| Position | Center |
|---|---|
| Height | 2.13 metres (7 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 112 kg (250 lb) |
| League | Ukrainian SuperLeague VTB United League |
| Team | Azovmash Mariupol |
| Born | May 6, 1979 Bosanska Gradiška, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Draft | Undrafted, 2001 |
| Pro career | 1995–present |
| Career history | Partizan (1995–2001) Detroit Pistons (2001–2002) Washington Wizards (2002) Union Olimpija (2003) Apollon Patras (2003–2004) Beşiktaş (2004–2005) Kyiv (2005–2006) Real Madrid (2006–2007) ViveMenorca (2007–2008) Žalgiris (2008) Khimki (2009) Asseco Prokom Gdynia (2009–11) Union Olimpija (2011) |
Ratko Varda (born May 6, 1979 in Bosanska Gradiška, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia) is a professional basketball player. He is a 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) center who plays for Azovmash Mariupol in Ukraine.
Varda came up through KK Partizan's youth system and made his debut during the 1995–96 season, before making himself eligible for the 2001 NBA Draft.[1] He ended up not getting selected but still found himself on the Detroit Pistons roster to the start of the 2001–02 season. Varda ended up spending two seasons in the NBA on the rosters of the Pistons and the Washington Wizards, but during that time he was only featured in a single official game (he played six minutes and scored five points for Detroit).
In 2003, he returned to Europe and signed for KK Union Olimpija until the end of the 2002–03 season. Over the summer of 2004, he played with Beşiktaş JK of the Turkish Basketball League, but he left the club during the final series against Efes Pilsen SK.
In the 2006–07 season, he played in the Spanish Liga ACB with Real Madrid, but he could not finish the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.[2]
On October 29, 2007, he signed for the entire season of the Spanish championship with ViveMenorca, having recovered from his knee injury.[3]
On August 21, 2008, he signed a two-year contract with the Lithuanian champions BC Žalgiris from Kaunas. Because of the financial problems of the club, he left Žalgiris in late November. The details of his financial arrangements at the bankrupt club became publicly known when he wrote an open letter to the public discussing the issue.[4]
On January 26, 2009, he signed with the Russian club BC Khimki.[5] On the last day of 2009, Varda signed a one-month contract with Asseco Prokom Gdynia of Poland.[6] In 2010, Varda extend his contract with Prokom until the end of the 2010–11 season.[7]
In August 2011 he returned to his former club Union Olimpija, signing a one-year contract.[8] However, he left the team in December because of the club's financial difficulties and signed with Azovmash Mariupol in Ukraine.[9]