| Partizan Mozzart Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 2025–26 KK Partizan season | |||
 | |||
| Nickname | Crno-beli (The Black-Whites) | ||
| Leagues | Serbian League ABA League EuroLeague | ||
| Founded | 4 October 1945; 80 years ago (1945-10-04) | ||
| Arena | Belgrade Arena | ||
| Capacity | 18,386[1] | ||
| Location | Belgrade,Serbia | ||
| Team colors | Black andWhite | ||
| President | Ostoja Mijailović | ||
| General manager | Dule Karavesović | ||
| Team manager | Luka Vulikić | ||
| Head coach | Vacant | ||
| Team captain | Vanja Marinković | ||
| Affiliation | Ladies team | ||
| Championships | 1EuroLeague 3FIBA Korać Cup 8ABA League 1ABA League Supercup 22National Championships 16National Cups 1Triple Crown | ||
| Website | partizan | ||
| Closed sport clubs ofJSD Partizan | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Košarkaški klub Partizan (Serbian Cyrillic:Кошаркашки клуб Партизан,lit. 'Basketball Club Partizan'), commonly known asPartizan Belgrade, or asPartizan Mozzart Bet for sponsorship reasons, is a professionalbasketballclub based inBelgrade, Serbia. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based clubPartizan. The club is a founding member and shareholder of theAdriatic Basketball Association,[2] and competes in theSerbian League (KLS), theABA League, and the continental top-tierEuroLeague.
Since 1945, Partizan has won 51 trophies and is the holder of the 22 national champion titles.[3] They have also won 16 national basketball cups, 8 Adriatic (ABA League) championships and 1ABA League Supercup, and most notably the European Champion trophy at the Final Four of the EuroLeague in Istanbul in 1992. The final game was notable for the buzzer-beater byAleksandar Đorđević which ranks among the most famous shots in basketball history.[4] They also won 3Korać Cups in 1978, 1979 and 1989 and participated in four Euroleague Final Fours. In September 2009, Partizan became the first and to this day the only Serbian team to play anofficial game against an NBA team.[5]
The club was established on 4 October 1945, as a basketball section of theSports Association of the Central House of the Yugoslav Army. The first club championship of Yugoslavia was held in 1946, and Partizan participated with a team consisting mostly of players fromYugoslav Army basketball team, which in 1945 won the unofficial state championship against the teams of Yugoslav republics. KK Partizan officially split from the Army in 1953, since the entire sports society became independent and was renamed as Partizan Yugoslav Sports Association (JSD Partizan).
Although with a strong roster, including many players who played for the national team of Yugoslavia, Partizan waited for the first title of Yugoslav champion until 1976. In the first 30 years of its history, most well-known Partizan players have includedMirko Marjanović,Božidar Munćan,Radomir Šaper,Vilmoš Loci,Lajoš Engler, Čedomir Stojičević,Borislav Stanković,Borislav Ćurčić,Branko Radović,Radovan Radović,Miloš Bojović,Dragutin Čermak, Slobodan Jelić and others. During this period Partizan finished second-placed in the championship of Yugoslavia on five occasions. On two occasions (in 1950 and 1951) it even had the same number of points as the winner, but barely missed the title of national champion.[6]
The rise of Partizan into a major basketball club that will eventually become one of the most successful in Europe, started in the early 70's, when former players took over the management and the coaching job was taken bynational team coachRanko Žeravica. He selected a group of young players led by exceptionally talentedDražen Dalipagić andDragan Kićanović. Since Žeravica, as the national team coach (until 1965 as an assistant toAleksandar Nikolić and then as head coach), closely followed the trends of international basketball for more than ten years, including theNBA, he aimed to combine the best features of American and Soviet concepts of the game, and adapt them to the specifics and the mentality of the players from Belgrade, Serbia and the rest of Yugoslavia. He gathered around him other young coaches, and in the late 1970s, when Žeravica went coaching abroad, his former associatesBorislav Ćorković andDušan Ivković successfully took over the team.
This important period in the club's history was crowned with several trophies. The first of these was the title of Yugoslav champion in 1975–76 season. Partizan also started to make noise in the European competitions with two back-to-back titles in the EuropeanKorać Cup (1978 in Banja Luka,KK Bosna was defeated with 117–110, while in 1979 Partizan defeated ItalianArrigoni 108–98). The firstdouble was won in 1978–79 and another national championship title came in 1980–81.
In addition to coaches Žeravica, Ćorković and Ivković, notable players included, above all Dražen Dalipagić and Dragan Kićanović, but alsoDragutin Čermak, Goran Latifić (captain of the first championship team in 1976), Josip Farčić,Dragan Todorić,Dušan Kerkez,Miodrag Marić, Boban Petrović,Arsenije Pešić,Boris Beravs,Milenko Savović,Jadran Vujačić,Nebojša Zorkić,Žarko Zečević and others.[7]
After a couple of quiet years and a generational shift, a new generation of top players developed towards the end of the 1980s, under the leadership of the new club director, Dragan Kićanović.
The generation ofŽeljko Obradović,Milenko Savović andGoran Grbović, followed by youngerAleksandar Đorđević,Vlade Divac,Žarko Paspalj,Ivo Nakić,Miroslav Pecarski andOliver Popović and led by young coachDuško Vujošević, brought Partizan back to the top of Yugoslav and European basketball.
