By George Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net
The countdown for Olympiacos’s important friendly game in honor of Dusan Ivkovic is approaching and some of the greatest personalities in European basketball but also European tennis will be at the Peace and Friendship Stadium (20/9).
How could it be otherwise when we are dealing with a coach who has experienced so many achievements with the teams he has worked in and who has helped the sport of basketball make strides like few others have?
Eurohoops remembers and presents the milestones of Dusan Ivkovic’s coaching career, from the magical moments with the national team of Yugoslavia to the unforgettable runs with Olympiacos and Partizan.
The “small” Triple Crown with Partizan (1978-1979)
Partizan might be going through one of the worst periods in their history, but it wasn’t always so. The onetime pride of Serbian basketball experienced unique moments in the past, some of which carry the signature of the one and only Dusan Ivkovic.
More specifically, in the 1978-1979 season, the then 35-year-old “Duda” showed some first signs of his gift by leading his team to a triple crown, celebrating the championship, the cup, as well as the Korac Cup, all within a few weeks.
This initial success shaped, to a great extent, the subsequent philosophy of the great coach who, at a very young age, added to his list of achievements an important distinction and laid the groundwork for his career… to take off.
The silver in the Olympic Games in Seoul (1988)
Dusan Ivkovic undertook the difficult task of leading the national team of Yugoslavia shortly after the bronze medal in the 1987 EuroBasket and the successes didn’t take long to come. The starting point was the Olympic Games of 1988, where the “Plavi” climbed on the second step of the podium after losing 76-63 to the Soviet Union in the final.
The team might have overflowed with talent, with players such as Petrovic, Kukoc, Divac, Radja, Vrankovic, Paspalj and others, but Duda’s presence on the bench played an equally important part. The evening of 30 September 1988 was, in essence, only the beginning of everything that was to follow in the coming years at the international level.
Dusan Ivkovic’s Yugoslavia at the top of Europe (1989)
What the national team of Yugoslavia couldn’t do in the EuroBasket in Athens and the Olympic Games in Seoul, they did against Greece in the EuroBasket of 1988. In the big final that took place in Zagreb, Dusan Ivkovic’s amazing squad prevailed over the Greek national team and as a result celebrated the coveted gold medal.
The final score of 98-77 doesn’t allow the slightest doubt as to the superiority of the Plavi, with Petrovic (28 points) and Divac (25 points) having an amazing night against the usual suspect, Nikos Galis (30 points), but also Panagiotis Fasoulas (22 points).
It’s worth noting that Yugoslavia was winning a medal for the third summer in a row (1987, 1988, 1989), while Dusan Ivkovic’s term was already considered absolutely successful.
Duda’s first gold in a World Championship (1990)
After recently reaching the top, Dusan Ivkovic and his players were facing yet another challenge. To stay on the highest step of the podium and in fact in a competition that was more difficult, the World Championship.
The one and only defeat from Puerto Rico wasn’t enough to stop the amazing run of the Yugoslavs, who overcame the obstacle of the United States (99-91) in the semifinal and then completed their triumph against the Soviet Union (92-75) two days later.
Now, Duda’s name had become synonymous with the achievements of the national team, which, except for the Dream Team of 1992, could not be matched in terms of talent.
