Serbia and the whole basketball world mourn Dusan Ivkovic, the legendary coach who at the helm of the Yugoslav national team and many club teams has won almost all possible titles, with the exception of Olympic gold.
Long ill, Ivkovic died in Belgrade at the age of 77, but still only five years ago he was on the bench at Efes Istanbul. That was the last team of many coached by a coach who had the skill and the good fortune to lead a generation of Yugoslav aces, from Drazen Petrovic to Toni Kukoc, from Aleksandar Djordjevic to Predrag Danilovic, then divided by the drama of the end of their country. In 2017, Ivkovic was admitted to the Fiba Hall of Fame.
At the helm of still united Yugoslavia, Ivkovic won Olympic silver in 1988 in Seoul, the 1990 World Cup and the European Championship in 1989, in 1991 - a title almost taken from history, given that the Yugoslav federation was already falling apart - and in 1995. In 1992, following the vote of a resolution of the United Nations, Yugoslavia - in reality reduced to Serbia and Montenegro - was prevented from participating in the Barcelona Games, ;; where the team he directed was announced as the most great rival of the US "Dream Team" of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, then winning in the final against Croatia. After 1995, and until the end of 2000, Ivkovic became general manager alongside coach Zeljko Obradovic and together they won another silver at the 1996 Games.
The Belgrade coach, who grew up with the ball in wedges in his hand but already moved into his belly at the age of 25, was also a great club coach. Winner of two Eurolegas with Olympiakos (1997, 2012), he also led Partizan Belgrade, CSKA Moscow and finally Efes, winning various national titles and trophies.