Zoran "Moka" Slavnić (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...

: Зоран Мока Славнић; born 26 October 1949) is a Serbian retired 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 (appro ...

player and coach. He played with Crvena zvezda and with Partizan. One of the best European

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

s of all time, he was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991 and became a FIBA Hall of Fame player in 2013. With Crvena zvezda, he won two Yugoslav National Championships, three Yugoslav National Cups, and one FIBA European Cup Winner's Cup. He also won the Spanish League championship with

Joventut Badalona Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. () is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, playing in the Liga ACB and the EuroCup. Known to their fans as ''La Penya'' (in English, ''The Club''), it is one of only two team ...

. During his basketball career, he played for Crvena zvezda (1967–1977),

(1977–1979), Šibenka (1979–1981), and Partizan (1981–1982). His

head coaches A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

were

Ranko Žeravica Ranko Žeravica ( sr-cyr, Ранко Жеравица; 17 November 1929 – 29 October 2015) was a Serbian professional basketball coach. With a career that spanned over 50 years, he is most noted for his work with the senior Yugoslav national ...

, Zdravko Kubat, and

Mirko Novosel Mirko Novosel (30 June 1938 – 20 July 2023) was a Croatian professional basketball coach and player. Playing career Novosel played club basketball, from 1952 to 1966, with Lokomotiva Zagreb (later changed to KK Cibona Zagreb). Coaching caree ...

. Slavnić was one of the rare players who won everything he could in a career with his

national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...

: 3

EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...

s (

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

), the

FIBA World Cup The FIBA Basketball World Cup is an international basketball competition between the senior men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the sport's global governing body. It takes place every four ye ...

(

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

), and

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

gold (

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

Professional playing career

Club career

Slavnic's biggest successes were achieved in a

Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...

jersey, as during the 1967–1977 period, he won two Yugoslavia League championships, three Yugoslavian Cups, and the FIBA European Cup Winner's Cup (later renamed FIBA Saporta Cup). Together with

Dragan Kapičić Dragan Kapičić ( sr-cyr, Драган Капичић; 7 August 1948 – 24 June 2024) was a Serbian professional basketball player and executive. Club career Kapičić played with Crvena zvezda, in his hometown of Belgrade, in the Yugoslav ...

, Duci Simonović, and

Vladimir Cvetković Vladimir Cvetković ( sr-cyr, Владимир Цветковић; born 24 May 1941) is a Serbian former basketball player and sports administrator who is the honorary president of Crvena zvezda. He played with KK Crvena zvezda for 13 seasons. W ...

, he was a member of one of greatest team in Red Star's history. While playing for Joventut, he helped the Spanish side to win the country's Spanish League championship in 1978, for the second time in the club's history. After that, he came back to Yugoslav basketball, playing for Sibenka, and after that, he played with Caserta in the Italian 2nd Division. He finished his playing career in that club, but after a short period in Red Star's biggest rivals, Partizan Belgrade. Together with legendary Yugoslav

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

, professor Aca Nikolić, he's the only person who both played and coached, Red Star and Partizan.

National team career

Slavnić played in 179

games A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ...

with the senior Yugoslavian national team, and scored 1,465 points. He's one of the rare players with gold medals from the

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The 1896 Summer Olympics, inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, ...

, the

, and the

FIBA EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...

. He won three EuroBasket titles, 1973 in Barcelona, 1975 in Belgrade, and 1977 in Liege. He won the gold at the FIBA World Cup, in Manila in 1978, and Olympic gold, in Moscow in 1980.

Coaching career

Clubs

Slavnić coached Šibenka, Partizan Belgrade, Jugoplastika, Malaga,

, Dafni,

, Iraklis, Brose Baskets Bamberg, and

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditio ...

Serbian national team

Unanimously, the executive board of the Serbian Basketball Federation, decided on 29 May 2007, that Slavnić should be the

of the first senior national team of Serbia; after the

state union A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller politics or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal govern ...

with

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

had ceased to exist. After numerous "thanks, but no thanks" decisions of experienced players, who didn't want to participate at

EuroBasket 2007 The 2007 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2007, was the 35th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – ...

, Slavnić selected Milan Gurović, Marko Jarić, Darko Miličić, and nine debutantes, who later became standard members of the senior Serbian national team. But, due to defeats to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, who went on to take the title, then

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, who were the defending European champions, and won in overtime, and

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, Serbia were eliminated in the first phase of the continental championship. The Serbian Basketball Federation decided on 26 September 2007, to look for a new head coach.

Miscellaneous

Together with his dribbling, Zoran Slavnić had three moves that were highlights of his career: * 1975 - He scored over his own head against

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, at the 1975 EuroBasket, in Belgrade, * 1976 - He scored one second before the end of regulation against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and won the game that sent

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

to the semifinals of the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, in Montreal. * 1977 - He passed the ball like

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

players do, to

Dragan Kićanović Dragan Kićanović (; born 17 August 1953) is a Serbian and Yugoslav retired professional basketball player. A tall shooting guard, Kićanović played in the 1970s and 1980s, and is considered to be one of the best European players and scorers ...

, while playing against the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, in the finals of the 1977 EuroBasket, in Liege. * The Spaniards called him, "The Eccentric Genius", due to his original style of play. His personal motto during his playing days was, "This is all just a game." * 1991 -

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...

announced that Slavnić was among the 50 Greatest Players in FIBA History. * 2007 - Serbian authorities announced that Slavnić was among those who would receive "national sports recognition for his contribution to the development and affirmation of sport." * 2013 -

made Slavnić a FIBA Hall of Fame player. Although he was inducted as a player, his career as a

was also considered, having trained numerous young players that later went on to become stars, such as

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 with Cibona and Real Madri ...

, Saša Đorđević, Saša Obradović, Toni Kukoč, and

Dino Rađa Dino Rađa (alternatively Radja, ; born 24 April 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 champ ...

Personal life

In June 2022, Slavnić had a hip surgery.

References

External links

FIBA profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slavnic, Zoran 1949 births Living people Baloncesto Málaga coaches Basketball players at the 1976 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1980 Summer Olympics Brose Baskets coaches KK Beopetrol/Atlas Beograd coaches Dafni B.C. coaches FIBA Hall of Fame inductees Iraklis Thessaloniki B.C. coaches Joventut Badalona coaches Joventut Badalona players KK Beobanka coaches KK Crvena zvezda head coaches KK Crvena zvezda players KK Partizan coaches KK Partizan players KK Šibenik players KK Šibenik coaches KK Split coaches Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics Olympic basketball players for Yugoslavia Olympic gold medalists for Yugoslavia Olympic medalists in basketball Olympic silver medalists for Yugoslavia Point guards Serbia national basketball team coaches Serbian expatriate basketball people in Croatia Serbian expatriate basketball people in Germany Serbian expatriate basketball people in Greece Serbian expatriate basketball people in Italy Serbian expatriate basketball people in Spain Serbian men's basketball coaches Serbian men's basketball players Basketball players from Belgrade Yugoslav basketball coaches Yugoslav men's basketball players 1974 FIBA World Championship players 1978 FIBA World Championship players FIBA World Championship–winning players