That generation won the title of national champion in 1986–87, and in 1988, following a dominant performance in the quarterfinal round of the Champions Cup and victories over major European clubs includingFC Barcelona,Maccabi Tel Aviv,Aris andTracer Milano, qualified for theFinal Four in the Belgian city ofGhent. After an unexpected loss in the semifinals to Maccabi Tel Aviv (82–87), Partizan defeated Aris (105–93) and finished in the third place in Europe.In 1989, enforced by youngPredrag Danilović, Partizan won theFIBA Korać Cup for the third time, triumphing overWiwa Vismara Cantù. After losing the first game in Italy (76–89), Partizan won the return leg in Belgrade with 101–82. That same season, Partizan won the Yugoslav Cup by defeating the crowned European championsJugoplastika (87–74).
Continental recognition of this second great generation of players attracted more talented basketball players to the club, but at the same time, interest from financially more powerful clubs in Europe and the United States for the best Yugoslav players significantly reduced their time spent in the home country. Partizan's Vlade Divac and Žarko Paspalj in late 1989, along withDražen Petrović fromCibona became the first players from Yugoslavia who pursued their careers in theNBA league.[8]
First team coaches in the mid-1980s also includedBorislav Džaković,Vladislav Lučić andZoran Slavnić.
After the departure of Divac, Paspalj, Grbović, Savović and other main players from the 80's, Partizan started the1991–92 season with a rejuvenated squad, led by an exceptionally talentedbackcourt pair ofAleksandar Đorđević andPredrag Danilović. A previous team captain and former national team player with no coaching experience,Želimir Obradović, was chosen as a first team coach. Another former Partizan coach and player, an established European basketball expert, professorAleksandar Nikolić became his counselor.
The season didn't start well at all - ethnic conflicts in the region hadescalated towards the autumn of 1991 andFIBA decided not to allow teams from theformer Yugoslavia to play their home games at their home venues. Belgrade's "Black and Whites" have opted to be "hosts" in theMadrid suburb ofFuenlabrada, in thePolideportivo Fernando Martín arena. This proved to be a right move as the Spanish crowd was very supportive of their adopted team.[9]
Obradović's team began a long season of European and domestic matches, often traveling thousands of kilometers in just a few days, with performance gradually improving. Partizan finished the competition in the group stage in the Euroleague in fourth place with nine wins and five defeats. That meant that Partizan had to play crucial matches to qualify for the Final Four withKnorr Bologna. Bolognese had a strong team led by former Yugoslav national team playerJurij Zdovc. However, Đorđević, Danilović,Ivo Nakić,Zoran Stevanović,Vladimir Dragutinović,Željko Rebrača,Mlađan Šilobad,Slaviša Koprivica,Nikola Lončar andDragiša Šarić came on top in three games and for the second time qualified for the Final Four.
At the Final Four held inAbdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul in April 1992, Partizan won the title of European champion. In the Final Four, Partizan won both games – in the semifinals they defeated ItalianPhilips Milano and in the finals SpanishMontigalà Joventut (71–70), with an iconic three-pointer in the last second by Aleksandar Đorđević. The average age of the team was only 21.7 years, and out of 17 games all but one (the quarter-final game against Knorr Bologna) were played on foreign grounds.[10]
The season finished triumphantly with victories in the national championship and the Cup.[11]
After the Istanbul triumph, Đorđević and Danilović moved to Italy. They ended in two clubs that Partizan defeated a few months earlier, during its "conquest of Europe" – Danilović inKnorr and Đorđević inPhillips. The departure of the back-court pair proved to be an irreparable loss. Because of theUN sanctions against FR Yugoslavia, Partizan was not allowed to defend the European title in 1992–93 season. In 1993–94 season, led by coachŽeljko Lukajić Partizan won the national cup, and the next season was again successful. The team coached byBorislav Džaković won both domestic league and cup. The new generation of players includedNikola Lončar,Miroslav Berić,Haris Brkić,Željko Rebrača,Predrag Drobnjak,Aleksandar Čubrilo. In 1995 the UN sanctions were lifted and Serbian and Montenegrin clubs were again able to compete in European competitions. Inexperienced squad didn't achieve any significant results in their returning season in Europe, but, under the guidance of Ranko Žeravica they still defended the national title in 1995–96 and secured another season in Europe's top competition.[12]
In 1996–97 season Partizan, led by new coachMiroslav Nikolić, qualified for the Top 16 of Euroleague where it was eliminated by later European championOlympiacos. Partizan defended the title in the domestic league led by players such asDejan Tomašević,Dejan Koturović, andDragan Lukovski. Next season, 1997–98, was a success in Euroleague. Two years after the 3-season long UN sanctions ended, Partizan qualified for the Final Four for the third time. After a series of defeats in the group stage, Miroslav Nikolić resigned and was replaced by Milovan Bogojević and the results improved. Partizan first eliminated the reigning champion Olympiacos, and then, in the quarterfinals, the Russian championsCSKA. After the departure of Berić and Koturović, enforced with new backcourt pairMiroslav Radošević andVladimir Đokić, Partizan went on to theFinal Four inBarcelona where it took the fourth place, after playing eventual championsKinder Bologna andBenetton Treviso.[13] However, the season in domestic competition was unsuccessful, and some leading players likePredrag Drobnjak departed the club.
