Mirza Begić Explained

Height M:2.16
Weight Kg:120
Birth Date:1985 7, df=y
Birth Place:Bijeljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina,
SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality:Slovenian
Draft Year:2007
Career Start:2003
Career End:2020
Career Number:14, 15, 16, 25
Career Position:Center
Years1:2003–2004
Team1:Triglav Kranj
Years2:2004–2006
Team2:Virtus Bologna
Years3:2004–2005
Team3:→ Huy Basket
Years4:2006–2007
Team4:Geoplin Slovan
Years5:2007–2009
Team5:Union Olimpija
Years6:2009–2010
Team6:Žalgiris
Years7:2011–2013
Team7:Real Madrid
Years8:2013–2014
Team8:Olympiacos
Years9:2014
Team9:Union Olimpija
Years10:2014–2015
Team10:Laboral Kutxa
Years11:2015–2016
Team11:Bilbao Basket
Years12:2016–2017
Team12:Cedevita
Years13:2017–2018
Team13:Petrochimi Bandar Imam
Years14:2018–2019
Team14:Petrol Olimpija
Years15:2019–2020
Team15:Mornar
Highlights:

Mirza Begić (born 9 July 1985) is a retired Bosnian-born Slovenian professional basketball player. The center, he represented the Slovenian national team in the international competitions.

Professional career

Early years

Begić began his career playing with Sloboda Dita Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He made his professional debut with Sloboda in the Bosnia and Herzegovina League during the 2001–02 season.

He then arrived to Slovenia in 2002, and stayed in KK Koper for 2 months. In the 2002–03 season, he played for Union Olimpija's junior team. Then he moved to Triglav Kranj in the Slovenian League. Begić averaged 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks, in 16.9 minutes in his first season in the Slovenian League in 2003–04.

In 2004, Begić signed with the Italian League club Virtus Bologna. In his first season with the club he was loaned to Huy Basket in Belgium's First Division. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. In the 2005-06 season, he was released by Virtus Bologna.

In the 2006–07 season, Begić moved back to Slovenia. He signed with Geoplin Slovan. He averaged 9.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 22.2 minutes per game in the Adriatic League, and 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game in the Slovenian League.

Union Olimpija

On 30 July 2007 Begić signed a 2-year contract with Union Olimpija. He made his Euroleague debut on 24 October 2007 versus the Italian League club Montepaschi Siena. Begić averaged 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in his first season of the Euroleague play. In his second season in Euroleague, he averaged career-high 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

In his second season in the Adriatic League, he averaged 3.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He played in the 2008 Adriatic League Final Four in Ljubljana, where his team, Union Olimpija, lost in the semifinals against Partizan Belgrade. In his third season in the Adriatic League, he finished with averages of 8.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He won the Slovenian National Championship and Slovenian Cup with Union Olimpija in 2008 and 2009. On 24 November 2008 he renewed his contract through the end of the 2010–11 season.

Real Madrid

On 18 January 2011 Begić reached an agreement with the Spanish League club Real Madrid to play for the club until the end of the 2012–13 season.[1] The 2012–13 season was successful for Begić in Real Madrid, reaching the Euroleague final and winning the Spanish League.

2013–2020

On 20 July 2013 Begić signed a two-year contract with the back-to-back defending Euroleague champions Olympiacos of the Greek League.[2] [3] He left Olympiacos after one season.

On 20 September 2014 Begić signed a one-year deal with his former team Union Olimpija.[4] On 19 November 2014 he left Olimpija and signed a one-month deal with Laboral Kutxa Baskonia.[5] On 24 December 2014 he extended his contract with Laboral Kutxa Baskonia for the rest of the season.[6]

On 14 October 2015 Begić signed with the New Orleans Pelicans,[7] only to be waived by the team two days later.[8] On 7 December 2015 Begić signed with Spanish club Dominion Bilbao Basket for the rest of the season.[9]

On 27 July 2016 Begić signed with Croatian club Cedevita Zagreb for the 2016–17 season.[10]

On 13 August 2017 Begić signed with Petrochimi Bandar Imam of the Iranian Basketball Super League.[11] On 17 January 2018 he returned to Olimpija.[12]

On 15 July 2019 he signed with Mornar Bar. On 8 February 2020 he parted ways with Mornar averaging 3.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 14 games of ABA League.[13]

On 21 September 2020 he decided to retire from professional basketball.[14]

