Borislav Stanković

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Borislav Stanković (Serbian Cyrillic: Борислав Станковић; born July 9, 1925) is a Serbian former basketball player and coach.

Stanković was born in Bihać, Sava Banovina, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Early in his life he moved to Belgrade where he graduated from the University of Belgrade with a degree in Veterinary Medicine.

He played professionally for Red Star Belgrade and was on the Yugoslavian national team for five years in early 1950s. After he retired from the game, Stanković began coaching with OKK Belgrade and then received an offer (which he accepted) from an Italian club in Pallacanestro Cantù.

Throughout his lengthy involvement with basketball, Stanković has served or been a part of the following organizations, Yugoslav Olympic Committee, International Olympic Committee, Board of Trustees at the Basketball Hall of Fame and he's better remembered for his tenure as Secretary General of FIBA from 1976-2002.

Many observers feel it was Borislav Stanković who encouraged foreign basketball players to apply their trade in the NBA. Other than Serbian, he fluently speaks six other languages and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 as a contributor.