 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1975-11-15)15 November 1975 (age 50) |
| Nationality | Croatian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 1997:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1993–2010 |
| Position | Center /power forward |
| Coaching career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1993–1998 | Split |
| 1998–2003 | Cibona |
| 2003–2007 | Efes Pilsen |
| 2007–2008 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 2008 | Panathinaikos |
| 2008–2009 | Cibona |
| 2009–2010 | Zagreb |
Coaching | |
| 2012–2014 | Croatia (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Nikola "Nikša" Prkačin (born 15 November 1975) is a Croatian retired professionalbasketball player andcoach. At a height of 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) tall, he played at thepower forward andcenter positions. During his professionalclub playing career, Prkačin won seven European national domestic league championships, nine European national domestic cup titles, and one European national domestic super cup title, in 16 seasons.
Prkačin started his basketball club career in his hometown ofDubrovnik, where he played with the local team of Pomorac.
In 1993, at the age of 18, Prkačin moved to theCroatian Premier League clubSplit Croatia, where he played for the next five seasons. Prkačin established himself as the successor to Split's famous centerDino Rađja, and during his time with the club, he also gained significant experience and knowledge. After a few seasons, he became one of the team's key players. With Split, he won twoCroatian Cup titles.
Prior to the 1998–99 season, Prkačin moved to the thenCroatian Premier League championsCibona Zagreb, where he resided for the next five seasons. With Cibona, he won five Croatian Premier League championships and fourCroatian Cup titles. He also won theEuroLeague's Opening Tournament in 2001. He was named the Croatian Premier League'sMost Valuable Player in 2002. While with Cibona Zagreb, some his teammates included:Slaven Rimac,Zoran Planinić,Josip Sesar,Dino Rađja, andChucky Atkins
After spending a decade building up his career in theCroatian Premier League, Prkačin finally signed a contract with a foreign club. In 2003, he signed with theTurkish Super League clubEfes Istanbul. Prkačin established himself in the club, as he played on a regular basis, as the club'sforward-center. He played four seasons with Efes.
With Efes, he won two Turkish Super League championships, and twoTurkish Cup titles.
In 2007, Prkačin joined the Russian Super League clubDynamo Moscow. He played the club during the 2007–08 season. He left the club before the season ended, in January 2008.
In January 2008, during the second half of the 2007–08 season, Prkačin joined theGreek League clubPanathinaikos Athens. With Panathinaikos, he won the Greek League championship and theGreek Cup title.
Prior to the 2008–09 season, Prkačin moved back to Croatia, as he signed a €400,000net income annual contract withCibona Zagreb.[1]
In 2009, Prkačin joined the Croatian clubZagreb. He finished his basketballclub playing career with Zagreb in 2010.
Prkačin was a member of theCroatian Under-22 junior national team. His debut at a major tournament with the seniorCroatian national team's selection came at the1997 EuroBasket. After that, he played with Croatia at the following majorFIBA tournaments: the1999 EuroBasket, the2001 EuroBasket, the2003 EuroBasket, the2005 EuroBasket, and the2007 EuroBasket, He also represented Croatia at the2008 Summer Olympics and the2009 EuroBasket. Prkačin was Croatia'steam captain twice.
After he retired from playing professionalclub basketball, Prkačin began working as abasketball coach. From 2012 to 2014, he was an assistant coach with the senior men'sCroatian national team.
Prkačin mainly played at thecenter position, although he also played as apower forward. Prkačin was known for hispick and roll play, precisehook shot, and mid-range jump shot. Although he was shorter in height compared to most other European centers of his era, Prkačin compensated for that with his immense strength and body balance. It was a rarity to see Prkačin attempt athree point field goal.
| Season | Club | Domestic League | Domestic Cup | Continental Cup |  Croatian NT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | Split Croatia | Croatian Cup Winner | Croatia Under-22 | ||
| 1994–95 | Split Croatia | Croatia Under-22 | |||
| 1995–96 | Split Croatia | Croatia Under-22 | |||
| 1996–97 | Split Croatia | Croatian Cup winner | Croatia 1997 EuroBasket: 11th place | ||
| 1997–98 | Split Croatia | ||||
| 1998–99 | Cibona Zagreb | Croatian Premier League Champion | Croatian Cup Winner | 1999 EuroBasket: 11th place | |
| 1999–00 | Cibona Zagreb | Croatian Premier League Champion | |||
| 2000–01 | Cibona Zagreb | Croatian Premier League Champion | Croatian Cup Winner | EuroLeague Top 16 Stage | 2001 EuroBasket: 7th place |
| 2001–02 | Cibona Zagreb | Croatian Premier League Champion Croatian Premier LeagueMVP | Croatian Cup Winner | EuroLeague Opening Tournament winner EuroLeague Group Stage | |
| 2002–03 | Cibona Zagreb | EuroLeague Top 16 Stage | 2003 EuroBasket: 11th place | ||
| 2003–04 |  Efes Istanbul | Turkish Super League Champion | Turkish Cup Finalist Turkish Super Cup Finalist | EuroLeague Top 16 Stage | |
| 2004–05 | Efes Istanbul | Turkish Super League Champion | Turkish Super Cup Finalist | EuroLeague Quarterfinalist | 2005 EuroBasket: 7th place |
| 2005–06 | Efes Istanbul | Turkish Super League Finalist | Turkish Cup Winner Turkish Super Cup Finalist | EuroLeague Quarterfinalist | |
| 2006–07 | Efes Istanbul | Turkish Super League Finalist | Turkish Cup Winner Turkish Super Cup Winner | EuroLeague Top 16 Stage | 2007 EuroBasket: 6th place |
| 2007–08 |  Dynamo Moscow | ||||
| 2007–08 |  Panathinaikos Athens | Greek League Champion | Greek Cup Winner | EuroLeague Top 16 Stage | Summer Olympics: 6th place |
| 2008–09 | Cibona Zagreb | Croatian Cup Winner | EuroLeague Top 16 Stage Adriatic League Final Four | Croatia 2009 EuroBasket: 6th place | |
| 2009–10 | Zagreb | Croatian Cup Winner | EuroChallenge Quarterfinalist |
Prkačin resides inZagreb, Croatia, with his wife and five children, one of whom isRoko Prkačin, who is also a professional basketball player. In his free time, he enjoys fishing and playingwater polo.[2]
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