After a disappointing domestic league ending,Vladislav Lučić was appointed as a new head coach of the club. The domestic 1998–99 season was not completed due to theNATO bombing of Yugoslavia, but Partizan still won the Yugoslav Cup, defeatingFMP in the finals, in a game that was played to the soundcivil defense sirens. Despite the ongoing air strikes, the game was completed. Partizan reached the quarterfinals of the1999 Saporta Cup. At the end of the season, most of the players left the club, and another young squad was formed. Led by coachNenad Trajković and playersRadоšević,Đokić,Čubrilo,Nenad Čanak,Ratko Varda,Veselin Petrović, Dragan Marković Partizan defended the Yugoslav Cup trophy. 2000–01 season was marked by the comeback of experienced playersBerić,Nikola Bulatović,Aleksandar Glintić,Branko Milisavljević while club legendsVlade Divac,Predrag Danilović andŽarko Paspalj returned as part of the club management.Darko Ruso was appointed as a coach, and Partizan reached the Top 16 of Euroleague.[14] In December 2000 a fan-favoriteHaris Brkić, who returned to club just weeks earlier, was shot and killed outside ofPionir Hall.[15]
Duško Vujošević's return to the position of a head coach in 2001 andPredrag Danilović's presidency marked the beginning of a rise in the fortunes of the club. Between 2001 and 2014, Partizan has been by far the most successful club in Serbia and the ex-Yugoslav region, winning thirteen consecutive national titles, six national cups (five consecutive from 2008 to 2012), and sixABA League titles (five consecutive from 2007 to 2011). From the turn of the century, Partizan also managed to remain fully competitive in the Euroleague, while still developing players, including some of the best big men in European basketball, such asNikola Peković,Aleks Marić,Kosta Perović,Jan Veselý,Novica Veličković,Milan Mačvan and, before them,Nenad Krstić. The highlight of the era were the three consecutive Euroleague playoff appearances from 2008 to 2010, with the latter being the year in which the club once again reached the EuroLeague Final Four.
In the period between 2001 and 2006 Partizan struggled with its results in Euroleague. However, on the domestic front, Partizan was highly successful and built up for European success in the following years. During these years, notable players from Partizan champion squads includedMiloš Vujanić,Nenad Krstić,Vule Avdalović, young national team playersUroš Tripković,Luka Bogdanović,Kosta Perović,Boris Bakić,Dejan Borovnjak,Novica Veličković. They were supported by more experienced players such asVlado Šćepanović,Đuro Ostojić,Dejan Milojević,Predrag Šuput,Petar Božić,Fred House andVonteego Cummings.[16]
In the 2006–07 season, In addition to the sixth consecutive title in Serbia, Partizan won its first Adriatic league trophy, defeating another Serbian clubFMP, in the finals.Dušan Kecman,Milenko Tepić,Nikola Peković, with Veličković, Cummings, Perović, Bakić, Bogdanović also reached the TOP 16 of Euroleague. On 17 August 2007, Partizan signed an agreement withBosnian clubKK Igokea on technical cooperation, known as "Partizan Igokea". The season 2007–08 was a big come back to the top of European basketball. Partizan Igokea was successful in Euroleague, and strengthened withMilt Palacio,Slavko Vraneš,Čedomir Vitkovac Partizan Igokea knocked out of the competition European championsPanathinaikos, but was stopped in the quarterfinals byTAU Cerámica in a close fought encounter.
In the national league, Partizan Igokea won the first of four consecutive triple crowns, uniting the titles in national league, national cup and regional league.[17]
In the2008–09 season, Partizan defended all three trophies. New playersAleksandar Rašić,Stéphane Lasme,Jan Veselý played well alongside established stars Veličković, Tepić, Tripković, Vraneš, Božić and reached the quarterfinals of Euroleague again, where they were eliminated byCSKA.[18] On 5 March 2009, Partizan and its fans became record holders, setting a record crowd of 22,567 in a game against Panathinaikos, the highest ever attendance for any basketball game held indoors in Europe.[19][citation needed] CoachVujošević was given the highest coaching award in Europe, theEuroleague Coach of the Year Award,[20] and Partizan was chosen by Euroleague to go on tour against NBA teams, becoming one of the selected few clubs to represent European basketball in the United States.[21]
The2009–10 season was one of the most successful seasons in the history of KK Partizan. Main players from the previous seasonsUroš Tripković,Novica Veličković, Milenko Tepić, Stéphane Lasme left the club. Experienced Dušan Kecman returned andAleks Marić,Bo McCalebb,Lawrence Roberts were brought in. Partizan played better from one game to another, and Pionir Hall remained impregnable fortress for many European greats likeEfes Pilsen orFC Barcelona. Partizan again went to quarterfinals and this time faced Israeli powerhouseMaccabi Tel Aviv. Partizan went past their opponent in big style and secured the fourth Final Four of Euroleague.[22] In the final tournament of Euroleague held in Paris, Partizan played even with their rivals but was lost in the final seconds of the semi-final toOlympiacos 80–83 and in the 3rd place game toCSKA Moscow 88–90.[23] Both games were decided in overtime. Partizan again defended national league and cup titles.[24]
