Nikola Vujčić (born 14 June 1978) is a Croatian former 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 ...
player, and the current
team manager
A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...
of the Israeli club
Maccabi Tel Aviv. During his playing career, at a height of 2.11 m (6' 11") tall, he played at both the
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
and
power forward positions. As a player, he was a two-time
EuroLeague champion (
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
,
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
), a five-time
All-EuroLeague Team
The All-EuroLeague Team is an award for Europe's premier level league, the EuroLeague, that is given to the league's top ten basketball players for each season, since the 2000–01 season. During the FIBA era of the EuroLeague, players were honor ...
selection (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), and was voted as a member of the
EuroLeague 2000–10 All-Decade Team. He was also the 2006
Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals MVP.
Vujčić was the first player in the
EuroLeague's
current era (2000–present), to achieve a
triple-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
. On 3 November 2005, he helped in Maccabi Tel Aviv's 95–68 win versus the Polish club
Prokom Trefl Sopot, with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. On 30 November 2006, Vujčić recorded another triple-double, the second in the EuroLeague's current era (2000–present), in Maccabi Tel Aviv's 110–87 win over the Slovenian club
Union Olimpija
Košarkarski klub Olimpija ( en, Olimpija Basketball Club) was a men's professional basketball club based in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Olimpija has won 23 National League championships, including eight consecutive titles between 1992 and 1999. They ...
, with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Professional playing career
Vujčić made his professional club debut with the Croatian club
KK Split
Košarkaški klub Split ( en, Split Basketball Club), commonly referred to as KK Split or simply Split, is a men's professional basketball club based in Split, Croatia. The club competes in the ABA League and the Croatian League.
History
The ...
, in the 1995–96 season, after coming up through the youth teams of the club. He played with Split through the 2000–01 season. As a member of Split, he wore the number 7 jersey that had once belonged to the former Split star and former
NBA player,
Toni Kukoč. With Split, Vujčić twice appeared in the
Croatian League playoff's finals. With the club at the European-wide level, he also played in 28
FIBA Saporta Cup
The FIBA Saporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European-wide professional club basketball competition, where the domestic National Cup winners, from all over Europe, played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA E ...
games (2nd European Level), in 23
FIBA SuproLeague games, and in 34
EuroLeague games (1st European level).
In 2001, he was signed by the Israeli club
Maccabi Tel Aviv, as a replacement for
Nate Huffman, who was expected to leave the club. At the last moment though, Huffman decided to return to the club for one more season, so Maccabi sent Vujčić on
loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...
to the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
club
ASVEL Villeurbanne. Vujčić helped ASVEL win the
French League The French League (: "French League for purging, mutual aid and European collaboration") was a collaborationist
Wartime collaboration is cooperation with the enemy against one's country of citizenship in wartime, and in the words of historian G ...
championship, for the first time in 21 years. He also played in 14 EuroLeague games that season (2 with Maccabi and 12 with ASVEL), in which he averaged 15.7 points and 6.4
rebounds
'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
per game.
With Maccabi Tel Aviv, From 2002 to 2008, he won two
EuroLeague championships (
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
and
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
), five
Israeli Super League
The Israeli Premier League ( he, ליגת העל, ''Ligat Ha`Al'', ), is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested b ...
championships, four
Israeli State Cups, and one
Israeli League Cup. He was also the 2006
Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals MVP.
On 18 June 2008, he signed a two-year contract, worth
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
4.5 million
net income
In business and accounting, net income (also total comprehensive income, net earnings, net profit, bottom line, sales profit, or credit sales) is an entity's income minus cost of goods sold, expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest ...
, with the
Greek Basket League
The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...
club
Olympiacos Piraeus. On 25 October 2010, he signed a contract with the
Turkish Super League club
Efes Pilsen
Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.''(lit. Anadolu Efes Brewery and Malt Industries)'' produces and markets beer and malt and non-alcoholic beverages in a wide geographical area comprising Turkey, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independ ...
. After playing with
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
, from 2011 to 2013, he announced his retirement from playing professional basketball.
National team playing career
As a member of the senior
Croatian national team, Vujčić played at the
1999 EuroBasket, the
2001 EuroBasket, the
2005 EuroBasket, and the
2009 EuroBasket
The 2009 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2009, was the 36th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Poland, began on 7 September and concluded with the ...
.
Managerial and player developmental career
After he retired from playing professional basketball, Vujcic opened up his own basketball academy, in his home-town of
Split, Croatia
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, settlement_type = City
, anthem = ''Marjane, Marjane''
, image_skyline =
, imagesize = 267px
, image_caption = Top: Nighttime view of Split from Mosor; 2nd row: Cathedra ...
, where he would go on to help train young players to improve their basketball skills. Two of the main prospects to have been a part of the academy were
Dragan Bender
Dragan Bender (born 17 November 1997) is a Croatian professional basketball player for Monbus Obradoiro of the Spanish Liga ACB. He stands and plays the power forward and center positions. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the fourth ...
