Ratko Radovanović

Ratko Radovanović
Personal information
Born (1956-10-16) October 16, 1956
Nevesinje, PR Bosnia-Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia
Nationality Serbian
Listed height 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in)
Listed weight 107 kg (236 lb)
Career information
Playing career 1977–1990
Position Center
Number 9
Career history
1977–1983 Bosna
1983–1986 Stade Français
1986–1990 Reyer Venezia (Giomo / Hitachi)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Yugoslavia
Summer Olympics
1984 Los AngelesTeam competition
1980 MoskvaTeam competition
World Cup
1986 SpainTeam
1982 ColombiaTeam
1978 PhilippinesTeam
EuroBasket
1987 GreeceTeam
1981 CzechoslovakiaTeam
1979 ItalyTeam
1977 BelgiumTeam
European Championship for Juniors
1974 FranceTeam

Ratko "Raša" Radovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ратко Радовановић; born 16 October 1956) is a Serbian former professional basketball player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia, at the 1980 Summer Olympics, and at the 1984 Summer Olympics.[1]

Early life

Born in the town of Nevesinje within the Herzegovina region, Radovanović, still an infant, was brought by his parents to Nikšić, PR Montenegro where he grew up.[2]

A tall and lanky kid, Radovanović took up basketball in Nikšić on an informal, recreational basis in 1969. In May 1970, the senior Yugoslav national team won the 1970 FIBA World Championship, being held at home, resulting in an explosion of popularity for the sport throughout the country — a trend Radovanović followed, as he started training a lot more seriously.[2] It wasn't long before he got noticed by Vukašin "Vule" Vukalović, the Bosna sports society general secretary, who recommended the youngster to KK Bosna head coach Bogdan Tanjević.[2]

Club career

KK Bosna

Radovanović arrived to Sarajevo in October 1972, having just turned 16 years of age. Though officially part of the KK Bosna youth system, first team head coach Tanjević would give him an odd first team run-out, already during the 1972-73 season,[2] the club's first ever in the Yugoslav top-tier league.

Throughout the 1973-74 season, seventeen-year-old Radovanović recorded 17 first team appearances, in the Yugoslav First League, scoring a total of 43 points (2.5 points per game).[2]

Then eighteen years of age, he continued improving during the 1974-75 season, by permanently getting moved to the first team. His scoring average over the season reached 5.8 points per game.[2]

National team

Youth

Radovanović got picked for the Yugoslav cadet (under-16) national team, at the European Championship for Cadets, held in Italy, in July 1973, making a modest contribution to Yugoslavia's bronze medal effort with 2.2 points per game.

The following summer, he made the Yugoslav junior squad, at the European Championship for Juniors, in France, this time playing a much larger role, on a team coached by Tanjević, his club head coach at Bosna. Radovanović contributed with 13.8 points per game, as the Yugoslav team — featuring Branko Skroče, Mihovil Nakić, Andro Knego, and Rajko Žižić, among others — won gold.

Senior

In July 1975, Radovanović, still only eighteen-years-old, made his full squad senior Yugoslav national team debut, in a game versus Canada, at Hala Pinki, as part of the International Cup.[2]

Post-playing career

On May 26, 2018, Radovanović became a sports director of Sloboda Užice of the Basketball League of Serbia.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill. "Ratko Radovanović". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stanković, Vladimir (15 February 2015). "Ratko Radovanović, mind over matter". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
  3. ↑ "Veliki povratak legendarnog Raše Radovanovića u srpsku košarku". sport.blic.rs. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
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