Aleksandar "Saša" Đorđević (Serbian Cyrillic:Александар "Саша" Ђорђевић,pronounced[aleksǎːndarsâʃadʑǒːrdʑeʋitɕ]; born 26 August 1967) is aSerbian professionalbasketball coach and former player. He most recently serves as a head coach for the seniorChina. During his playing career, he was listed as a 1.88 m (6'2") 90 kg (198 lb.)[1][2]point guard.
During his proclub playing career, Đorđević, along with his teammatePredrag Danilović, helped to leadPartizan to its firstEuroLeague title in1992, while he earned anAll-Final Four Team selection in the process. He was twice named theMister Europa Player of the Year, in both 1994 and 1995. He also played in a total of 108games, while representing the senior national teams ofSFR Yugoslavia, and laterFR Yugoslavia.
As a player, he won gold medals at the1991 EuroBasket, the1995 EuroBasket, the1997 EuroBasket, where he was named theMost Valuable Player, and the1998 FIBA World Championship. In1995, Đorđević received theGolden Badge award for the Best Athlete ofFR Yugoslavia, and theYugoslav Olympic Committee declared him theSportsman of the Year.[3] In 2008, Đorđević was named one of the50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.
Đorđević is most well-known for two famous game-winning shots that he hit during his playing career. He hit the game-winning shot of the1992 EuroLeague Final,[4] and the game-winning shot of the1997 EuroBasket game between FR Yugoslavia andCroatia.[5] He is the only person that has won medals at theSummer Olympic Games,[6] theFIBA World Cup, and theFIBA EuroBasket, as both a player and as ahead coach.
Born in 1967 into a sporting family, both of Aleksandar's parents—retired basketball player fatherBratislav a.k.a. Bata and mother Milijana—worked as primary schoolphysical education teachers.[7] His father simultaneously pursued basketball coaching, an activity that would eventually turn into a notable professional career after the summer 1971 marquee appointment asKK Crvena zvezda'shead coach and immediate success leading the team to theYugoslav League title, won in a dramatic neutral-venue, single-game playoff versusJugoplastika Split that went into overtime.[8]
The family lived inNew Belgrade where young Aleksandar a.k.a. Saša was immersed in basketball from an early age.[9][7] Following in young Saša's footsteps, his younger brother Miloš would also end up pursuing basketball, getting as far as youth categories within theKK Partizan system.[7]
Following his father's advice, sixteen-year-old Đorđević joinedPartizan Belgrade during the summer of 1983. Arriving at the club coached byBora Džaković with a roster featuringNebojša Zorkić,Milenko Savović,Goran Grbović,Danko Cvjetićanin,Boban Petrović,Arsenije Pešić, andMiško Marić, the youngster got sporadic minutes at point guard during theleague season as Partizan finished in the seventh spot, good for a play-in single-game showdown against lower-tier clubSloga Kraljevo for a chance to qualify for the playoffs quarterfinal. Partizan managed to defeat Sloga but then got swept by eternal rivalsRed Star Belgrade in the best-of-three playoff quarterfinal series.[citation needed]
Ahead of the next season,1984-85, Partizan underwent a front-office shakeup that saw freshly-retired Yugoslav and club legendDragan Kićanović appointed to the club vice-president post. The club also hired another Yugoslav basketball legendMoka Slavnić to be the newhead coach thus giving him a chance to coach right after ending his illustrious playing career.[citation needed]
In summer 1990, after being away from competitive basketball for a year due to serving his mandatoryYugoslav People's Army (JNA) stint, twenty-three-year-old Đorđević spent four months at theBoston Celtics' free agent training camp, competing for a spot on the1990–91 Celtics roster against some thirty otherpoint guards.[10] Đorđević joined the camp on recommendation from the Celtics'scoutMišo Oštarčević [hr], making it to the very end of the selection process before getting cut shortly before the season began due toBrian Shaw's return to the club fromVirtus Roma.[citation needed]
Đorđević's pro club career is most remembered for his game-winning,buzzer-beating three-pointer, in the1991–92 FIBA European League (EuroLeague)'s1992 Final, which he hit in the game against the Spanish clubMontigalà Joventut. He was named to the1992 EuroLeague All-Final Four Team. In addition to winning Europe's most prestigious club title, theEuroLeague championship, with Partizan Belgrade in 1992, Đorđević also won Europe's third most important competition at that time, theFIBA Korać Cup title, in the1988–89 season. He also won twoYugoslav First Federal League championships (1986–87 and1991–92), and twoYugoslav Cups (1989 and 1992) while with the club.[citation needed]
Đorđević moved fromPartizan Belgrade toOlimpia Milano, which competed in the top levelItalian League, in 1992. He stayed at the club for two seasons, from 1992–93 to 1993–94. With Olimpia Milano, he won theFIBA Korać Cup championship, which was Europe's third most significant competition at that time, in the1992–93 season. He was thetop scorer of the finals.[citation needed]
Đorđević moved to theItalian League clubFortitudo Bologna, in 1994. He played with the club during the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons.
