Yugoslav First Basketball League

Yugoslav Basketball League
Sport Basketball
Founded 1945
Ceased 1992
Countries Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFR Yugoslavia
Continent FIBA Europe (Europe)
Most titles (12) KK Crvena zvezda
Level on pyramid 1st Tier
(SFR Yugoslavia)
Relegation to Yugoslav 1. B League
Related competitions Yugoslav Basketball Cup

The Yugoslav First Basketball League (Serbo-Croatian: Prva savezna košarkaška liga) was the name of the top level basketball league played in SFR Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1991-92. The First Federal League was the top-tier league in Yugoslavia, and the Second Federal League was the second-tier league in Yugoslavia. With a total of 16 European trophy winners and 11 finalist, the Yugoslav First Basketball League, was one of the strongest basketball leagues of all times.

Although all countries founded after the breakup of Yugoslavia each now have their own national domestic leagues, each of the six nations now take part in the Adriatic League, which was founded in 2001; and which is today the closest league in existence similar to the former Yugoslav Basketball League.

History

After the end of Second World War in Yugoslavia in 1945, there arose a need for athletic development in the fledgling nation. Post-WW2 Yugoslavia was (with the exception of major cities such as Belgrade, Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Sarajevo) for the most part lacking in competitive opportunities in sports. In response to this, 1945 and 1946 saw an explosion of new clubs and leagues for every sport, the basketball league being part of this phenomenon.

The very first competition under the newly formed Yugoslav Basketball League in 1945, drawing parallel to the Yugoslav First League (of football), was more or less a nationwide affirmation of unity. Instead of individual clubs competing in the usual fashion, there were only eight teams. Six representing each state within Yugoslavia, one representing the province of Vojvodina, and the last representing the Yugoslav People's Army.

Only in the 1970s did the basketball culture of Yugoslavia truly come to enjoy recognition as the top nation in basketball. Breaking away from the dominance of the Soviet Union, the Yugoslav league gave rise to stars that would go on to win multiple Basketball World Championships and European Basketball Championships. After a decade of dominance, the 1980s saw a disappointing slump of talent in the Yugoslav Basketball League.

Once again the world witnessed a sleeping giant come awake in the early 90s as Yugoslavia won two straight European Basketball Championships and a World Basketball Championship. This momentum was swiftly halted by the ethnic strife which broke out in 1991. Clubs from SR Slovenia and SR Croatia withdrew from the league so that the 1991-92 season, the competition's last, was contested without them. The country got divided into five successor republics, each founding their own basketball federations with the exception of Serbia and Montenegro, which retained the name Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the YUBA League.

Despite all these changes, the joint league of clubs from the former Yugoslavia proved to be a winning league format formula, so on July 3, 2001, the Adriatic League was founded. It features teams from all the former Yugoslav states, and it exists alongside scaled-down versions of the individual national domestic leagues of each of the former Yugoslav states.

Title holders

Performance by club

Titles Club Years
12 Socialist Republic of Serbia Crvena zvezda 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1968–69, 1971–72
6 Socialist Republic of Slovenia Olimpija 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1969–70
Socialist Republic of Croatia Zadar 1965, 1967, 1967–68, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1985–86
Socialist Republic of Croatia Split 1970-71, 1976–77, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91
5 Socialist Republic of Serbia Partizan 1975-76, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1986-87, 1991-92
4 Socialist Republic of Serbia OKK Beograd 1958, 1960, 1963, 1964
3 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosna 1977-78, 1979–80, 1982–83
Socialist Republic of Croatia Cibona 1981-82, 1983–84, 1984–85
1 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jugoslovenska Armija 1945
Socialist Republic of Serbia Proleter Zrenjanin 1956
Socialist Republic of Serbia Radnički Belgrade 1972-73

Performance by Republic 1946-1992

Titles Republic
23 Socialist Republic of Serbia Serbia
15 Socialist Republic of Croatia Croatia
6 Socialist Republic of Slovenia Slovenia
3 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina

Play-off Finals

Playoffs as a way of determining the Yugoslav First Basketball League champion following the regular season got instituted in 1981 ahead of the 1981-82 season.