The final game of the2010 Adriatic league remains as one of the most memorable in the history. Played in front of the sold-outArena Zagreb against longtime rivals from CroatiaCibona. Cibona trailed 68–72 with a few seconds left, but back-to-back triples byMarko Tomas andBojan Bogdanović gave their team a 74–72 lead with just 0.6 seconds left. Cibona players and the crowd already began to celebrate the title, but Partizan had the game's final possession and Dušan Kecman banked in a game-winning triple from midcourt at the buzzer, to make Partizan win another Adriatic League title in front of the shocked crowd and opposition players.[25][26]
Before the2010–11 season,Duško Vujošević, the most successful Partizan coach in history left the club after nine seasons to sign with CSKA Moscow.[27]Vlada Jovanović, previously his assistant, became the new head coach. The change in coaching position was followed by changes in playing squad as Marić, McCalebb, Roberts, Vraneš, Rašić left the club. New players were brought in:Nathan Jawai,James Gist,Curtis Jerrells,Raško Katić. Along with crowd favoriteJan Veselý these players made the first five, the first time that Partizan relied mainly on foreign players. The departure of Vujošević initially affected the results, but as the season went on Partizan's play improved and the team again won three trophies – national double and the regional league. In Euroleague, Partizan achieved its primary goal and qualified for the Top 16 phase.[28]
Again, most of the starters left the team before the2011–12 season began. Serbian national team playersMilan Mačvan andMiroslav Raduljica were loaned in, and young playersVladimir Lučić andDragan Milosavljević got more playing time. Partizan took advantage of theNBA lockout to bring in its former player,centerNikola Peković.[29] With most of the play revolving around him, Partizan got close to securing another Euroleague Top 16 spot, but due to an end of the lockout Peković returned to the NBA in early December. Without him, Partizan lost all three remaining fixtures and after five consecutive years, failed to qualify further. In the regional Adriatic League, Partizan was stopped in the semifinals, ending its five-year reign in the competition. On the domestic front, however, Partizan extended its success, winning another double.
The beginning of the2012–13 season saw the return ofDuško Vujošević to the club.[30]Petar Božić, long-term captain, retired.Vladimir Lučić was appointed as captain, andDragan Milosavljević became vice-captain.Dušan Kecman andMilan Mačvan were also among the players who left. The squad was rejuvenated, with the oldest playerMarko Čakarević being just 24 years old. Initially, the results inEuroleague suffered, with Partizan's supertalented but inexperienced squad being knocked-out of the group stage. After mixed performances in theABA League regular season, Partizan performed well in the final four, winning its sixth regional title, and securing another season inEuroleague. In the Serbian championship, Partizan successfully defended the trophy and brought its record to twenty national titles, the last twelve being consecutive. The season was marked by the rise of young players such asDāvis Bertāns,Bogdan Bogdanović,Léo Westermann andNikola Milutinov.
The2013–14 season started with a success in Euroleage, where Partizan returned to the Top16 group, with youngsters such asJoffrey Lauvergne, Bogdanović, Bertāns, Westermann, Milutinov leading the team and enforced by a former NBA playerAleksandar Pavlović. However, Partizan suffered at the Final Four of theAdriatic League with a defeat at a buzzer byCedevita in the semifinals. Despite the shocking loss, the team bounced and finished the season by winning its thirteenth consecutive national title, again defeating their archrivalsCrvena zvezda by 3–1 in the final series.[31]
Having lost an ABA league title and therefore a place in Euroleague after almost a decade and a half, a talented generation from the previous two season's disbanded and Partizan entered the2014–15 season with an almost brand new squad. Despite the efforts of experienced Pavlović, Mačvan, Tepić and youngerEdo Murić Partizan struggled to finished fourth in the regular season of theAdriatic League, only to be eliminated in the playoff semifinals. InEurocup, Partizan was eliminated in the first round. Partizan was also eliminated in theSerbian Cup and failed to defend theSerbian League title, losing to Red Star Belgrade in the final series. Without any silverware won, the season was the worst in fourteen years and marked the beginning of a three year long dry spell.
The summer of 2015 included many organizational and roster changes. The board of directors suggestedNikola Peković, former Partizan player, for the next team president, after the resignation ofPredrag Danilović. Soon after that, longtime head coach Vujošević departed and Petar Božić was offered a head coach position.[32] Main players also left the club, with youngVanja Marinković becoming the new team captain.[33]
At the beginning of 2016, Partizan severed the contract with Petar Božić after a worst half-season in recent Partizan history.Aleksandar Džikić was appointed as a new coach, and managed to finishAdriatic League season on the 5th position, and finish theSerbian League at the second place, losing to Crvena zvezda in the finals.
In2016–17 season Partizan played inBasketball Champions League, having withdrawn from theEurocup.[34] The team captain wasNovica Veličković who returned to the club. In the group stage, Partizan finished as 3rd and passed to the play-off where they were eliminated byPAOK. After being eliminated in theAdriatic League in the playoff semifinals andSerbian League also in semifinals Partizan ended up without a single trophy won for a third consecutive year. The poor finish of the season led to the departure of Džikić during the summer.
