By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
The legendary Serbian player and now coach Aleksandar ‘Sasa’ Djordjevic took over Segafredo Virtus Bologna in front of one of the most important games for the club this season, against Le Mans in Basketball Champions League playoffs.
It was Game 2 of Round of 16 and winning it was a must in order to advance to quarterfinals since Game 1, in France, ended in a tie (74-74). And the Italian squad delivered with a huge 81-58 win in front of the home crowd. Djordjevic may not have had time to change much but it seems his presence gave the players much needed boost in motivation and focus.
And it doesn’t come as a surprise. After all, everybody wants to impress the coach, especially when he is also one of the best guards to ever play in Europe and left his mark all over the ‘old continent’.
From untalented to legendary
It may be hard to believe from today’s perspective after his 20-year-long title-rich career but Aleksandar Djordjevic was thought of as untalented when he first started out as a ten-year-old in Crvena Zvezda (1977). However, he kept going and six years later joined Partizan. He stayed there until 1992 and that last season was where legends and the legend was born.
The early ’90s were tough years for former Yugoslavia which was torn with civil wars. That also affected basketball as not all games could be played regularly, especially those between teams from different countries. In fact, Partizan had to play all 1991-1992 FIBA European League (now EuroLeague) games in Fuenlabrada, Spain. Despite all that, the squad coached by young Zeljko Obradovic (current Fenerbahce coach) went all the way becoming the European champions and Djordjevic delivered it with one of the most historic ‘daggers’.
On April 16, 1992, in Istanbul’s Abdi Ipekci Arena (demolished in 2018), Partizan and Joventut clashed in the Final. Spaniards scored a tough layup to go ahead 70-68 with eight seconds left but Djordjevic had the final say. He took the ball, drove coast-to-coast near the right sideline, stopped at the three-point line and soared up for a jump-shot which gave Partizan the only EuroLeague title in club history.
In 1997, Djordjevic made the same shot once again but this time for the national team. Yugoslavia clashed with Croatia (first game between the two since countries’ separation) in EuroBasket and the latter was ahead 62-61 with four seconds remaining. However, Djordjevic spoiled their celebrations.
And that shot became his ‘signature move’. Djordjevic won 11 trophies with his clubs and six medals with the national team along with various individual honors along the way as he even broke records but, one could argue, those three-pointers made him a legend. He retired in 2005 with an exhibition game in Belgrade after which, Djordjevic repeated the shot which made him famous one last time nailing it in the first attempt, saying goodbye the best possible way.
Learning the art of coaching and ‘painting Serbia in silver’
Although Djordjevic said on an occasion during his playing days that he won’t become a coach after retiring, it looks like he couldn’t resist. Following his last playing season in Olimpia Milano, Djordjevic joined the team’s coaching staff and eventually became the head coach in January 2006 but parted ways at the end of the season.
After a four-year break, he took over Benetton Treviso keeping the club out of the relegation zone despite a financial crisis which was also one of the reasons he decided to leave next summer.
It seemed Djordjevic was out of luck and wouldn’t become as great of a coach as he was the player but it wouldn’t be the first time he was underestimated. Besides, the national team has always been his pride and glory and he always stepped up for his country when it was most needed. And he did so as the coach as well.
Serbia was in a ‘slump’ since competing under that name (since 2006) failing to produce significant results in continuity and missing two Olympic Games in a row (2008, 2012). Djordjevic took over in 2013 and led the national team to three silver medals – 2014 World Cup, 2016 Olympics, and 2017 EuroBasket.
During that time, Djordjevic also had stints with Panathinaikos (2015-16) with which he won the Greek Cup and with Bayern Munich (2016-18) which won the German Cup after a 50-year drought and had one of the most successful seasons in club history, however, elimination in EuroCup semifinals along with some strained inner relationships between the management and coaching staff, led to Djordjevic leaving the team.
After a year off and helping Serbia through the FIBA windows to qualify for the 2019 World Cup, Djordjevic returned to Italy taking over Segafredo Virtus Bologna, in a city well-known to him since he played there as a player in 1994-1996 but for local-rival Fortitudo Bologna which now plays in the Italian second division.
Djordjevic is well aware of the club’s big title-filled history and judging by their start against Le Mans, he might be the final puzzle piece to help them get back to the very top of European basketball…
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League