Josip Gjergja

Josip Gjergja
Personal information
Born (1937-11-24) November 24, 1937
Zadar, Kingdom of Italy
Nationality Croatian
Listed height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight 165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
Playing career 1958–1976
Position Point guard
Coaching career 1983–2003
Career history
As player:
1958–1976 Zadar
As coach:
1983 Yugoslavia
1984–1985 PAOK
1993–1994 Zadar
1994 Croatia
2003 Prishtina
Career highlights and awards

As a player:

Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Yugoslavia
FIBA World Cup
1963 BrazilTeam
1967 UruguayTeam
EuroBasket
1965 USSRTeam

Josip Gjergja, commonly known as Pino Gjergja (alternatively Đerđa, Djerdja or Giergia; born 24 November 1937), also credited as Giuseppe Giergia, is a retired Croatian basketball player of Albanian descent. He was nominated for the EuroLeague's 50 Greatest Contributors list in 2008. He was born in Zadar, to an Arbanasi family, hence the variously transcribed name. At a height of 1.76 m (5'9") tall, he played at the point guard position.

Club career

Gjergja wore KK Zadar's jersey for 18 consecutive seasons, thus becoming one of the club's legends, alongside Krešimir Ćosić. He was a three time Yugoslav Basketball League champion, from 1965 to 1968, and won another two Yugoslav championships, back-to back, in 1974 and 1975. He also won the Yugoslav Cup in 1970.

Yugoslav national team

Gjergja was also a member of the senior Yugoslav national team. With Yugoslavia, he won two FIBA World Cup silver medals, in 1963 and 1967, as well as a EuroBasket silver medal in 1965. He also participated in two Summer Olympic Games, in 1960 and 1964.

Coaching career

Gjergja began a coaching career after his retirement from playing. As a head coach, he led the senior Croatian national team to the FIBA World Cup bronze medal, at the 1994 FIBA World Championship. In 2003, he coached the club team, Prishtina, in Kosovo.

See also

  • Fibaeurope.com profile
  • Fiba.com profile
  • Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill. "Josip Đerđa". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
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