Slobodan Popović (basketball) explained

Slobodan Popović
Height M:1.92
Birth Place:Loznica, German-occupied Serbia
Death Place:Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
Nationality:Yugoslav
Draft Year:1966
Career Position:Forward
Career Number:14
Career Start:1961
Career End:1968
Years1:1961–1963
Team1:Bijeljina
Years2:1963–1968
Team2:Crvena zvezda

Slobodan "Boban" Popović (Serbian: Слободан "Бобан" Поповић; 1944 – 31 December 1968) was a Yugoslav professional basketball player.

Playing career

Born in Loznica, Popović moved to Bijeljina at a young age where he later started to play basketball. He grew up playing for OKK Bijeljina.[1] [2] Afterwards, he moved to a Belgrade-based team Crvena zvezda of the Yugoslav First League, where he played from 1963 to 1968. His teammates in the Zvezda were Zoran Slavnić, Dragan Kapičić, Ljubodrag Simonović, Dragiša Vučinić, and Vladimir Cvetković among others. With them, he was a member of the roster that won a National Championship in the 1968–69 season, and he was posthumously awarded with the title.[3] [4] [5]

Legacy

Popović is considered one of the best basketball players in history of Bijeljina, by many locals.[6] Following his death, Radnik Bijeljina has been hosted the Slobodan Popović Memorial, an exhibition basketball tournament between clubs which was held since 1971. Clubs such as Crvena zvezda, Radnik, Bosna, Radnički Beograd, OKK Beograd, and Nice competed at the event.[3] [2]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Istorijat KK Radnik . kkradnik.com . 21 May 2022.
  2. Web site: Asovi bijeljinske košarke . bhbasket.ba . 21 May 2022.
  3. Web site: „SRCE JUNAČKO, DUŠA DJEVOJAČKA“ Sjećanje na Bobana Popovića, uspješnog košarkaša iz Bijeljine . infobijeljina.com . 21 May 2022.
  4. Web site: Košarkaška prvenstva Jugoslavije (1945-91) – peti deo . strategija.org . 21 May 2022.
  5. Web site: Ono što se mora znati o KK Crvena zvezda . mojacrvenazvezda.net . 21 May 2022.
  6. Web site: Život Blagiše Nikolića posvećen košarci . semberija.info . 21 May 2022.