In the summer of 2017, club's president Peković stepped down, andOstoja Mijailović replaced him. Partizan started the 2017–18 season withMiroslav Nikolić as new head coach. However, due to poor results, he was fired in December 2017. During the same month, president Ostoja Mijailović stated that Partizan owes around 7.19 million euros and that creditors are considering blocking its bank account.[35] On 14 December 2017, former playerNenad Čanak was named as the head coach of Partizan. There were many roster changes throughout the season. One of the best playersPatrick Miller left Partizan and the club signedKwame Vaughn andBandja Sy. After a good run in next two months, Partizan again finished on the 5th position inAdriatic League. In February 2018, Partizan won the first trophy after almost four years,Radivoj Korać Cup, defeating their archrivals Crvena zvezda 81–75 in final. Partizan played in theEurocup but finished with a 1–9 record and last place in their group. The Superleague campaign also finished unsuccessfully because Partizan lost to Crvena Zvezda in thePlayoff semifinals thus failing to win the League title for a fourth consecutive season.Nigel Williams-Goss marked this season as the top player and left forOlympiacos and laterNBA.
Partizan acquiredJock Landale,Rade Zagorac,Marcus Paige and several other mostly younger players during summer 2018. After a difficult start to the 2018–2019 season, including losing five consecutive games both in the ABA League and the2018–19 EuroCup Basketball season, Čanak resigned and was replaced byAndrea Trinchieri as the new head coach. Under Trinchieri, the performance improved and Partizan finally captured some of their former European success, qualifying for the Top16 in the EuroCup. A home loss toRytas prevented Partizan from qualifying for the playoffs, finishing with a 2–4 record in the Top16. In regionalABA League competition, Partizan finished in fourth place of the regular season and eventually lost the semifinal series to Crvena zvezda with 2–1.[36] Partizan defended the trophy in theRadivoj Korać Cup, again by defeating Crvena zvezda 76–74 in the final.
For the 2019–20 season, Marinković, Sy and Landale departed and Partizan rebuilt the team withNemanja Gordić,Rashawn Thomas,Corey Walden,William Mosley and several others. Partizan started the season strongly, winning theABA Supercup, theRadivoj Korać Cup, and leading in both the AB League and the EuroCup Top-16 group stage, qualifying for the playoffs, but eventually the season was canceled due toCOVID-19 pandemic. Trinchieri left Partizan during the summer.
In 2020–21 season, even with solid additions ofCodi Miller-McIntyre, and much of the previous season's roster remaining, poor coaching choices (Vlado Šćepanović (fired in November),Sašo Filipovski (fired in March) andAleksandar Matović (finishing the year)) and a poor financial situation (which lead to a big roster turnaround during the season, with players like Miller-McIntyre leaving the club), resulted in Partizan failing to qualify to theABA League Playoffs, with a disastrous 7th place finish (worst in club history), lost toMega in the semifinals of theSerbian League and finished in Top 16 phase ofEuroCup - out of playoff contention. This year is largely considered as the worst ever in Partizan history.
In the summer of 2021,Željko Obradović became the team's new head coach, and Partizan started complete roster rebuild. The roster has been strengthened with players like,Kevin Punter,Mathias Lessort,Zach LeDay,Yam Madar,Alen Smailagić andAleksa Avramović.[37] During the2021–22 EuroCup season, where the newly rebuilt Partizan were considered one of the top competition's favorites, Partizan finished second in the group A, but was eliminated in the eightfinal by the 7th seed of group BFrutti Extra Bursaspor 95–103 inBelgrade - a huge disappointment for the club.[38] Partizan also made it to the Playoffs Finals series of the2021–22 ABA League, where they lost with 3–2 in closely contested series to Crvena zvezda - another big disappointment for the team. KK Partizan refused to play in theBasketball League of Serbia.
In the summer of 2022, Partizan received a wild card from the EuroLeague to compete in the competition for the 2022–23 season; it would be return to the competition after eight years.[39] Several new players joined the roster,Dante Exum,Ioannis Papapetrou,James Nunnally andDanilo Anđušić. On 20 October 2022 Partizan won their first game in EuroLeague after 3.121 days by beatingVirtus Bologna 90–62 inŠtark Arena. At the end of theEuroLeague Regular Season, Partizan finished in sixth place with 20 wins and 14 losses and secured participation in thePlayoffs. In the Playoffs, Partizan was defeated byReal Madrid 3–2 in the series. The series was marked by a massive brawl between the players that occurred in the second game with 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining whenSergio Llull madeFlagrant foul on Punter. The fight resulted in the injury of Dante Exum after a brutal move byGuerschon Yabusele. The Euroleague imposed suspensions for Punter and Mathias Lessort on the Partizan side andGabriel Deck and Yabusele on the Real side. Partizan ended the 2022–23 season by lifting theABA League championship trophy, after 3–2 score against Crvena zvezda in the Finals series;[40] team captain Punter won theABA League Finals MVP award for his performances.
The 2023–24 season was deemed to be unsuccessful for Partizan as they finished the season without lifting any trophy.[41]
The 2024-25 season, with a reconstructed team, Partizan managed to lift the record eighth ABA League championship, and theSerbian League championship after 11 seasons.
