Yugoslav basketball veteran Nikolic buried in Belgrade

Belgrade, March 15 - Prominent European coach and one of the authors of the famous Yugoslav school of basketball Aleksandar Nikolic was buried at Belgrade's Novo Groblje cemetary on Wednesday.

Among many Nikolic's pupils, friends and associates were Bogdan Tanjevic, coach of the Italian national team, Bozidar Maljkovic, coach of Spanish Unicaja Malaga, ex Yugoslav basketball stars - Dragan Kicanovic (president of the Yugoslav Olympic Committee), Drazen Dalipagic, Zoran Slavnic, Rajko Zizic, Milun Marovic, Dragan Kapicic, Dragoslav Raznatovic, Srecko Jaric, Predrag Bogosavljev (Secretary General of the Yugoslav Basketball Association), Zelimir Cerovic (President of the Yugoslav Basketball Association), Djordje Perisic (Secretary General of Yugoslav Olympic Committee), Nebojsa Popovic and many others.

Speakers at the funeral service were Nikolic's fellow basketball veteran, friend and associate Nebojsa Popovic, and one of his most prominent pupils Bozidar Maljkovic, one of the most successful European coach.

Aleksandar Nikolic is buried on Cemetery for Honorable people in Belgrade.

IN MEMORIAM: Aleksandar Nikolic

By Predrag Saric, Sportski zurnal, Belgrade

Belgrade, March 13 - Professor Aleksandar Nikolic, known as the father of Yugoslav basketball, died last night in Belgrade at 76 years of age. After a great coaching career he stayed in basketball as a teacher and some of his students were some of the most successful European coaches as: Zeljko Obradovic, Bozidar Maljkovic, Bogdan Tanjevic, Slobodan Subotic… He was a member of the "Hall of Fame", Springfield, Massachusetts.

DATE OF BIRTH: October 28, 1924, in Sarajevo.

PLAYING CAREER: Played three years in Red Star Belgrade (1947-1949).

COACHING HIGHLIGHTS:

- Coached Yugoslav National team at the 1961 European Championships and won a silver medal, the first Yugoslav medal in a major championship. He also won gold medals at the World Championship in 1978 and European Championship in 1977.

- He was voted coach of the year in Italy in 1965/66 and 1974/75.

- He won four national championships (one with Yugoslav OKK Belgrade and three with Italian Ignis), three national Cups (with Ignis), two Inter Cups (69/70), three European Cups for Men's Champion Clubs (69-70, 71-72,72-73) , one European Cup for Men's Clubs (73-74).

- He was the coach of Ignis Varese for four years (1969-73) and won three European Cups for Men's Champion Clubs, three national championships, three Italian Cups and two Inter Cups (World championship for men's clubs).

- He coached at OKK Belgrade, Petrarca Padova, Ignis Varese, Red Star, Alco Bologna, Virtus Bologna, Reyer Venecia, Scavolini Pesaro, Udine. His overall win loss record in club basketball is: 357 wins - 200 loses (64.1%).