Željko Obradović
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Želimir "Željko" Obradović (born March 9, 1960, in Čačak, Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia) is a retired Serbian basketball player and present-day basketball coach. He is generally considered one of the best European coaches ever, having won six Euroleague titles with four different clubs. In addition to success at club level, he's also won major trophies as the Serbian national team head coach, such as 1997 Eurobasket and 1998 FIBA World Championship.
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[edit] Playing career
| Olympic medal record | |||
Competitor for  Yugoslavia |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball (Player) | |||
| Silver | 1988 Seoul | SFR Yugoslavia | |
| FIBA World Championship | |||
| Gold | 1990 Argentina | Yugoslavia |
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Obradović, who played the point guard position joined Partizan Belgrade at the age of 26. In his first season with the team, with the likes of Vlade Divac, Žarko Paspalj and others, the team won the 1986-87 national championship, reached the 1988 European Champions Cup Final Four and won the Korać Cup in 1989. During this period of time established himself as one the best point guards in the Yugoslavia.
He was also a member of the Yugoslav national team that won the Silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the Gold medal at the 1990 FIBA World Championship.
His career was at put at a halt when he was sentenced to a year in prison after causing the death of a pedestrian in a car accident.
After serving his sentence Obradović returned to play and already in his latter days as a player coached Partizan's youth team. He retired from basketball in 1991 and immediately signed as the head coach of the senior team of the club.
[edit] Coaching career
| Olympic medal record | |||
Competitor for  Yugoslavia |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball (Coach) | |||
| Silver | 1996 Atlanta | FR Yugoslavia | |
| FIBA World Championship | |||
| Gold | 1998 Greece | Yugoslavia |
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| Eurobasket | |||
| Gold | 1997 Spain | Yugoslavia |
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| Bronze | 1999 France | Yugoslavia |
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Obradović is considered the most successful coach in Europe.
This is fully confirmed by the great collection of titles acquired in his sixteen-year career as a coach: a record six Champions Cups (four of them with equivalent in number different teams), two Saporta Cups, Championships and Cups, World and European titles with the National Team of Yugoslavia where he was the head coach from 1996 until September 2000.
He has been the coach of Panathinaikos since 1999 and has achieved to lead the team on the top position in Europe, maintaining simultaneously the first position in the Greek League. In total, Obradovic has won 7 Championships, 4 Cups and 3 Euroleague titles (2000, 2002 and 2007) with the "Greens". In 2007, he achieved the Triple Crown for the second time as a coach (the first was in 1992 with Partizan Belgrade).
He uses strong discipline and hard work as well as undeniable knowledge and know-how.
[edit] Trophies and medals
As a player:
- Partizan Belgrade (1986–1991): Championship (1987), Korac Cup (1989)
- Yugoslavia: Silver Medal at the 1988 Olympic Games, Gold Medal at the 1990 FIBA World Championship.
As a coach:
- Partizan Belgrade (1991–1993): Championship (1992), Cup (1992), European Champions Cup (1992)
- Joventut Badalona (1993–1994): European Champions Cup (1994)
- Real Madrid (1994–1997): European Champions Cup (1995), European Cup (1997)
- Benetton Treviso (1997–1999): Saporta Cup (1999)
- Panathinaikos (1999–): European Champions Cup (2000), Euroleague (2002, 2007), Greek Championship (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), Greek Cup (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
- Yugoslavia (1996–2000) and Serbia (2004[1]–2005): Silver medal in 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Gold medal in Eurobasket 1997 (Spain), Gold medal in 1998 FIBA World Championship (Athens), Bronze medal in Eurobasket 1999 (France).