Partizan has had several denominations through the years due to its sponsorship:
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Grobari (Serbian Cyrillic: Гробари, English: The Gravediggers) are supporters of theBelgrade football clubPartizan. They generally support all clubs within thePartizan multi-sport club, especially football and basketball club.[42] According to the "Ultras World" organization, which gathers over 400,000 fans on social networks, they are ranked in the TOP 10 supporters in the world.[43] In March 2009, inKombank Arena in theEuroleague TOP 16 game between Partizan andPanathinaikos, Grobari appointed the league's attendance record – 22,567.[44] Partizan has been the most watched team for many years in a row inAdriatic League.[45][46][47] In the2022–23 EuroLeague season, Partizan set a record with the highest total attendance of 340,816 spectators. In the2023–24 EuroLeague season, Partizan's fans registered the largest average home attendance inEuroLeague history, with 19,916 fans attending each match. Last season, Partizan had a huge attendance of 17,938. This year, the average of 19,916 spectators would've been the fourth-largest in the(NBA), with only theChicago Bulls (20,624),Dallas Mavericks (20,217), andPhiladelphia 76ers (20,041) overtaking the Serbian club.
Partizan until recently played most of their home games atAleksandar Nikolić Hall, located in theBelgrade municipality ofPalilula. The arena, then named Pionir Hall, was built in 1973 in eleven months, byEnergoprojekt. Basketball was popular in Yugoslavia at the time, and although Hall Aleksandar Nikolić hosted many different sport events (volleyball,handball) it became known as a basketball arena.[48] It has a seating capacity of 8,000.[49][50][51] Aleksandar Nikolić Hall is also the home of Partizan's main rivalRed Star Belgrade. In the first twenty-three years (1945–1968), the club played their home games at open basketball courts onBelgrade Fortress before moving toRanko Žeravica Hall.[citation needed] For 24 seasons (1968–1992), Partizan played their home games at Ranko Žeravica Hall, located in Belgrade municipality ofNew Belgrade.
In the 2008–09 season, Partizan played their home games of theEuroLeague Top 16 in theKombank Arena. On 5 March 2009 against Greek team Panathinaikos, a record crowd of 22,567 was set for the EuroLeague.[citation needed] Partizan also holds the record for highest single-game attendance in theABA League history, with 23,021 fans attending the match againstMega Mis on 22 January 2024. As of 9th February 2020, Partizan has been involved in the top 4 single-game attendances in the history of the regional competition (three of them as a host).[52]
In June 2019, Partizan signed a contract with Štark Arena to be its main home arena until the end of 2023–24 season.[53]
Numerous Partizan players have won medals competing for their national teams and several have been internationally recognized for their outstanding contribution to the game of basketball:
Partizan has provided a number of NBA players since 1989. In total, thirteen were drafted while at Partizan with five of them selected in the first round of theNBA draft, with the highest pick being the 6th place on the2011 NBA draft forJan Veselý. Most notable NBA players who came through the ranks of Partizan include the likes of Hall-of-FamerVlade Divac and rookie-all starsŽeljko Rebrača,Nenad Krstić andBogdan Bogdanović.
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility atFIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Partizan Mozzart Bet roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated:November 25, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 | Bench 3 | Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Bruno Fernando | Tyrique Jones | Dylan Osetkowski | ||
| PF | Aleksej Pokuševski | Jabari Parker | Miikka Muurinen | ||
| SF | Sterling Brown | Isaac Bonga | Mitar Bošnjaković | Mario Nakić | |
| SG | Vanja Marinković | Duane Washington Jr. | Uroš Mijailović | ||
| PG | Shake Milton | Nick Calathes | Arijan Lakić | Carlik Jones |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been inducted to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| + | Denotes player who has been selected for at least oneAll-Star Game |
| # | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game |
| Position | Player | Year | Round | Pick | Drafted by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C |  Vlade Divac^+ | 1989 | 1st round | 26th | Los Angeles Lakers |
| SG/SF |  Predrag Danilović | 1992 | 2nd round | 43rd | Golden State Warriors |
| C | Željko Rebrača | 1994 | 2nd round | 54th | Seattle SuperSonics |
| PF/C | Predrag Drobnjak | 1997 | 2nd round | 48th | Washington Bullets |
| C | Nenad Krstić | 2002 | 1st round | 24th | New Jersey Nets |
