Željko Pavličević (born 26 March 1951) is a Croatian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

coach and former player. He currently serves as the head coach for

ASEAN Basketball League The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) is a professional men's basketball league in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong/Macau, which includes six teams from Southeast Asian nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), one tea ...

Eastern Long Lions.

Early life

Pavličević began playing basketball in 1969 for the junior team of Lokomotiva in the city of

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

. He was studying at the Faculty of Chemical Technology at the basketball school.

Coaching career

Cibona

Having passed all the categories in the club, (cadets, juniors etc.) in 1975, Pavličević became

Mirko Novosel Mirko Novosel (born 30 June 1938) is a Croatian former professional basketball coach and player. Novosel coached some of the greatest players in former Yugoslavia and Croatia, such as Croatian Hall of Fame players Krešimir Ćosić and Dražen Pe ...

's assistant coach in the senior team of

Cibona Košarkaški klub Cibona, commonly referred to as Cibona Zagreb or simply Cibona, is a men's professional basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. The club is a founding member and shareholder of the Adriatic Basketball Association, and competes ...

(until then WIT). In 1984–85 he was promoted to head coach, but only in domestic competitions (in EuroLeague led Mirko Novosel). In his first season as head coach with Cibona, won the

Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup ( hr, Pokal Jugoslavije; sr, Куп Југославије; sl, Pokal Jugoslavije, mk, Куп на Југославија), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Kup kralja Aleksandra, ...

and the

Yugoslav League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...

(against Jugoplastika &

Crvena zvezda Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in B ...

). As assistant coach he took part in the winning of the first title of European Champions Cup (the predecessor of today's EuroLeague) with Cibona in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Peace and Friendship Stadium The Peace and Friendship Stadium ( el, Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας, Stadio Eirinis kai Philias), commonly known by its acronym SEF, is a multi-purpose indoor arena that is located in Piraeus, on the coastal zone of Attica, Gre ...

against

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...

. The following season, (1985–86) as head coach of Cibona both in domestic and European competitions and with the roster weakened by the loss of

Andro Knego Andrija "Andro" Knego (born 21 October 1956) is a Croatian former professional basketball player. Professional career During his club career, Knego was the FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer, in 1982. Yugoslavian national team Knego played with ...

in Cajamadrid, but refreshed with newcomer

Dražen Petrović Dražen Petrović (; 22 October 1964 – 7 June 1993) was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s, before joining the Natio ...

, won the Yugoslav Cup and became back to back European champion in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

against the Soviet champions Žalgiris. This match was marked by the participation of the two best European players, Petrović and the Lithuanian center

Arvydas Sabonis Arvydas Romas Sabonis (; born December 19, 1964) is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and businessman. Recognized as one of the best European players of all time, he won the Euroscar six times and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He ...

Spain

After the three seasons with Cibona, Pavličević accepted his first international bid and coached the Spanish club OAR Ferrol, later becoming the club's sports director. During the 1989–90 season, he was hired by the Spanish first league club of Taugrés Vitoria.

Pop 84

In the summer of 1990, Pavličević accepted the offer from back-to-back European champions of Pop 84 the former Jugoplastika to lead the team following the exodus of

Dino Rađa Dino Rađa (Anglicized: Dino Radja, ; born April 24, 1967) is a Croatian former professional basketball player. He was a member of the Jugoplastika team of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which he helped to win two FIBA European Champions Cup ...

( il Messaggero Roma),

Duško Ivanović Duško Ivanović (born September 1, 1957) is a Montenegrin professional basketball coach and former player who currently serves as head coach for Crvena zvezda of the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague. Professional playing career As a player, I ...

(

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan language, Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter River, Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in ...

) and Goran Sobin (

Aris Aris or ARIS may refer to: People * Aris (surname) Given name * Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer * Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player * Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano * Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter * Aris Howard, Former President of the Jama ...

). Despite the changes, Pop 84 dominated and won all three trophies. Yugoslav Cup (finals with Cibona), the Yugoslav League (final playoffs against the rising power of Partizan) and third European title for the club and other personal title against

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. He was awarded coach of the year. Players included

Toni Kukoč Toni Kukoč, nicknamed ''“The Waiter”'' (; born September 18, 1968) is a Croatian-American former professional basketball player who serves as Special Advisor to Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls. After a highly successful perio ...

Zoran Savić Zoran Savić ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран Савић; born November 18, 1966) is a Serbian professional basketball executive and former professional player who is currently the sports director for Partizan Belgrade of the Serbian KLS, the Adriatic Lea ...

Velimir Perasović Velimir Perasović (; born 9 February 1965) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player. He is serving as the head coach for the Russian team UNICS Kazan of the VTB United League and the EuroLeague. Early life Perasović was bo ...

Zoran Sretenović Zoran Sretenović ( sr-cyr, Зоран Сретеновић; 5 August 1964 – 28 April 2022) was a Serbian basketball coach and player. Playing career Sretenović played for several clubs in his country and abroad, most notably with Jugoplast ...

Žan Tabak Žan Tabak (born 15 June 1970) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who last served as the head coach for San Pablo Burgos of the Liga ACB. His basketball career, spanning twenty years, was marked by several notable achie ...

Petar Naumoski Petar "Pece" Naumoski ( mk, Петар "Пеце" Наумоски; born 27 August 1968) is a former Macedonian professional basketball player. At a height of 1.95 m (6'4 ") tall, and a weight of 95 kg (210 lbs.). He played mainly at th ...

and

Luka Pavićević Luka Pavićević ( sr-cyr, Лука Павићевић; born 17 June 1968) is a Montenegrin professional basketball coach and former player. Most lately, he served as the head coach for Alvark Tokyo of the B.League. Professional career A point ...

