By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
In so doing, Repesa helped Zugic make history. By entering the floor at 15 years and 157 days of age, Zugic became the youngest player to appear in a EuroLeague game this century.
AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan star Mike James was one of the first to congratulate the Zugic on his EuroLeague debut. “Fedor Zugic…. Young fella!!!! Be great young man.. keep working,” James tweeted.
Would Repesa have let Zugic play if the game was, let’s say, 82-80? Most likely not.
These kinds of situations have provided coaches with the opportunity to send youngsters on the court in the past, too. In part, that’s why we’ve seen EuroLeague players debuting at 15 or 16 years of age.
The truth is that the age at which a player makes his EuroLeague debut doesn’t determine his talent or his potential. That’s why the list of the 10 youngest players in EuroLeague history features stars or veterans of the competition, but also several players whose debuts were their sole appearances in the competition.
Fedor Zugic
EuroLeague debut: 15 years, 157 days old
Debut stats: 0 points, 0/0 shots in 42 seconds
A sold-out Zalgirio Arena is the ideal atmosphere for a young player’s first EuroLeague game. And Fedor Zugic experienced exactly that, even though Buducnost didn’t leave Lithuania with a winning result.
Buducnost acquired Zugic after the latter’s rather productive performances (18.9 points, 4.9 rebounds) in last summer’s U16 European championship. He played 13 games in the Montenegrin League on loan to Studentski Centar but now he’s back with Buducnost and competing in the Junior ABA League with the U19 team.
Srdjan Zivkovic
EuroLeague debut: 15 years, 202 days old
Debut stats: 0 points, 0/1 shots in 3:00
Before Friday’s night, Srdjan Zivkovic was the record-holder for being the youngest player to have appeared in a EuroLeague game. Zivkovic did so during an 86-77 win by his team, Partizan Belgrade, over Telindus Oostende in the opening game of the 2001-02 regular season. That was the first and last EuroLeague game for Zivkovic, who parted ways with Partizan in 2003 and then continued his career in various non-EuroLeague Balkan clubs. He last played for Nyon in Switzerland before his retirement.