| PG/SG | Miloš Vujanić# | 2002 | 2nd round | 36th | New York Knicks |
| C |  Kosta Perović | 2006 | 2nd round | 38th | Golden State Warriors |
| C |  Nikola Peković | 2008 | 2nd round | 31st | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| PF/C |  Jan Veselý | 2011 | 1st round | 6th | Washington Wizards |
| C/PF |  Joffrey Lauvergne | 2013 | 2nd round | 55th | Memphis Grizzlies, traded toDenver Nuggets |
| SG/SF |  Bogdan Bogdanović | 2014 | 1st round | 27th | Phoenix Suns |
| C | Nikola Milutinov# | 2015 | 1st round | 26th | San Antonio Spurs |
| SG | Vanja Marinković# | 2019 | 2nd round | 60th | Sacramento Kings |
| PF/C | Tristan Vukčević | 2023 | 2nd round | 42nd | Washington Wizards |
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility atFIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Criteria |
|---|
To appear in this section a player must have either:
|
Danilo AnđušićVule AvdalovićAleksa AvramovićMiroslav Berić
Dāvis BertānsBogdan BogdanovićLuka BogdanovićMiloš Bojović
Isaac BongaPetar BožićHaris Brkić
Sterling Brown
Bruno CabocloDragutin ČermakVonteego CummingsDražen Dalipagić
Boris DalloPredrag Danilović
Brandon DaviesVlade DivacAleksandar ĐorđevićPJ DozierVladimir DragutinovićPredrag DrobnjakLajos Engler
Semih Erden
Dante ExumJames GistGoran GrbovićMilan GurovićFred House
Vlado IlievskiOgnjen JaramazNathan JawaiCurtis Jerrells
Carlik JonesTyrique JonesDušan KecmanRaško KatićDragan KićanovićTarence KinseyBalša KoprivicaSlaviša KoprivicaNenad KrstićArijan LakićJock Landale
Stéphane LasmeJoffrey LauvergneAcie Law
Zach LeDayMathias LessortNikola LončarVladimir LučićDragan Lukovski
Gabriel Lundberg
Yam MadarMilan MačvanAleks MarićVanja MarinkovićMirko MarjanovićBo McCalebbVladimir Micov
Isiaha MikeDejan MilojevićDragan MilosavljevićNikola Milutinov
Edo Murić
Dallas MooreWilliam MosleyDejan MusliIvo NakićRasho NesterovićAleksandar NikolićFrank NtilikinaJames NunnallyŽeljko ObradovićMarcus Paige
Milt Palacio
Ioannis PapapetrouŽarko PaspaljIvan PaunićAleksandar PavlovićMiroslav PecarskiNikola PekovićKosta PerovićArsenije PešićSvetislav PešićBoban PetrovićAleksej Pokuševski
Mateusz PonitkaKevin PunterRadovan RadovićMiroslav RaduljicaAleksandar RašićŽeljko RebračaLawrence RobertsPredrag SamardžiskiRadomir ŠaperMilenko SavovićVlado ŠćepanovićMlađan ŠilobadZoran SlavnićAlen SmailagićBorislav StankovićZoran StevanovićMilenko TepićRashawn ThomasDragan TodorićDejan TomaševićUroš TrifunovićUroš TripkovićNovica VeličkovićRatko VardaJan VeselýSlavko VranešJadran VujačićMiloš VujanićTristan VukčevićCorey WaldenDuane WashingtonLéo WestermannNigel Williams-GossRade ZagoracŽarko ZečevićNebojša ZorkićThere have been thirty-fivehead coaches for Partizan since the founding of the club in 1945. The first head coach wasBožo Grkinić who coached Partizan for two seasons. The first coach to bring Partizan an official trophy wasBorislav Ćorković. He wonYugoslav League with Partizan in 1976. Club won the first international trophy in 1978, while being coached byRanko Žeravica.Željko Obradović lead the club to the most significant trophy,EuroLeague in 1992.Duško Vujošević is the most successful coach in the club's history. In his four stints with Partizan he won a total of twenty-three trophies.
Several Partizan coaches have been recognized internationally for their contribution to the game of basketball:
Another former Partizan coach,Borislav Stanković, was also enshrined in both theBasketball Hall of Fame andFIBA Hall of Fame, although not as a coach but as a contributor.[61]
Partizan has won thirty-eight domestic trophies, including twenty-twonational championships, of which thirteen were won consecutively, and sixteen cups, of which five were won consecutively. They have also won eightABA Leagues, first five of them consecutive and oneABA League Supercup. In European competitions in the late 1970s, they won two back-to-backFIBA Korać Cups in 1978 and 1979. They also won anotherKorać Cup in 1989. In 1992, Partizan won the club's first – and to date only –EuroLeague title, downingJoventut Badalona 71–70 on a miraculous buzzer-beater byAleksandar Đorđević, which ranks among the most amazing shots in European basketball history. Overall, Partizan has won 51 trophies, which makes it the most successful basketball club inSerbia.[62]
| Honours | No. | Years | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League – 22 | |||||
| Yugoslav League | Winners | 5 | 1976,1979,1981,1987,1992 | ||
| FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro League | Winners | 8 | 1995,1996,1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 | ||
| Serbian League | Winners | 9s | 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2025 | ||
| Cups – 16 | |||||
| Yugoslav Cup | Winners | 3 | 1979,1989, 1992 | ||
| FR Yugoslavia Cup | Winners | 5 | 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2002 | ||