After the1996 Summer Olympics inAtlanta, Đorđević had a stint with thePortland Trail Blazers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA), during the1996–97 season.[11] He made his NBA debut on 29 November 1996, recording 2 points and a rebound, in a 119–93 win over theGolden State Warriors.[12] His last NBA game was on 15 December. Unhappy with a lack of playing time,[13] he was placed on waivers in late December 1996[14] after appearing in 8 games and averaging 3.1 points per game.[15][16]
After hisNBA stint with thePortland Trail Blazers in1996, Đorđević signed withFC Barcelona of Spain's premier competition, theLiga ACB, in a deal worth $3.3 million for two and a half seasons.[17] He stayed with the club for three seasons (1996–97, 1997–98, and 1998–99). With Barcelona, he won the European-wide third-tier levelFIBA Korać Cup championship of the1998–99 season, and he was thefinal's top scorer. He also won two Spanish ACB League championships with the club, in the1996–97 and1998–99 seasons.
In 1999, Đorđević joined theSpanish ACB League clubReal Madrid.[18] With Real Madrid, he won the championship of the1999–00 Spanish League season in FC Barcelona's arena. As he celebrated the title in the court he was pushed by his former teammateNacho Rodríguez,[19] who claimed that "Sasha has to know that you can't do that in an opponent's grounds".[20]
He also spent the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons with the club.
After a season off, Đorđević returned to Italy and he signed withScavolini Pesaro for the 2003–04 season. With Scavolini, Djordjevic reached the finals of the2004 Italian Cup, where his team lost toBenetton Treviso. He also played with Pesaro in the beginning of the 2004–05 season.
On 25 February 2005, Đorđević signed withOlimpia Milano again. The club made it to the2004–05 Italian League's Finals, where they lost toFortitudo Bologna, 3 games to 1. The 2004–05 season was the last season of Đorđević's pro club career.
Đorđević officially retired from playing professional club basketball on 3 July 2005, after anexhibition game, which was held in his honor. The game was held in front of the Serbian fans inBelgrade. Many of his former teammates and toughest opponents played in that game.
Đorđević was a member of SFR Yugoslavia's junior national teams. With theSFR Yugoslav Under-18 national team, he won the gold medal at the1986 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. As a member of theSFR Yugoslav Under-19 national team, he won the gold medal at the1987 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
Đorđević was also a member of the seniorSFR Yugoslav national team. With SFR Yugoslavia, he won a bronze medal at the1987 EuroBasket. He also won a gold medal at the1991 EuroBasket.
Đorđević was also a member of the seniorFR Yugoslav national team. With FR Yugoslavia, he won the gold medal at the1995 EuroBasket, where he had one of the best individual performances ever in aEuroBasket Finals game. In that 1995 EuroBasket Finals game againstLithuania, he scored 41 points and made 9 out of his 12three-point shot attempts. He also won the silver medal at the1996 Summer Olympics.
