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One of the biggest mysteries in the world of NBA is how a small corner of Europe – the Balkans – has managed to produce so many strong ballers. Whether it’s the two-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic or the high-potential prospect Luka Doncic, the Balkans have become a breeding ground for professional basketball talent. Still, it hasn’t always been this way.
Today, you can find NBA rosters containing ballers from many former Yugoslavian countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro. 3% of all active players in the NBA are currently from the Balkan region.
Traces of basketball can be found in the Balkan region as far back as 1914 when it was played in the Slovenian capital of Maribor. Nine years later, Serbians in Belgrade experienced the game for the first time when the Red Cross brought over basketballs and hoops to entertain the locals.
As a whole, Yugoslavia needed a boost of confidence and pride after World War I. Subsequently, the government ringfenced substantial sums for developing national sports teams, including basketball. Within 30-40 years, Yugoslavia’s men’s national team were involved in the latter stages of the World and European Championships.
The 1970s put Yugoslavian Basketball Firmly on the Map
It wasn’t until the 1970s that the nation experienced a generational surge of basketball talent. In 1970 and 78, Yugoslavia stunned the sporting world by winning the FIBA World Cup – what was known then as the World Championship. In between, Yugoslavia managed to land three successive European Championships, too.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was that none of the players in the men’s Yugoslavia roster was recruited to ply their trade in the NBA during this period. The issue for overseas players in this era was the NBA’s inadequate scouting regimes, which meant that the Balkans basketball boom almost went under the radar in North America.
By the time this golden generation of players hung up their trainers, the nation’s dominance in the previous decade had inspired a new crop of prospects. This includes the likes of Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac, Drazen Petrovic, Dino Rada, Sasha Djordjevic and Sasha Danilovic. All six of whom managed to secure contracts in the NBA. Four players performed so well that they’re cemented in the NBA’s Hall of Fame.
The First Crop of Balkan Ballers in the NBA
Toni Kukoc was one of the inaugural European basketballers to make the grade in the NBA. He was picked in the 1990 NBA draft, spending seven years with the Chicago Bulls before a nomadic period playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Vlade Divac is another who spent the bulk of his professional basketball career in the NBA. The 7ft 1” center spent seven years with the iconic LA Lakers and became an NBA All-Star during his time with the Sacramento Kings.
Drazen Petrovic was also a big-name Balkan basketballer to make the move to the NBA following a successful stint with the Spanish club Real Madrid. Petrovic was with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Jersey Nets between 1989 and 1993. Petrovic seemingly had the world at his feet but died tragically in a car accident aged 28. Petrovic was voted the finest European basketball player of all time at the 2013 FIBA EuroBasket.
In 1991, Dino Rada was listed in the FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All Time. The 6ft 11” power forward enjoyed a four-year stint with the Boston Celtics before returning to Europe to play professionally in Greece and his native Croatia.
Serbian Sasha Djordjevic, currently the head coach of the men’s Chinese national team, was also a fine player in his own right. Djordjevic helped his native Partizan Belgrade to the EuroLeague title in 1992 and moved to the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers for a brief 12-month spell in 1996.
Djordjevic’s compatriot, Sasha Danilovic, was one of European basketball’s most prolific shooting guards through the 1990s. This earned him a move to the NBA with the Miami Heat in 1995. He spent two seasons in Florida before one final season in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks and returning to European basketball with Virtus Bologna.
The Biggest Balkan Names in the NBA today
Nikola Jokic is the biggest Balkan basketball ace in the NBA right now. The 28-year-old is known as ‘The Joker’ in the sport due largely to his incredible talents. The Denver Nuggets picked the center in the 2014 NBA draft, and many believe this to be one of the best draft pick-ups in the modern era of the NBA.
The Nuggets have had almost ten years of service out of Jokic, and this year, he helped Denver to the NBA Championship, earning the tag of NBA Finals MVP. He was the NBA’s MVP in 2021 and 2022, too. At 28 years of age, Jokic still has another five years at the top of the sport at the very least.
As for 24-year-old Slovenian Luka Doncic, he was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019 and is an indispensable Dallas Mavericks’ roster member. Doncic spent three years with Real Madrid before leaving for the NBA in the 2018 draft.
At the time of Doncic’s arrival, head coach Rick Carlisle described him as a “franchise foundation piece”. Doncic will play a pivotal role for Dallas in the coming years. He closed out the 2022-23 season with his highest-scoring regular season, but the Mavericks narrowly missed the postseason playoffs.
The most recent recruit from Serbia to the NBA came during the 2022 NBA draft when the Miami Heat acquired Nikola Jovic. Jovic, born in Leicester, England, where his father played basketball professionally, came through the famed Mega Basket youth setup and starred at the Next Generation Tournament for the EuroLeague in 2021-22. Jovic penned a multi-year deal with the Heat, and during 2022-23, he spent time in the NBA G League with Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Meanwhile, Filip Petrusev was recruited in the 2021 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. The 23-year-old also came through the Mega Basket system before declaring himself for the 2021 NBA draft and was the 50th overall pick. The 76ers sent him back to play the 2022-23 season with his native Crvena Zvezda, but he is likely to play a part in the 76ers’ 2023-24 season.
Although football remains the number-one sport among many Balkan nations, basketball is increasingly pushing it as a close second. The continued success of Balkan ballers in the NBA should inspire future generations to leap across the pond and keep the Balkans basketball boom going strong.
If you’re considering betting on the NBA or placing bets on the most significant Balkan leagues like the Croatian A1 Liga, the Slovenian 1A SKL and the Serbian KLS, make Parimatch your home for basketball betting. First-time members should also check out our Safer Gambling Portal to familiarise yourselves with the tools available to help you stay in control of your basketball betting.
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