(Serbian Cyrillic: Дражен Далипагић)
Dražen Dalipagić born November 27, 1951 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia), is a retired Serbian basketball player. He was one of the most dominating players in Europe during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
He finished high school in the Mostar Technical School and college in Belgrade Teachers College. He served in the army in 1979.
Dražen, widely known by his nickname Praja, started playing basketball at the age of 19 and two years later, in 1973, Dalipagic played the first of his 243 games as a member of the Yugoslavian National Team, winning his first of three gold medals at the European Championships. His four medals in the World Championships (Silver, 1974; Gold, 1978; Bronze, 1982 and 1986) are international basketball records. A three-time Olympian, Dalipagic was instrumental in the Yugoslavian team's capturing the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal.
He was elected the best athlete of Yugoslavia in 1978, Dalipagić is one of the most decorated athletes in Yugoslavian history.
While playing for Partizan Belgrade (1971-78, 1979-80, 1981-82) he was named European player of the Year in 1977, 1978 and 1980. In 1976 he led Partizan Belgrade to Yugoslavian League title, and to FIBA Korac Cup in 1978.
Between 1973 and 1986 he played 243 games for the Yugoslavian Men's Basketball National Team, winning the Basketball World Championship in 1978 and the Olympic Gold Medal in 1980. Dalipagic was enshrined to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player on September 10, 2004. In 2007, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
------------------
Drazen Dalipagic was one of the highest-scoring players in European history and was virtually unstoppable when the ball was in his hands. His polished offensive game and court awareness belied the fact that Dalipagic did not start playing basketball until 1971 at the age of 19. Two years later, Dalipagic won his first gold medal at the 1973 European Championships. In seven seasons playing for Belgrade Partizan, the sharpshooter averaged better than 33 points per game and was the team's undisputed leader. As further testament to his scoring prowess, Dalipagic scored 50 or more points on 15 different occasions and once scored 70 points for his Reyer Venice team. Dalipagic's scoring exploits and all-around game made him a three-time winner of the coveted European Player of the Year award. With 12 medals in European, World, and Olympic competition, Dalipagic is one of the most decorated athletes in Yugoslavian history.
------------------
Dražen Dalipagić - Medal record | |||
| Competitor for | |||
| Men's Basketball | |||
| Olympic Games | | ||
| Silver | 1976 | Team Competition | |
| Gold | 1980 | Team Competition | |
| Bronze | 1984 | Team Competition | |
| World Championship | | ||
| Silver | 1974 | Team | |
| Gold | 1978 | Team | |
| Bronze | 1982 | Team | |
| Bronze | 1986 | Team | |
| European Championships | | ||
| Gold | 1973 | Team Competition | |
| Gold | 1975 | Team Competition | |
| Gold | 1977 | Team Competition | |
| Bronze | 1979 | Team Competition | |
| Silver | 1981 | Team Competition | |
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