Đorđević won another gold medal at the1997 EuroBasket. During that tournament, he hit a game-winning shot againstCroatia. Finally, Đorđević won another gold medal at the1998 FIBA World Cup.[21]
Đorđević retired from playing pro basketball in 2005. On 25 January 2006, he began a new career, working as abasketball coach, when he was named thehead coach of the last team that he played with,Armani Jeans Milano, of Italy'sLega Basket Serie A and Europe's premier competition, theEuroLeague.[22] He left that position at the end of the2006–07 Italian League season.
Đorđević's next head coaching job was with theItalian Serie A clubBenetton Treviso. He coached the club during the 2011–12 season. During that season, the club competed in both the2011–12 Italian League and also in Europe's secondary competition, the2011–12 EuroCup.
On 20 June 2015, Đorđević signed a two-year contract to be the head coach ofPanathinaikos, a club competing in theGreek Basket League and theEuroLeague.[23] With Panathinaikos, he won the2016 edition of theGreek Cup. On 20 April 2016, Panathinaikos announced the termination of Đorđević's contract.[24]
On 1 August 2016, Đorđević signed a two-year contract with the GermanBundesliga teamBayern Munich, to be their head coach.[25] In European-wide competitions, Bayern Munich participated in one of Europe's two secondary competitions, the2016–17 EuroCup, where it was defeated in thequarterfinals byUnicaja. Bayern Munich finished the2016–17 Basketball Bundesliga regular season in 3rd place, with 28–4 record, and was eliminated byBrose Bamberg in their semifinal playoff series, with a 3–0 series score. Bayern also finished as the runner-up of the2017 German Cup for the second season in a row, after losing in the Cup's Final to Brose Bamberg, by a score of 74–71.
Over the summer of 2017,Maik Zirbes, a prominentcenter, joined the team. Bayern Munich started the 2017–18 German League season in a dominant fashion, leading the league's standings table. In February 2018, Bayern Munich won the2018 German Cup, after an 80–75 win overAlba Berlin, and the club thus won the German Cup trophy for the first time in 50 years.[26]
On 29 March 2018, Đorđević was sacked by Bayern, after the club's elimination in the semifinals of the2017–18 EuroCup.[27] During that season, Bayern Munich held the first position in the2017–18 Basketball Bundesliga regular season standings, with a record of 23–2, before he was sacked.[27] A few days after his dismissal, Đorđević stated that his firing was an "insult for common sense", especially since the 2017–18 season was one of the most successful in the team's history.[28] He also added that there was an apparent disagreement between the team's management (in particulargeneral managerMarko Pešić), and his coaching staff, as he had not allowed the team's management to have a bigger role in coaching decisions.[28]
On 11 March 2019, Đorđević signed to be the head coach ofVirtus Bologna of theLega Basket Serie A.[29][30][31] In his Virtus Bologna debut on 13 March, Đorđević led the team to an 81–58 victory overLe Mans Sarthe.[32] Virtus Bologna advanced to the2019 Basketball Champions League Final Four inAntwerp,[33][34] where the club won the championship on 5 May, after defeatingIberostar Tenerife, by a score of 73–61, in part thanks to an outstanding game byKevin Punter, who was named theBCL Final Four MVP.[35] The 2019 BCL championship was the fifth European-wide title in the team's history, and the first one it had won in ten years.[36]
On 13 July, Virtus signed a three-year deal withMiloš Teodosić, 2016EuroLeague champion and former NBA player,[37] who was widely considered one of the best Europeanpoint guard of all time.[38] Among others, the team signed alsoVince Hunter,Frank Gaines,Kyle Weems,Julian Gamble,Stefan Marković andGiampaolo Ricci.[39] On 7 April 2020, after more than a month of suspension, theItalian Basketball Federation officially ended the 2019–20 season, due to thecoronavirus pandemic that severely hit Italy.[40] Virtus ended the season first, with 18 wins and only 2 defeats, but the title was not assigned.[41]
On 7 December 2020, just 10 games after the starting of theseason, Đorđević was unexpectedly and suddenly relieved from Bologna and, with him, his coaching assistantGoran Bjedov.[42] However, on the following day, after a long confrontation with the ownership, Đorđević was confirmed as coach.[43] In April 2021, despite a winning record of 19–2, Virtus was defeated in the EuroCup's semifinals byUNICS Kazan.[44] However, the season ended with a great success. In fact, after having knocked out 3–0 bothBasket Treviso in the quarterfinals andNew Basket Brindisi in the semifinals, on 11 June Virtusdefeated 4–0 its historic rivalOlimpia Milano in the national finals, winning its 16th national title and the first one after twenty years.[45] With a winning record of 10–0, Đorđević became the coach with the best playoffswinning percentage in the history of the club.
