Radivoj Korać
Radivoje Korać, Cyrillic: Радивој Кораћ, ( born November 5, 1938 in Sombor, † June 2, 1969 near Sarajevo) was a Yugoslav basketball player. He is a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame, as well as the Euro League 's 50 Greatest Contributors and is considered one of the best European basketball player of all time.
- 5.1 Individual Awards
- 5.2 Special Awards
Career
Korać discovered at the age of 16 years for the basketball and started his career at OKK Belgrade. Quick he acquired because of his blond hair with players and fans nicknamed " Žućko " (English: Blondie ) on. In the 1955/56 season, at the age of 17, he already was one of the best players in the Yugoslav league. The following season he joined from as best scorer in the league. Korać was left-handed and held the position of power forward. When in 1958 he again scored the most points, and thus again leading scorer, was his team but this time even led to the championship, he was very early as one of the best Yugoslav basketball player of all time. In 1958 he was also the first time appointed to the Yugoslav national basketball team, with which he participated three times at European Championships.
1960 Korać another time top scorer of the league and won with OKK Belgrade, Double, consisting of league and cup. At the Olympic Summer Games in Rome in 1960, he was also top scorer of the tournament, was with the national team but only sixth. At the European Championships the following year he led his team with an average of 24 points - which represented the best value of all the players - the final. In this he met and his team on the Soviet Union. Korać scored 12 points, the game was lost 53:60. Nevertheless, he was elected Most Valuable Player, so the best player of the tournament.
In the club he continued to provide consistently strong performances from, was 1962-1965 four times in series topscorer of the league and won with OKK Belgrade during this period the championship twice and once the trophy. With the national team he took in 1963 for the first time in a World Championship, where he continued the outstanding performances of the previous European Championships and was with his team's vice-champion. Four years later he was a second time Vice World Champion. In the Summer Olympics 1968 in Mexico City, he won the silver medal with the national team.
In the season 1964/65 achieved Korać in the European Cup of Champions, where he was working with OKK variety was represented and three times reached the semifinals, the Match against Alvik Stockholm 99 points, which to this day record in the most important European club basketball, which as today Euro League operates, is. He scored all the points with basket stackers, close range and free throws. Three-point throws led the FIBA until 1980.
After a total of 13 years, four championship wins and two cup victories, Radivoje Korać moved to Belgium Liège Basket, where he was promptly champion. Lucky he was not in Liège but moved and thus after just one season to Italy Petrarca Padova Pallacanestro, where he was top scorer of a basketball competition for a total of twelfth and final times.
Radivoje Korać scored a total of 5,281 points in the club and more 3,153 points for the Yugoslav national team, resulting in an average of 20.1 per international match. His last points he scored on June 1, 1969 when the national team play against the selection of the Yugoslav republic of Bosnia - Herzegovina. Korać contributed 35 points at the 131:93.
Death
On June 2, 1969 one day after the match against Bosnia- Herzegovina, Korać made his way back to Belgrade and drove near Sarajevo with his car a distance uphill. When he tried to overtake another vehicle, it collided with an oncoming truck and died a few hours later from his injuries. Radivoje Korać was only 30 years old.
Aftereffect
The basketball world was shocked by the sudden death of the young and talented Korać. The Yugoslav Basketball Federation decided never again a basketball game at a June 2 discharge.
When the FIBA 1972 a new European Cup started, she named it in his honor after him. His home club OKK took part in the inaugural tournament and reached the final. The Korać Cup was held until 2002. Immediately after the setting of this competition led the Serbian- Montenegrin Basketball Association from its association Cup under the name Kup Radivoja Koraca, which was continued from 2006 as the Serbian Cup. In 2012 FIBA handed the original trophy to the Serbian Basketball Federation, since the passes that the winners of their cup competition. This trophy that bears the name Žućkova levica, symbolizing the left-handed Korać at a game action.
With Radivoj Korac Belgrade a ladies team named Korać, which plays in the First Serbian League was formed. In addition, exist in Rumenka, also Serbia, in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Zurich, Switzerland three basketball teams that bear his name.
In 1991 was elected Radivoje Korać Greatest Players in FIBA 's 50, created by FIBA list of the 50 best basketball player of all time. On 1 March 2007 Korać was also included in the FIBA Hall of Fame. A year later, his inclusion in the Euro League 's 50 Greatest Contributors.
Achievements
Title profits
- 4x Yugoslavian Champion (1958, 1960, 1963, 1964)
- 2x Yugoslavian Cup winner (1960, 1962)
- 1x Belgian Champion (1968 )
Success with the national team
Awards
Individual Awards
Special Awards
All awards were made posthumously:
- Inclusion in the Euro League 's 50 Greatest Contributors (2008)
- Inclusion in the FIBA 's 50 Greatest Players ( 1991)
- Inclusion in the FIBA Hall of Fame (2007)
Film
In the 2011 released movie, Zlatna levica - Prica o Radivoju Koracu, Radivoje Korać is at the center of the action. The story of a man is told, for the basketball was more than just a game, but is also presented as one of the first pop stars of Yugoslavia.