Božidar Maljković Božidar "Boža" Maljković ( sr-cyr, Божидар Божа Маљковић; born 20 April 1952) is a Serbian former professional basketball coach and current president of the Olympic Committee of Serbia. He is one of the most successful bask ...

led Barcelona, which is connected to Split by winning the previous two league titles in Europe.

Panathinaikos

For the 1991–92 season, Pavličević joined

Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...

and created the backbone of the club's future success. In 1992–93 with the arrival of

Nikos Galis Nikolaos Georgalis ( el, Νικόλαος Γεωργαλής; born July 23, 1957), commonly known as either Nikos Galis ( el, Νίκος Γκάλης), or Nick Galis, is a retired Greek professional basketball player. Galis, who during his playin ...

Stojan Vranković Stojan () is a masculine given name of Slavic origin. Notable people with the name include: *Stojan Gjuroski (born 1991), basketball player *Stojan Andov (born 1935), politician *Stojan Aralica (1883–1980), painter *Stojan Čupić (1765–1815), ...

Arijan Komazec Arijan Komazec (born January 23, 1970) is a retired Croatian professional basketball player. Professional career Komazec started his professional career as a basketball player at the age of 16, in the historical club of Zadar, in the 1986–87 s ...

and

Tiit Sokk Tiit Sokk (born 15 November 1964) is a retired Estonian professional basketball player and current coach. Often cited as one of the very best European point guards of his generation, he is widely recognized as the greatest Estonian basketball p ...

the team won only the

Greek Cup The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation. The Greek Cup is the second most im ...

against

. The Championship final against arch-rival

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...

was controversial, given the club's decision not to play a third decisive game. The next season (1993–94) despite the coming of Alexander Volkov and participation in the Final Four of Tel Aviv, he was fired in late 1993.

Decline

Pavličević was sports director of selection for the Basketball Association of Croatia from 1996 to 1998. At the invitation of Croatia Osiguranje during the 1996–97 season he coached the team again. In early 2003 Japanese Basketball Federation offered him a position coaching the Japanese national basketball team. It was a cycle of four years as a preparation for the World Basketball Championship in Japan in 2006. The national team progressed significantly, and held the largest seminar for coaches in the history of Japan with over 900 participants. In 2007–08 he coached

, with which he won the

Krešimir Ćosić Cup The Krešimir Ćosić Cup, or Croatian Basketball Cup, is the national basketball cup of Croatia. It is named after the Croatian basketball player Krešimir Ćosić. The cup has been contested since 1992. Title holders * 1991–92: Slobodna Dalm ...

, the first trophy in the club's history. At the invitation of Shimane Susanoo Club Magica, member BJL (Japanese professional league) in summer 2010, he became head coach and remained for three seasons, reaching the playoffs each season. He coached

Wakayama Trians The Wakayama Trians are a basketball team based in Wakayama, Wakayama, formerly playing in the National Basketball League (Japan). Notable players * Cyril Awere *Paul Butorac (basketball) *Ace Custis *Takuya Kawamura *Zane Knowles * Yoshifumi Nak ...

NBL National basketball L. Japan in 2013–14.

Coaching record

, - , style="text-align:left;",

Shimane Susanoo Magic Shimane Susanoo Magic (島根スサノオマジック) is a Japanese professional basketball team in Japan's top-tier basketball competition, the B.League. The team is based in Shimane Prefecture with its home arena in Matsue City, but with a fo ...

, style="text-align:left;", 2010–11 , 50, , 24, , 26, , , , style="text-align:center;", 6th in Western, , , 2, , 0, , 2, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in 1st round , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , 52, , 28, , 24, , , , style="text-align:center;", 6th in Western, , , 3, , 1, , 2, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in 1st round , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , 52, , 33, , 19, , , , style="text-align:center;", 3rd in Western, , , 4, , 2, , 2, , , style="text-align:center;", Lost in 2nd round , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , 54, , 41, , 13, , , , style="text-align:center;", 1st in Western, , , 6, , 2, , 4, , , style="text-align:center;", Runners-up in NBL , - , - , style="text-align:left;",

Chiba Jets Chiba Jets Funabashi ( ja, 千葉ジェッツふなばし) is a Japanese professional basketball team located in Funabashi, Chiba. The team joined the JBL Super League in 2005 and currently competes in the B.League. The 31,000sqm Lala Arena Toky ...

, style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , 34, , 13, , 21, , , , style="text-align:center;", Fired, , , -, , -, , -, , , style="text-align:center;", - , - , - , style="text-align:left;",

Bambitious Nara The Bambitious Nara is a professional basketball team that competes in the second division of the Japanese B.League. Roster Notable players *Jamar Abrams *Ruben Boykin * *Josh Dollard * Gary Hamilton *Charles Hinkle * Adrian Mo ...

, style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , 34, , 7, , 27, , , , style="text-align:center;", Fired, , , -, , -, , -, , , style="text-align:center;", - , - , - , -

Career achievements

Club competitions

* FIBA European Champions Cup: 2 (with

: 1985–86 and Pop 84: 1990–91) *

: 2 (with

: 1984–85 and Pop 84: 1990–91) *

: 3 (with

: 1984–85, 1985–86 and Pop 84: 1990–91) *

: 1 (with

: 1992–93) *

Croatian Cup Croatian Cup may refer to: *Croatian Football Cup *Croatian Football Super Cup * Croatian Women's Football Cup *Croatian Basketball Cup, also known as Krešimir Ćosić Cup *Croatian Handball Cup *Croatian Water Polo Cup *Croatian Minute Movie Cup ...