Nikola Prkacin
Encyclopedia
Nikola Prkačin is a Croatia
n professional basketball player. He resides in Zagreb
, Croatia, with his wife and three children. He plays for Croatia's most successful basketball club Cibona
and is team captain.
His natural position is center
, though he is also able to play as power forward
. Prkačin is known for his pick and roll
play, precise hookshot and half-distance shot. Although shorter in height comparing to most European centers, Prkačin compensates it with his immense strength and body balance. It is also a great rarity to see Prkačin try for a three point
field goal.
In free time he enjoys fishing and playing water polo
.
, playing for the local team Pomorac. Aged 18, he moved to KK Split
where he played for the next five seasons. At that time Prkačin was a constant member of Croatian U-22 national team. His debut for the senior national selection came on EuroBasket 1997
. At the start of season 1998-99 he moves to Croatian champions KK Cibona
, where he will reside for the next five seasons. Prkačin had a successful domestic career, winning Croatian Cup
five times and bringing four Croatian championships
to Cibona's trophy cabinet.
After spending a decade building his career in domestic league, Prkačin finally came to signing a contract with a foreign club. This time it was Turkish first division side Efes Pilsen. Prkačin established himself well, playing on a regular basis as a club's powerful forward-center
. After the end of his four-year spell at Turkey he moved two times in the following two seasons, playing for Russia
n side Dynamo
and Greek
champions Panathinaikos. After winning the A1 Ethniki
title he moved back to Croatia, signing a €400.000 annual contract with Cibona, ending in 2010. He is a regular first team player, also bearing a captain role for his team.
Prkačin has recently stated that he is leaving a possibility of returning to his hometown club Pomorac when his career is close to an end.
. His first national team appearance came in Eurobasket 1997
. Since then Prkačin has been part of every competition's selection for Croatia. After that he has participated in five more European championships (1999
, 2001
, 2003
, 2005
and 2007
) and the already mentioned Summer Olympics.
winners KK Split
. He established himself as a successor to Split's famous center Dino Rađa and with years gaining significant experience and knowledge, which after few seasons, have turned him into a key player for Split. With them he won two Krešimir Ćosić cups before moving to KK Cibona
at the start of season 1998-99. Playing alongside the players like Slaven Rimac
, Zoran Planinić
, Josip Sesar
, Dino Rađa and Chucky Atkins
, he won four A1 Liga
titles and four Krešimir Ćosić cups, making a total of four league titles and six cup titles in domestic league. Less mentionable is the Euroleague
Opening Tournament title won in 2001. In 2003-04 season he won the Turkish league title with Efes Pilsen and the next year the championship title was reclaimed. A cup double came in 2006-07 season, after which he moved to Moscow
where he did not accomplish anything significant. Moving to Panathinaikos BC at the same season, he was a part of Panathinaikos's great season in which they brought home double by winning both the league and the national cup titles. All in all, in 16 years of an impressing career Prkačin has won as much as seven league titles, nine cup titles and one super cup title.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n professional basketball player. He resides in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia, with his wife and three children. He plays for Croatia's most successful basketball club Cibona
KK Cibona
Košarkaški klub Cibona is a professional basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. It competes in the Croatian League and the Adriatic League.-History:The club was founded in 1946 under the name Sloboda...
and is team captain.
His natural position is center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
, though he is also able to play as power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
. Prkačin is known for his pick and roll
Pick and roll
The pick and roll in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen for a teammate handling the ball and then slips behind the defender to accept a pass...
play, precise hookshot and half-distance shot. Although shorter in height comparing to most European centers, Prkačin compensates it with his immense strength and body balance. It is also a great rarity to see Prkačin try for a three point
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
field goal.
In free time he enjoys fishing and playing water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
.
Playing history
Prkačin started his career in his hometown DubrovnikDubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, playing for the local team Pomorac. Aged 18, he moved to KK Split
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
where he played for the next five seasons. At that time Prkačin was a constant member of Croatian U-22 national team. His debut for the senior national selection came on EuroBasket 1997
EuroBasket 1997
-Venues:The tournament was played at three venues in Spain. Girona and Badalona hosted the first and the second round, while the entire knockout stage was played at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona.-First round:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:...
. At the start of season 1998-99 he moves to Croatian champions KK Cibona
KK Cibona
Košarkaški klub Cibona is a professional basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. It competes in the Croatian League and the Adriatic League.-History:The club was founded in 1946 under the name Sloboda...
, where he will reside for the next five seasons. Prkačin had a successful domestic career, winning Croatian Cup
Krešimir Cosic Cup
The Krešimir Ćosić Cup is the national basketball cup of Croatia. The cup has been played for since 1992.-Cup winners:-Performance by club:...
five times and bringing four Croatian championships
A1 Liga
The A-1 Liga or Croatian A-1 League is the highest level basketball league in Croatia. It is operated by the Croatian Basketball Federation.-Current season teams :-Playoffs Champions:...
to Cibona's trophy cabinet.