Career statistics

Led the league

Euroleague

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| Olimpija| 9 || 7 || 11.9 || .542 || || .375 || 2.8 || .2 || .7 || 1.0 || 3.6 || 3.3|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09| 10 || 9 || 22.1 || .525 || || .692 || 6.2 || .3 || .6 || 1.8 || 11.1 || 14.7|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10| style="text-align:left;"| Žalgiris| 16 || 12 || 19.8 || .592 || || .718 || 4.0 || .5 || .5 || 1.3 || 7.4 || 8.8|-| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| 2010–11| style="text-align:left;"| Žalgiris| 10 || 3 || 21.6 || .567 || || .725 || 4.9 || .5 || .6 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|2.3* || 9.7 || 11.8|-| style="text-align:left;"| Real Madrid| 6 || 0 || 5.3 || .714 || || .500 || .7 || || .2 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|.2* || 3.5 || 2.3|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2011–12| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| Real Madrid| 15 || 4 || 14.2 || .545 || || .643 || 4.7 || .4 || .1 || 1.7 || 4.6 || 7.5|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2012–13| 29 || 23 || 12.8 || .614 || || .614 || 3.4 || .3 || .2 || .9 || 5.0 || 5.5|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2013–14| style="text-align:left;"| Olympiacos| 12 || 3 || 8.3 || .543 || || .625 || 2.0 || .2 || .1 || .8 || 3.6 || 4.3|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2014–15| style="text-align:left;"| Baskonia| 18 || 3 || 17.3 || .556 || || .705 || 4.3 || .4 || .4 || 1.7 || 6.8 || 10.2|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|Career| 125 || 64 || 15.1 || .554 || || .665 || 3.8 || .3 || .3 || 1.3 || 6.1 || 7.6

Slovenian national team

Begić was a member of the Slovenian under-20 national team. He competed at the 2005 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship in Russia, which he led in blocked shots per game.[15] He has also been a member of the senior men's Slovenian national basketball team. He played at the EuroBasket 2011, which he also led in blocked shots per game.[16]

Personal life

Begić was born in Bijeljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia. He lived in his native Bosnia and Herzegovina until 2002, when he moved to Slovenia and subsequently took Slovenian citizenship.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: REAL MADRID reels in Begic at center . Euroleague.net . 18 January 2011 . 18 January 2011 . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20110616040349/http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2010-11-signings/i/81440/4465/real-madrid-reels-in-begic . June 16, 2011 .
  2. Web site: OLYMPIACOS adds center Begic . Euroleague.net . 20 July 2013 . 20 July 2013 . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20131014135233/http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2013-14-signings/i/114652/8177 . October 14, 2013 .
  3. Web site: Olympiakos officially sign Mirza Begic. Sportando.com. 20 July 2013. 20 July 2013.
  4. News: Mirza Begić joined Union Olimpija . 22 September 2014 . abaliga.com . 20 September 2014 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20140924112132/http://www.abaliga.com/a7841/News/Mirza_Begic_joined_Union_Olimpija.html . 24 September 2014 .
  5. News: Laboral Kutxa Baskonia refuerza su juego interior con Mirza Begic. 19 November 2014. acb.com. 19 November 2014. es. 21 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141121212558/http://acb.com/redaccion.php?id=108682. dead.
  6. News: Baskonia extends Mirza Begic. Lamont Hamilton set to leave. 24 December 2014. 24 December 2014. Sportando.com.
  7. News: Pelicans Sign Mirza Begic. NBA.com. October 14, 2015. October 14, 2015.
  8. News: Pelicans Waive Mirza Begic. NBA.com. October 16, 2015. October 16, 2015.
  9. News: Mirza Begic, nuevo techo del Dominion Bilbao Basket. ACB.com. es. December 7, 2015. December 7, 2015. December 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151209075331/http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=118409. dead.
  10. News: Cedevita have their Two Towers - Mirza Begić joins Miro Bilan. 28 July 2016. aba-liga.com. 27 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160819042614/http://www.aba-liga.com/news/tabid/86/id/36711/cedevita-have-their-two-towers---mirza-begi-joins-miro-bilan.aspx. 19 August 2016. dead.
  11. News: Mirza Begic and Willie Warren ink in Iran with Petrochimi. August 13, 2017. Sportando.com. August 13, 2017.
  12. News: Mirza Begić is back at Petrol Olimpija. 18 January 2018. aba-liga.com. 17 January 2018.
  13. News: KK Mornar Bar, Mirza Begic part ways. August 20, 2020. Sportando.com.
  14. News: Mirza Begic retires at 35. September 21, 2020. Sportando. En. September 22, 2020. Skerletic . Dario .
  15. News: FIBA.com 2005 U20 European Championship Men : DIVISION A BLOCKS : ALL ROUNDS.. FIBA.com. October 14, 2015.
  16. News: FIBA.com 2011 EuroBasket BLOCKS : ALL ROUNDS.. FIBA.com. October 14, 2015.