ljubljana club until the end of the season.
“After Derek Ogbeide’s departure, we were looking for another big man. We reviewed our options and decided on Andrija Stipanović. We wanted an experienced player who could contribute to the locker room, but we weren’t looking for someone to play 30 minutes per game, as we want Joan Beringer to continue playing significant minutes. We acquired an experienced player who performed well in the EuroCup for Lietkabelis this season and is in competitive rhythm. He will certainly help us,” said Cedevita Olimpija’s sports director, Chechu Mulero, upon signing Stipanović.
“We have brought in an experienced center who has been playing in the EuroCup for many years. His experience both on the court and in the locker room will undoubtedly help the team. At the same time, we hope that young Joan Beringer will make further progress alongside him. We know Stipanović as a competitive player, and he will definitely help us improve our rotation of big men, an area where we faced significant challenges in the first third of the season,” said Zvezdan Mitrović, head coach of Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team.
“It’s a great feeling to return to Cedevita Olimpija after four years. I’m also happy to see many familiar faces. I know everyone at the club and I’m glad to be here. I hope we finish the season well. The club staff is fantastic, the team is strong, and I’m looking forward to upcoming challenges. I’m eager to take on new challenges and hope to help the team to the best of my ability,” said Andrija Stipanović upon his return to the Dragons’ family.
Andrija Stipanović has been a professional basketball player for nearly two decades, with stints at Hermes, Split, Liège, Caserta, Cremona, Oostende, Trabzonspor, Demir, Cluj, Lietkabelis, Zagreb’s Cedevita, and Cedevita Olimpija during the 2019/20 season. He boasts achievements such as a Croatian national championship title in 2017/18, four Romanian national titles with Cluj, two Croatian and two Romanian Cup titles, and an ABA League SuperCup championship with Zagreb’s Cedevita in 2017, where he was also named MVP of the ABA League SuperCup.
In the 2019/20 season, Stipanović played 10 EuroCup games and 21 ABA League regular-season games for Cedevita Olimpija. In the regional league, he averaged 17.4 minutes per game, scoring 6.1 points, grabbing 3.4 rebounds, and dishing 1.5 assists. In the EuroCup, he averaged just over 20 minutes per game, contributing 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.
During the 2024/25 season with Lietkabelis in the EuroCup, Stipanović appeared in five games. He averaged just under 24 minutes per game, recording 11.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.”
A reunion on Thursday sent 31-year-old Tarik Phillip to Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem for the remainder of the season. In a brief spell, the Brooklyn native started the 2020-21 season with the Israeli club.
Elsewhere in the EuroCup field, Aris Midea completed the signing of 28-year-old Darral Willis on Saturday, following the addition of Sharife Cooper on Thursday.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net