Željko Rebraca
Encyclopedia
Željko Rebrača is a retired Serbia
n professional basketball
player. Formerly in the NBA
, he finished his career with the Spanish ACB League
team Pamesa Valencia.
. With KK Partizan
he won 2 national championships (1992 and 1995), 3 national cups (1992, 1994 and 1995) and the Euroleague
(1992).
In 1995-99 he played in the Italian League
for Benetton Treviso
, where he won the Italian Championship
in 1997 under coach Mike D'Antoni
. He followed up that by winning the Saporta Cup
in 1999 and the Italian Supercup in 1998, while playing under coach Željko Obradović
.
He has played for the European basketball giant Panathinaikos during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons, winning with them 2 Greek Championships
and 1 Euroleague
Championship at the Final Four in 2000, which was hosted in Thessaloniki
. He was awarded with the Euroleague Final Four MVP.
was a second round (54th overall) draft pick of the Seattle SuperSonics
in the 1994 NBA Draft
. The Sonics immediately traded his NBA rights to the Minnesota Timberwolves
, who then traded his rights to the Toronto Raptors
in 1999, who in turn traded his rights to the Detroit Pistons
in 2001.
In the NBA, he has played for the Detroit Pistons
(2001–04), the Atlanta Hawks
(2004) and the Los Angeles Clippers
(2004–06). His most productive season was his rookie
year, in which he averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a member of the Detroit Pistons
. His career NBA averages are 5.9 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game in 15.3 minutes per game.
Rebrača has been plagued with heart problems. Those problems caused him to miss many games in his NBA career, including most of the first half of the 2005-06 NBA season
. Rebrača holds NBA career highs of 24 points (scored on April 10, 2002) and 16 rebounds (set on January 29, 2005).
On April 6, 2007, after being on the injured list through the 2006-07 NBA season
, Rebrača was waived by the Clippers, and on June 19, 2007, he signed with Pamesa Valencia, in the Spanish basketball league ACB
. On December 17, 2007, Rebraca announced his retirement from the game of basketball.
(for which he became one of the Serbian MVPs). He won the gold medal with his national team at both EuroBasket
s 1995
and 1997
. With Yugoslavia he also won the silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Basketball Tournament
in Atlanta
, in the U.S. He also won the gold medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championship
.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n professional 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. Formerly in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, he finished his career with the Spanish ACB League
Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
team Pamesa Valencia.
Europe
He began his professional career in 1991 with KK PartizanKK Partizan
Košarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....
. With KK Partizan
KK Partizan
Košarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....
he won 2 national championships (1992 and 1995), 3 national cups (1992, 1994 and 1995) and 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...
(1992).
In 1995-99 he played in the Italian League
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
for Benetton Treviso
Pallacanestro Treviso
Pallacanestro Treviso, more often known by its sponsorship name of Benetton Basket, or Benetton Treviso, is an Italian Serie A League professional basketball club from Treviso, the headquarters city of its longtime owner Benetton Group...
, where he won the Italian Championship
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
in 1997 under coach Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
. He followed up that by winning the Saporta Cup
Saporta Cup
Saporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
in 1999 and the Italian Supercup in 1998, while playing under coach Željko Obradović
Željko Obradovic
Želimir “Željko” Obradović is a Serbian professional basketball coach and a former professional basketball player...
.
He has played for the European basketball giant Panathinaikos during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons, winning with them 2 Greek Championships
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...
and 1 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 at the Final Four in 2000, which was hosted in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. He was awarded with the Euroleague Final Four MVP.
NBA
The 7'0" centerCenter (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...
was a second round (54th overall) draft pick of the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
in the 1994 NBA Draft
1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
. The Sonics immediately traded his NBA rights to the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
, who then traded his rights to the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
in 1999, who in turn traded his rights to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in 2001.
In the NBA, he has played for the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
(2001–04), the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
(2004) and the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
(2004–06). His most productive season was his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
year, in which he averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a member of the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. His career NBA averages are 5.9 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game in 15.3 minutes per game.
Rebrača has been plagued with heart problems. Those problems caused him to miss many games in his NBA career, including most of the first half of the 2005-06 NBA season
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
. Rebrača holds NBA career highs of 24 points (scored on April 10, 2002) and 16 rebounds (set on January 29, 2005).
On April 6, 2007, after being on the injured list through the 2006-07 NBA season
2006-07 NBA season
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...
, Rebrača was waived by the Clippers, and on June 19, 2007, he signed with Pamesa Valencia, in the Spanish basketball league ACB
Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
. On December 17, 2007, Rebraca announced his retirement from the game of basketball.
International career
He was a member of the Yugoslavian national teamYugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
(for which he became one of the Serbian MVPs). He won the gold medal with his national team at both EuroBasket
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
s 1995
EuroBasket 1995
EuroBasket 1995 final tournament stage was XXIX European basketball championship and was held in Athens, Greece from 21 June to 2 July, 1995. This European championship was the first one that saw the successful return of Lithuania national basketball team to the tournament, since its last triumph...
and 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:...
. With Yugoslavia he also won the silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Basketball Tournament
Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal...
in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, in the U.S. He also won the gold medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
.
External links
- Željko Rebrača Pictures
- Two-time Euroleague champ Rebraca retires, ULEBCup.com, December 19, 2007