On 15 June, after a few days from the victory, Đorđević was not renewed as head coach at the end of his two-year contract, due to tensions with the club's ownership which occurred during the season.[46]
On 31 July 2021, Đorđević has signed withFenerbahçe Beko of theBasketball Super League.[47] He left the club on 17 June 2022, following a championship in the2021–22 Turkish League against 2022 Euroleague Champion Anadolu Efes.[48]
| Legend | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win-loss % | ||
Note: TheEuroLeague is not the only competition in which the team played during the season. He also coached in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Bayern Munich | 2016–17 | 39 | 31 | 8 | .795 | Lost2017 German League Semifinals Round |
| FC Bayern Munich | 2017–18 | 25 | 23 | 2 | .920 | Fired |
| Virtus Bologna | 2019–20 | 20 | 18 | 2 | .900 | Season cancelled due toCOVID-19 pandemic |
| Virtus Bologna | 2020–21 | 38 | 29 | 9 | .763 | Won2021 Italian League Finals |
| Fenerbahçe Beko | 2021–22 | 41 | 32 | 9 | .780 | Won2022 Turkish Super League Finals |
| Career | 211 | 173 | 38 | .820 | ||
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olimpia Milano | 2005–06 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .667 | Eliminated in group stage |
| Panathinaikos | 2015–16 | 27 | 15 | 12 | .556 | Lost in Quarterfinal Playoffs |
| Fenerbahçe Beko | 2021–22 | 28 | 10 | 18 | .357 | Eliminated in group stage |
| Career | 58 | 27 | 31 | .466 | ||
On 25 December 2013, Đorđević was officially named the head coach of theSerbian national basketball team.[49] With Serbia, he took the silver medal at the2014 FIBA World Cup. In June 2015, he signed an extension with theBasketball Federation of Serbia, to be the team's head coach until 2019.[50]
His second major tournament in which he led the Serbian national team was the2015 EuroBasket. In the first phase of the tournament, Serbia dominated in the tournament's toughest group (Group B), with a 5–0 record, and then eliminatedFinland and theCzech Republic in the round of 16 and quarterfinal games, respectively. However, Serbia were stopped in their semifinal game byLithuania, by a score of 67–64,[51] and they eventually also lost to the host team,France, in the bronze-medal game, by a score of 81–68.[52]
On 21 August 2016, he led Serbia's national team to the silver medal at the2016 Summer Olympics. At the2017 EuroBasket, Serbia won the silver medal, after losing in the final game toSlovenia.[53]
At the2019 FIBA World Cup, Serbia lost toArgentina in their quarterfinals game. In the classification games, Serbia defeated theUnited States and Czech Republic, and thus finished the tournament in 5th place.[54] After the game versus the Czech Republic, Đorđević announced that he would no longer be the head coach of Serbia's senior national team.[55]
On 16 November 2022, Đorđević was named the head coach of theChina national basketball team.[56]
Đorđević will take the Chinese National Team for the FIBA World Cup in August 2023.
Club titles that Đorđević won as a senior level player:
Club titles that Đorđević won as a head coach:
Đorđević is one ofUNICEF'sNational Ambassadors forSerbia, alongsideEmir Kusturica,Ana Ivanovic,Jelena Janković andNovak Djokovic. He is also one of the founders of the humanitarian organization Group Seven, as well as the President of theBelgrade Marathon. Đorđević has also worked as asports commentator forEuroLeague TV.
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