Season Home court advantage Result Home court disadvantage 1st of Regular Season Record
1981-82
Partizan
0–2
Cibona Partizan
18–4
1982-83
Šibenka
1–2
Bosna Šibenka
16–6
1983-84
Cibona
2–1
Crvena Zvezda Cibona
16–6
1984-85
Cibona
2–1
Crvena Zvezda Cibona
19–3
1985-86
Cibona
1–2
Zadar Cibona
21–1
1986-87
Partizan
2–0
Crvena Zvezda Cibona
22–0
1987-88
Jugoplastika Split
2–1
Partizan Jugoplastika Split
21–1
1988-89
Partizan
0–2
Jugoplastika Split Partizan
16–6
1989-90
Jugoplastika Split
3–1
Crvena Zvezda Jugoplastika Split
19–3
1990-91
Pop 84 Split
3–0
Partizan Pop 84 Split
19–3
1991-92
Partizan
3–0
Crvena Zvezda Partizan
20–2

Source: official website archive[3]

Yugoslav basketball clubs in European-wide competitions 1958-1992

FIBA European Champions Cup

Split has made 3 Euroleague Final Four appearances (with 3 top 4 place finishes), has played in the Euroleague Final 4 times, and has won the Euroleague championship 3 times. Cibona has played in the Euroleague Final 2 times, and has won the Euroleague championship two times. Bosna has played in the Euroleague Final 1 time, and has won the Euroleague championship once. Partizan has made 2 Euroleague Final Four appearances, has played in the Euroleague Final once, and has won the Euroleague championship 1 time.

Club Champions Finalist Semifinalist Quarterfinalist
Socialist Republic of Croatia Split 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91 1971-72 1977-78*
Socialist Republic of Croatia Cibona 1984-85, 1985-86 1982-83*
Socialist Republic of Serbia Partizan 1991-92 1987-88 1979-80*, 1981-82*
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosna 1978-79 1979-80*, 1980-81*, 1983-84*
Socialist Republic of Serbia OKK Beograd 1958-59, 1963-64, 1964-65
Socialist Republic of Slovenia Olimpija 1961-62, 1966-67 1959-60, 1962-63, 1970-71
Socialist Republic of Croatia Zadar 1967-68, 1974-75 1965-66, 1968-69, 1986-87*
Socialist Republic of Serbia Crvena Zvezda 1972-73 1969-70
Socialist Republic of Serbia Radnički Belgrade 1973-74

* Top 6 (semifinal group stage)

FIBA Saporta Cup

Club Champions Finalist Semifinalist Quarterfinalist
Socialist Republic of Croatia Cibona 1981-82, 1986-87 1980-81, 1983-84, 1988-89 1969-70
Socialist Republic of Serbia Crvena Zvezda 1973-74 1971-72, 1974-75 1990-91
Socialist Republic of Croatia Split 1972-73 1985-86
Socialist Republic of Serbia Radnički Belgrade 1976-77 1978-79
Socialist Republic of Slovenia Olimpija 1968-69, 1982-83 1967-68
Socialist Republic of Macedonia Rabotnički 1975-76
Socialist Republic of Serbia Partizan 1966-67, 1989-90
Socialist Republic of Croatia Zadar 1970-71, 1979-80
Socialist Republic of Croatia Kvarner 1977-78
Socialist Republic of Serbia IMT 1987-88

FIBA Korać Cup

Club Champions Finalist Semifinalist Quarterfinalist
Socialist Republic of Serbia Partizan 1977-78, 1978-79, 1988-89 1973-74 1974-75
Socialist Republic of Croatia Split 1975-76, 1976-77 1978-79, 1979-80
Socialist Republic of Croatia Cibona 1972 1979-80, 1987-88 1990-91
Socialist Republic of Croatia Šibenka 1981-82, 1982-83
Socialist Republic of Serbia Crvena Zvezda 1983-84 1980–81, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1987-88
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosna 1977-78 1989-90
Socialist Republic of Serbia OKK Beograd 1972
Socialist Republic of Croatia Zadar 1981-82, 1982-83, 1988-89 1990-91

Notable players

Award winners

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

FIBA Hall of Fame

FIBA's 50 Greatest Players

50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors

Euroleague Final Four MVP

Euroleague Finals Top Scorer

FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer

FIBA Korać Cup Finals Top Scorer

Euroscar

Mr. Europa

See also

Notes

  1. On Saturday, 9 April 1983 at Baldekin Hall in Šibenik, Šibenka and Bosna played the deciding game 3 of their best-of-three playoff final series. The contest was decided in the very last second: Bosna's Sabit Hadžić got called for a foul on Šibenka's Dražen Petrović who proceeded to score two free throws that won the game. The next morning, after watching video replays of the game's last moments, the presidency of the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia (KSJ) established that the foul happened after time had already elapsed. The game was thus voided and a rematch was ordered at a neutral venue in Novi Sad. Unhappy with the decision Šibenka decided to boycott it, refusing to show up for the rematch. The championship got awarded to Bosna.[1]

References

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