Mirza Delibašic
Encyclopedia
Mirza Delibašić was a Bosnian
basketball
player. He was born in Tuzla
, located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina
, in the former Yugoslavia
.
to the Euroleague
Championship in 1979. After leaving KK Bosna, Delibašić went to Spain
where he along with Juan Corbalán, Wayne Brabender
, Fernando Martín Espina
, Dražen Petrović
, and Arvydas Sabonis
, is considered to be one of the best players ever to play for the "royal club" Real Madrid
.
En route to a place among the European greatest players, Mirza Delibašić has won everything there was to win with Yugoslavia including Olympic gold in 1980, European gold three times, World Championship gold in 1978, plus many titles in European club competitions.
In addition to having played together for their national team, Mirza Delibašić and Dražen Dalipagić
have also played together for Real Madrid. Their performance in a 1981 Euroleague game vs. KK Cibona in Zagreb is only one of the many highlights of their careers.
Mirza Delibašić scored 26 and Dalipagić 33 points. The game appropriately finished with a two-on-one fastbreak with Delibašić making a behind-the-back fake pass to Dalipagić and passing by a defender for a two-handed dunk at the buzzer. Cibona fans put aside their team loss and showed their appreciation for Bosnian stars` performances with standing ovations at the end of the game.
. His final years were marked by persistent health problems due to his heavy drinking, which led to his death on December 8, 2001 in Sarajevo at the age of 47. Several thousand people attended his funeral in Sarajevo and KK Bosna
renamed its arena in his honor.
.
A memorial basketball tournament is held every year in the Dvorana Mirza Delibašić
.
In 2007, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame
.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He was born in Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
, located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina , known until 1963 under the name of People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, in the former Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
.
Career
Mirza Delibašić "Kindje" (Bosnian Kinđe) led his club KK Bosna SarajevoKK Bosna
KK Bosna is a basketball club in Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club is part of the University Sport Society USD Bosna...
to the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
Championship in 1979. After leaving KK Bosna, Delibašić went to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
where he along with Juan Corbalán, Wayne Brabender
Wayne Brabender
Wayne Donald Brabender Cole is a retired American-Spanish basketball player, who acquired Spanish citizenship on May 22, 1968....
, Fernando Martín Espina
Fernando Martín Espina
Fernando Martín Espina is considered one of the best Spanish basketball players ever....
, Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrovic
Dražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...
, and Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player and a businessman. He was an eight-time European Player of the Year, winning the Euroscar Award six times, and the Mr...
, is considered to be one of the best players ever to play for the "royal club" Real Madrid
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
.
En route to a place among the European greatest players, Mirza Delibašić has won everything there was to win with Yugoslavia including Olympic gold in 1980, European gold three times, World Championship gold in 1978, plus many titles in European club competitions.
In addition to having played together for their national team, Mirza Delibašić and Dražen Dalipagić
Dražen Dalipagic
Dražen Dalipagić , born in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Yugoslavian basketball player. He was enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.-Yugoslavian national team:...
have also played together for Real Madrid. Their performance in a 1981 Euroleague game vs. KK Cibona in Zagreb is only one of the many highlights of their careers.
Mirza Delibašić scored 26 and Dalipagić 33 points. The game appropriately finished with a two-on-one fastbreak with Delibašić making a behind-the-back fake pass to Dalipagić and passing by a defender for a two-handed dunk at the buzzer. Cibona fans put aside their team loss and showed their appreciation for Bosnian stars` performances with standing ovations at the end of the game.
Health problems
In August 1983 He suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage and had to permanently retire from the sport he loved. He lived in Sarajevo throughout the 1992-1996 siege of the citySiege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia...
. His final years were marked by persistent health problems due to his heavy drinking, which led to his death on December 8, 2001 in Sarajevo at the age of 47. Several thousand people attended his funeral in Sarajevo and KK Bosna
KK Bosna
KK Bosna is a basketball club in Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club is part of the University Sport Society USD Bosna...
renamed its arena in his honor.
Honors
In 2000, Mirza Delibašić was selected the sportsman of the 20th century in Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
A memorial basketball tournament is held every year in the Dvorana Mirza Delibašić
Dvorana Mirza Delibašic
Mirza Delibašić Hall, commonly known as Skenderija, is an indoor sporting arena located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The seating capacity of the arena is for 7,000 people and it was opened on 23 November 1969...
.
In 2007, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame honors basketball players, coaches and administrators who have contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. It includes the "Samaranch Library", the biggest basketball library in the world that, as of 2007, has over 10,000 basketball...
.