Basketball Players in the Names of Our Streets

Boulevards, streets, and alleys in Serbia traditionally bear the names of famous individuals from our own or world history who have made significant contributions to the country and humanity as a whole.

Main streets are usually "reserved" for famous heroes from the past, national heroes, rulers, and military leaders. After them, scientists, writers, and artists who have contributed to the educational and cultural advancement of the people come next. In the absence of enough such individuals, streets are named after various historical events or their dates, rivers, mountains, cities, monasteries, local and global heroes, and sometimes even seemingly unknown personalities.

For the past few years, a major national project of updating the address registry has been implemented in Serbia, including the renaming of a significant number of streets in Belgrade and other cities in Serbia. For the first time, prominent athletes, actors, and musicians of the modern era have found their names in the street index.

Recognized as national heroes, some of the greatest names in Serbian and Yugoslav basketball have received their own streets in Belgrade and other cities in Serbia.

Aleksandar Nikolić

Often called the "father" of Yugoslav basketball, the legendary Professor carries this title due to his significant influence on the development of basketball in this region. Aleksandar Nikolić's playing career lasted only six years, but his subsequent four decades of coaching and selection work fully paved the way for the greatest successes of the national team and numerous basketball clubs in Yugoslavia and even Europe. In honor of the "Doctor of the Game under the Hoops," the famous basketball arena is now named Aleksandar Nikolić Sports Hall, and there are also several streets in cities across Serbia bearing his name.

Nebojša Popović

Alongside the aforementioned Professor, with whom he was also a teammate, Nebojša Popović was one of the key figures in popularizing basketball in Yugoslavia. As one of the founders of KK Crvena Zvezda (membership card number 1), he was a long-time player and the leader of the generation that won ten consecutive titles. Ultimately, he became the coach of both the men's and women's sections of Red Star. He will be remembered as the player who scored the first points for the Yugoslav national team at a world championship. Streets named after Nebojša Popović can now be found in Belgrade and his hometown of Irig.

Radomir Šaper

Another teammate from the "Red Star days" of the aforementioned legends, although he himself belongs to such, is Radomir Šaper. A basketball player who spent the majority of his playing career at KK Partizan, he later became a respected scientist, a university professor at TMF, and a prominent sports worker who significantly contributed to the development of the Basketball Organization of Yugoslavia as the governing institution of club and national basketball. In his honor, one street in the Borča neighborhood of Belgrade bears the name of Radomir Šaper.

Ranko Žeravica

The legendary coach of Belgrade's Radnički, Crvena zvezda, Partizan, numerous Spanish and Italian clubs, and the national team of Yugoslavia, Ranko Žeravica is one of the most significant figures in Serbian and Yugoslav basketball history. Under his coaching leadership, the Yugoslav national team won its first gold at the World Championships and the only Olympic gold to date, and he also selected and led the famous Partizan generation of the 1970s (Kićanović, Dalipagić...) from the bench. In honor of the great expert, the oldest basketball hall in Belgrade bears his name, as well as several streets in cities across Serbia.

Miodrag Nikolić

Starting at Radnički from the Red Cross (where he also grew up), and then becoming a member of the golden generation of OKK Beograd led by Radivoj Korać, Miodrag Nikolić won the Yugoslav championship title four times during his basketball career. He will be remembered as one of the players with the highest number of appearances in the national team jersey at the time (128), in which he won two silver and one bronze medal. In his honor, one street in the Rupčine neighborhood of Čukarica bears his name.

Radivoj Korać

Basketball player whose name is well known to today's kids, is one of the best in the history of this sport in Serbia and Yugoslavia. Radivoj Korać was a basketball legend of OKK Belgrade and the Yugoslav national team, a man who tragically lost his life in a car accident near Sarajevo at the peak of his fame. A great athlete and a beloved figure in basketball circles, he was buried in the Alley of Greats at the New Cemetery in Belgrade, and today, streets across Serbia bear the name of Radivoj Korać.

Cmiljka Kalušević

Insufficiently known to younger generations, Cmiljka "Cica" Kalušević was, above all, an extraordinary sportswoman. In a time when sports were not a profession, in the 1950s and 1960s, the multi-talented Cica managed to become a champion, a record holder, and a national team representative in two sports - athletics (javelin throw) and basketball. She was a longtime center and captain of the women's section of KK Crvena Zvezda, and later an esteemed physical education professor at the Medical School in Zvezdara. Today, Cica Kalušević has a street named after her in the Jajinci neighborhood of Belgrade.

Trajko Rajković

Another pillar of OKK Belgrade from its best days was Trajko Rajković, the legendary center of the Belgrade club and the national team, known for his authentic hook shot and numerous medals that marked an entire generation. Like Korać, Trajko also faced a tragic fate. He died suddenly at the age of 32 due to a heart condition. Today, one street in Bežanijska Kosa bears the name of Trajko Rajković.

Krešimir Ćosić

Great name of Croatian and Yugoslav basketball, Krešimir Ćosić represented Yugoslavia an incredible 303 times, leaving an indelible mark in the history of this sport as a player, and later as the coach of the national team, serving as a great role model for future generations of champions. He was one of the first Europeans to play basketball in its country of origin (USA). His life also ended prematurely, passing away from a serious illness at the age of 46. Today, a small street in Krnjača bears the name of Krešo Ćosić.

Pete Maravich

Descendant of Serbian immigrants in the USA, Pete Maravich was a true NBA star of the 1970s. The basketball player known for his incredibly accurate shot was nicknamed "Pistol Pete" and stood out with his amazing ball handling skills and assists. He played for Atlanta, New Orleans, Utah, and Boston, and in his final season, he was a teammate of the legendary Larry Bird. He also passed away at a very young age, at 40, due to an extremely rare heart anomaly. One street in the Kotež neighborhood in Belgrade bears the name of Pete Maravich.

Rajko Žižić

Tall and striking center of OKK Belgrade, Crvena Zvezda, and the Yugoslav national team, Rajko Žižić was considered one of the best players of the highly competitive Yugoslav league for over a decade (in the 1970s). As a representative, he won numerous medals at the Olympic Games (participating three times), Balkan, European, and World Championships. In the early 1990s, he worked as a coach for several seasons at OKK Belgrade. He died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 48. A street in Borča is dedicated to him, bearing the name Rajko Žižić.

Slobodan Janković

Fiery forward of Crvena Zvezda, Vojvodina, and Greek Panionios, Slobodan Janković was considered one of the most versatile basketball players in this region, an "all-round" player with great qualities both in offense and defense. His career was cut short at the age of 30 after a tragic event during a Greek league match. Frustrated by a referee's decision, Janković headbutted the goalpost structure, sustaining injuries that left him paralyzed for the rest of his life. He passed away at the age of 46. In his honor, a street in Zemun has recently been named Slobodan Janković.

Haris Brkić

A legend and longtime guard of Partizan, Čačak's Borac, and Podgorica's Budućnost, Haris Brkić was a player of great talent and potential, whose career was abruptly ended at the age of 26. Under unexplained circumstances, Brkić was brutally killed in the parking lot of the former Pionir Arena after a regular training session. Even today, two decades after the murder, the perpetrator and motives behind this horrific event remain unknown. In honor of Partizan's star player from the 1990s, a street in the Skojevsko Naselje neighborhood in Belgrade bears the name of Haris Brkić.