Branko Kovačević (basketball)
Branko Kovačević (Serbian Cyrillic: Бранко Ковачевић; born March 15, 1951) is a retired Yugoslav professional basketball player.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 March 1951 Valjevo, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Nationality | Serbian |
| Listed height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 1973 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 1969–1986 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 14 |
| Career history | |
| 1969–1978 | Metalac Valjevo |
| 1979–1984 | Crvena zvezda |
| 1984–1986 | Smelt Olimpija |
Playing career
Kovačević started his career in Valjevo, playing for a struggling Second Division side Metalac. He became a key player for Metalac, guiding them to promotion in First Federal Basketball League in 1973. With Kovačević as their best player and one of the best scorers in the entire First Division, Metalac spent memorable years in the top flight.[1]
In 1979 Kovačević signed for Crvena zvezda. He helped his team reach the 1984 Korać Cup final, after scoring 34 points in the semi-final first leg against Zaragoza.[2]
After five years with Crvena zvezda, Kovačević went to Smelt Olimpija. Once again, Kovačević managed to help his team gain promotion from 1. B Federal Basketball League.
National team career
Kovačević was a member of the Yugoslavia national junior team at the 1970 FIBA Europe Championship for Juniors. Over five tournament games, he averaged 3.4 points per game.[3]
References
- "Branko "čovek-tim" Kovačević". kosmagazin.com. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
- "Zvezdinih 130 Saragosi..." mozzartsport.com. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- "Yugoslavia 8 - Branko Kovacevic". fiba.basketball. Retrieved 5 December 2018.