After spending a decade building his career in domestic league, Prkačin finally came to signing a contract with a foreign club. This time it was Turkish first division side Efes Pilsen. Prkačin established himself well, playing on a regular basis as a club's powerful forward-center
Forward-Center
Forward–center is a basketball position for players who play or have played both forward and center on a consistent basis. Typically, this means power forward and center, since these are usually the two biggest player positions on any basketball team, and therefore more often overlap each...
. After the end of his four-year spell at Turkey he moved two times in the following two seasons, playing for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n side Dynamo
MBC Dynamo Moscow
MBC Dynamo Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team from Moscow, Russia.-Early Years:Created in 1923 when Russia was part of the Soviet Union, Dynamo is among the oldest sports clubs in the country. Its name was chosen because Dynamo means 'power in motion'. The club was backed by the...
and Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
champions Panathinaikos. After winning the A1 Ethniki
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
title he moved back to Croatia, signing a €400.000 annual contract with Cibona, ending in 2010. He is a regular first team player, also bearing a captain role for his team.
Prkačin has recently stated that he is leaving a possibility of returning to his hometown club Pomorac when his career is close to an end.
Croatian national team
Besides being a club captain, Prkačin is currently bearing the role of Croatia's captain since the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. His first national team appearance came in Eurobasket 1997
EuroBasket 1997
-Venues:The tournament was played at three venues in Spain. Girona and Badalona hosted the first and the second round, while the entire knockout stage was played at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona.-First round:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:...
. Since then Prkačin has been part of every competition's selection for Croatia. After that he has participated in five more European championships (1999
EuroBasket 1999
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:-5th place bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
, 2001
EuroBasket 2001
The EuroBasket 2001 was the 32nd EuroBasket, the biennial regional basketball championship contested by European nations and held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Turkey, began on 31 August 2001 and concluded with the final on 9 September 2001. Yugoslavia won the gold medal,...
, 2003
Eurobasket 2003
-5th to 8th place:-Awards:-All-Tournament Team : Tony Parker Šarūnas Jasikevičius Saulius Štombergas Andrei Kirilenko Pau Gasol-Top scorers :# Pau Gasol 25.8# Andrei Kirilenko 23.1# Dirk Nowitzki 22.5# Mehmet Okur 18.7...
, 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
and 2007
Eurobasket 2007
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
) and the already mentioned Summer Olympics.
Honours through career
Prkačin has been playing basketball professionally since the 1993 when he signed for the Croatian CupKrešimir Cosic Cup
The Krešimir Ćosić Cup is the national basketball cup of Croatia. The cup has been played for since 1992.-Cup winners:-Performance by club:...
winners KK Split
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
. He established himself as a successor to Split's famous center Dino Rađa and with years gaining significant experience and knowledge, which after few seasons, have turned him into a key player for Split. With them he won two Krešimir Ćosić cups before moving to KK Cibona
KK Cibona
Košarkaški klub Cibona is a professional basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. It competes in the Croatian League and the Adriatic League.-History:The club was founded in 1946 under the name Sloboda...
at the start of season 1998-99. Playing alongside the players like Slaven Rimac
Slaven Rimac
Slaven Rimac is a Croatian professional basketball player born on December 19, 1974, in Zagreb . He was a member of the Croatian National Team in 1996 Olympic Games and 1997 Eurobasket...
, Zoran Planinić
Zoran Planinic
Zoran Planinić is a Croatian professional basketball player. He is currently a member of the Euroleague club BC Khimki...
, Josip Sesar
Josip Sesar
Josip Sesar is a Croatian professional basketball player.-Basketball career:...
, Dino Rađa and Chucky Atkins
Chucky Atkins
Kenneth Lavon "Chucky" Atkins is an American professional basketball player. He is currently a free agent.-Basketball career:...
, he won four A1 Liga
A1 Liga
The A-1 Liga or Croatian A-1 League is the highest level basketball league in Croatia. It is operated by the Croatian Basketball Federation.-Current season teams :-Playoffs Champions:...
titles and four Krešimir Ćosić cups, making a total of four league titles and six cup titles in domestic league. Less mentionable is 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...
Opening Tournament title won in 2001. In 2003-04 season he won the Turkish league title with Efes Pilsen and the next year the championship title was reclaimed. A cup double came in 2006-07 season, after which he moved to Moscow
MBC Dynamo Moscow
MBC Dynamo Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team from Moscow, Russia.-Early Years:Created in 1923 when Russia was part of the Soviet Union, Dynamo is among the oldest sports clubs in the country. Its name was chosen because Dynamo means 'power in motion'. The club was backed by the...
where he did not accomplish anything significant. Moving to Panathinaikos BC at the same season, he was a part of Panathinaikos's great season in which they brought home double by winning both the league and the national cup titles. All in all, in 16 years of an impressing career Prkačin has won as much as seven league titles, nine cup titles and one super cup title.
| Season | Club | Domestic league | Domestic cup | Continental cup |  National team |
|---|