, who eventually became the number 4 overall pick of the
2016 NBA draft, and
Ante Žižić
Ante Toni Žižić (; born 4 January 1997) is a Croatian professional basketball player for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL) and the Euroleague. He was selected 23rd overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA draft.
...
, who was drafted 23rd overall in the same draft.
In the 2013–14 season, Vujčić returned to one of his former clubs from his playing days,
Maccabi Tel Aviv, to work as the
team's manager. After he took over that position, Maccabi Tel Aviv went through an historic down period for the club, as at one point, the team had failed to win three consecutive
Israeli national league championships (2015–2017), and at another point, had also failed to reach the
EuroLeague's postseason phase four years in a row (2016–2019). Subsequently, many Israeli
sports journalists and basketball analysts claimed that the team's inability to achieve its goals was due to the policies that had been implemented by Vujčić.
Personal life
Vujčić, was born in
Vrgorac
Vrgorac (, it, Vergoraz) is a town in Croatia in the Split-Dalmatia County.
Demographics
The total population of Vrgorac is 6,572 (census 2011), in the following settlements:
* Banja, population 202
* Dragljane, population 52
* Draževit ...
, in inland
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...
,
SR Croatia
The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), or SR Croatia, was a constituent republic and federated state of the Sociali ...
, in the former
SFR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
. On 17 January 2018, after he had lived in Israel for 10 years, the
Israeli Ministry of Interior
The Ministry of Interior ( he, משרד הפנים, ''Misrad HaPnim''; ar, وزارة الداخلية) in the State of Israel is one of the government offices that is responsible for local government, citizenship and residency, identity card ...
granted a temporary Israeli citizenship to Vujčić and his family, after he had requested it.
Career statistics
EuroLeague
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2001–02
, style="text-align:left;",
ASVEL
ASVEL Basket, commonly known as ASVEL or sometimes as ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, and also known as LDLC ASVEL for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional basketball team that is located in the city of Villeurbanne, which is a suburb of Lyon, ...
, 14 , , 2 , , 26.2 , , .516 , , .263 , , .714 , , 6.4 , , 1.6 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 15.7 , , 19.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2002–03
, style="text-align:left;",
Maccabi
, 20 , , 16 , , 28.5 , , .551 , , .386 , , .691 , , 7.1 , , 1.8 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , 17.6 , , 21.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;",
2003–04†
, style="text-align:left;", Maccabi
, 21 , , 21 , , 34.9 , , .548 , , .226 , , .800 , , 6.9 , , 3.0 , , .9 , , .8 , , 16.8 , , 20.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;",
2004–05†
, style="text-align:left;", Maccabi
, 21 , , 21 , , 26.4 , , .581 , , .391 , , .726 , , 5.6 , , 3.0 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , 13.9 , , 17.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2005–06
, style="text-align:left;", Maccabi
, 24 , , 24 , , 31.2 , , .458 , , .405 , , .656 , , 5.7 , , 3.9 , , .9 , , .9 , , 11.9 , , 15.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2006–07
, style="text-align:left;", Maccabi
, 22 , , 22 , , 31.0 , , .541 , , .467 , , .745 , , 7.6 , , 3.9 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , 14.9 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 21.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2007–08
, style="text-align:left;", Maccabi
, 12 , , 9 , , 21.0 , , .544 , , .400 , , .559 , , 4.3 , , 3.2 , , .7 , , .2 , , 9.6 , , 11.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2008–09
, style="text-align:left;",
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 numbe ...
, 21 , , 20 , , 22.2 , , .553 , , .250 , , .645 , , 3.8 , , 2.6 , , .8 , , .5 , , 11.4 , , 13.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2009–10
, style="text-align:left;", Olympiacos
, 22 , , 1 , , 14.3 , , .584 , , .000 , , .577 , , 2.7 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .3 , , 7.4 , , 8.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Efes Pilsen
Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.''(lit. Anadolu Efes Brewery and Malt Industries)'' produces and markets beer and malt and non-alcoholic beverages in a wide geographical area comprising Turkey, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independ ...
, 15 , , 14 , , 18.1 , , .411 , , .000 , , .697 , , 3.1 , , 2.1 , , .6 , , .2 , , 6.5 , , 6.7
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:left;", Career
, style="text-align:left;",
, 192 , , 150 , , 25.8 , , .532 , , .345 , , .695 , , 5.4 , , 2.7 , , .9 , , .6 , , 12.7 , , 15.9
References
External links
Nikola Vujčićat basket.co.il
Nikola Vujčićat euroleague.net
at fiba.archive.com
at fibaeurope.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vujcic, Nikola
1978 births
Living people
ABA League players
Anadolu Efes S.K. players
ASVEL Basket players
Basketball executives
Basketball players from Split, Croatia
Centers (basketball)
Croatian men's basketball players
Croatian expatriates in France
Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Greece
Croatian expatriates in Israel
Croatian expatriates in Turkey
Greek Basket League players
Israeli Basketball Premier League players
KK Split players
Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players
Olympiacos B.C. players
Power forwards (basketball)