By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A monument dedicated to the founders of the Serbian and Yugoslavian basketball was revealed today at Belgrade between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda’s open courts at the Kalemegdan Park. The event also celebrated Serbia’s friendship with France, because French coach Henri Hell led Yugoslavia to the first World Cup in 1950 with four future FIBA Hall of Famers, Borislav Stankovic, Radomir Saper, Aleksandar Nikolic and Nebojsa Popovic.
Natasa Kovacevic that survived a terrifying car crash and become the first player that played an official game with a prosthetic leg took the initiative for this monument. During its revealing she said: “The monument is dedicated to the team that played in the first World Cup in Buenos Aires. Henri Hell was the head coach of the team with mainly Crvena Zvezda and Partizan players. These people represented our country for years. Henri Hell was the only coach that had four future members of the FIBA Hall of Fame in his squad”.
Jean-Pierre Siutat of the French Federation of Basketball added: “As a kid I adored what people of this area could do. I couldn’t imagine that I would be here today, where so many great players started their journeys. Everyone remembers what happened the day before Serbia’s game with France in the 2013 EuroBasket. When we found out that a kid was injured and what happened to Natasa, we immediately knew that we had to help. France is a country with 285.000 female players. We invited Natasa to Paris, we helped her get the prosthetic leg and every other way we could so she could realize her dream and play basketball again. We are very happy we brought a smile back on a young woman’s face. Natasa is a hero, we stole her and all these years she’s a part of French sports”.
Basketball Federation of Serbia president, Predrag Danilovic, mentioned: “I trained in these courts for many hours. I would first play at Partizan’s side and continue on Crvena Zvezda’s side after the sunrise. I almost feel like home here. It’s very important we took down the fence between the two courts. Now, the youngsters could easily use both. I’m lucky I met Borislav Stankovic, all of these four legends. I was even closer with two of them, Aleksandar Nikolic and Radomir Saper, but I massively respect both Nebojsa Popovic and Borislav Stankovic”.
