Lou Stefanovic should not be confused with Ljubiša Stevanović.
| Lou Stefanovic | |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 8 |
| Weight Lbs: | 220 |
| Birth Place: | Aleksinac, NR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia |
| Nationality: | Serbian / American |
| High School: | Merrillville (Merrillville, Indiana) |
| College: | Illinois State (1981–1985) |
| Draft Year: | 1985 |
| Draft Round: | 4 |
| Draft Pick: | 97 |
| Draft Team: | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Career Number: | 35, 43 |
| Career Position: | Small forward |
| Career Start: | 1985 |
| Career End: | 1990 |
| Years1: | 1985–1986 |
| Team1: | Crvena zvezda |
| Highlights: |
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Ljubiša Stefanović (Serbian: Љубиша Стефановић, pronounced as /ʎǔbiʃa stefǎːnoʋitɕ/; born 1963), commonly known as Lou Stefanovic, is a Serbian-American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois State.
In 1981, Stefanovic went on to play for Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. As a senior with the Redbirds in the 1984–85 season, Stefanovic averaged team-high 17.5 points and seven rebounds per game and was named to the Missouri Valley All-Second Team.[1] [2]
Stefanovic was selected with the 97th overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1985 NBA draft.[3] Following the draft, Stefanovic officially signed for a club in the Spanish ACB League. Few days before the start of the 1985–86 season, he signed a deal with Crvena zvezda of the Yugoslav Basketball League. Afterwards, he had stints in France, Switzerland, and Italy.[4]
In summer 1983, Stefanovic was an initial roster member for the Yugoslavia University team, but failed to make the final 12-man roster led by Dražen Petrović for the 1983 Summer Universiade in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.[4]
Stefanovic's grandfather Branko was a native of Serbia who fought in World War II before emigrating to Gary, Indiana to find work in the steel mills. His father Zoran received a visa to the United States in February 1970 and brought him as a young child.[5] [6]
Stefanovic married Helen, with whom he has two sons, Dejan (b. 1994) and Sasha (b. 1998). Sasha played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers.[6] [7] [8]