| Radivoj Korać Cup | Winners | 8 | 2008,2009, 2010, 2011,2012,2018,2019,2020 | ||
| European – 4 | |||||
| EuroLeague | Winners | 1 | 1992 | ||
| FIBA Korać Cup | Winners | 3 | 1978,1979,1989 | ||
| Regional – 9 | |||||
| ABA League | Winners | 8 | 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2013,2023,2025 | ||
| ABA League Supercup | Winners | 1s | 2019 | ||
| Individual club awards – 1 | |||||
| Triple Crown | Winners | 1 | 1991–92 | ||
S Shared record
| Season | Tier | League | Pos. | Adriatic League | Domestic cup | European competitions | Other cups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–87 | 1 | FFBL | 1st | — | Semifinalist | 3FIBA Korać Cup | R16 | — | — |
| 1987–88 | 1 | FFBL | 2nd | — | Semifinalist | 1European Champions Cup | 3rd | — | — |
| 1988–89 | 1 | FFBL | 2nd | — | Champions | 3FIBA Korać Cup | C | — | — |
| 1989–90 | 1 | FFBL | 8th | — | Quarterfinalist | 2European Cup Winners' Cup | QF | Yugoslavia Super Cup | RU |
| 1990–91 | 1 | FFBL | 2nd | — | Quarterfinalist | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | 1 | FFBL | 1st | — | Champions | 1FIBA European League | C | — | — |
| 1992–93 | 1 | YUBA | 2nd | — | Runner-up | 1FIBA European League | UN | — | — |
| 1993–94 | 1 | YUBA | 2nd | — | Champions | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | 1 | YUBA | 1st | — | Champions | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | 1 | YUBA | 1st | — | Runner-up | 1FIBA European League | R2 | — | — |
| 2FIBA European Cup | QFGS | — | |||||||
| 1996–97 | 1 | YUBA | 1st | — | Runner-up | 1FIBA EuroLeague | T16 | — | — |
| 1997–98 | 1 | YUBA | 3rd | — | Semifinalist | 1FIBA EuroLeague | 4th | — | — |
| 1998–99 | 1 | YUBA | 3rd | — | Champions | 2FIBA Saporta Cup | QF | Christmas Tournament | 3rd |
| 1999–00 | 1 | YUBA | 2nd | — | Champions | 2FIBA Saporta Cup | RS | Christmas Tournament | 3rd |
| 2000–01 | 1 | YUBA | 2nd | — | Runner-up | 1FIBA SuproLeague | R16 | — | — |
| 2001–02 | 1 | YUBA | 1st | — | Champions | 1EuroLeague | RS | — | — |
| 2002–03 | 1 | YUBA | 1st | — | Semifinalist | 1EuroLeague | RS | — | — |
| 2003–04 | 1 | YUBA | 1st | — | Quarterfinalist | 1EuroLeague | RS | — | — |
| 2004–05 | 1 | YUBA | 1st | Runner-up | Runner-up | 1EuroLeague | RS | — | — |
| 2005–06 | 1 | YUBA | 1st | Runner-up | Semifinalist | 1EuroLeague | RS | — | — |
| 2006–07 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Champions | Runner-up | 1EuroLeague | T16 | — | — |
| 2007–08 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Champions | Champions | 1EuroLeague | QF | — | — |
| 2008–09 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Champions | Champions | 1EuroLeague | QF | — | — |
| 2009–10 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Champions | Champions | 1EuroLeague | 4th | — | — |
| 2010–11 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Champions | Champions | 1EuroLeague | T16 | Gomelsky Cup | 4th |
| 2011–12 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Semifinalist | Champions | 1Euroleague | RS | — | — |
| 2012–13 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Champions | Runner-up | 1EuroLeague | RS | — | — |
| 2013–14 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Semifinalist | Quarterfinalist | 1EuroLeague | T16 | — | — |
| 2014–15 | 1 | KLS | 2nd | Semifinalist | Semifinalist | 2Eurocup | RS | — | — |
| 2015–16 | 1 | KLS | 2nd | 5th | Runner-up | — | — | — | — |
| 2016–17 | 1 | KLS | SF | Semifinalist | Runner-up | 3Champions League | PO | — | — |
| 2017–18 | 1 | KLS | SF | 5th | Champion | 2EuroCup | RS | ABA Supercup | 6th |
| 2018–19 | 1 | KLS | 2nd | Semifinalist | Champion | 2EuroCup | T16 | ABA Supercup | SF |
| 2019–20 | 1 | KLS | CX | (Cancelled) | Champion | 2EuroCup | QF (CX) | ABA Supercup | C |
| 2020–21 | 1 | KLS | SF | 7th | Semifinalist | 2EuroCup | T16 | ABA Supercup | CX |
| 2021–22 | 1 | KLS | DNP | Runner-up | Runner-up | 2EuroCup | R16 | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 1 | KLS | DQ | Champions | Semifinalist | 1EuroLeague | QF | VTB Supercup | 4th |
| 2023–24 | 1 | KLS | 2nd | Runner-up | Runner-up | 1EuroLeague | 11th | ABA Supercup | RU |
| 2024–25 | 1 | KLS | 1st | Champions | Runner-up | 1EuroLeague | 12th | — | — |
Partizan is the first and so far only club from Serbia that played games againstNBA teams. On the2009 EuroLeague American Tour, Partizan played againstDenver Nuggets andPhoenix Suns.
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| Official Shirt Sponsor | NIS |
| Official Shirt Sponsor | mt:s |
| Official Shirt Sponsor | Addiko Bank |
| Official Sport Clothing Manufacturer | Nike |
| Official Sport Drink | Aqua Viva |
| Official Broadcaster | Arena Sport Serbia |
| Official Travel Provider | Air Serbia |
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