VIDEO Harder's lesson, "The Beast" drove off after half-timer! AUTHOR: VLADIMIR STOJANOVIĆ SOURCE: SPORTSKE.NET Homeboys, Houston, Boston and Milwaukee are the ones who make the most of their roles. Harden lessom In the first match, the Indian team collapsed in the third quarter, now they lasted longer, but in the last period they were again down. Boston took advantage of it and brought it 2-0. The Celtics got on the wings of great Cairo Irving who scored 37 points, was the turning point in the last quarter. In the last five minutes, the Celts made 10: 0 and broke the Pacers. Tejtum counted to 26, on the other side Bogdanovic 23, 15, the series moved to Indiana, the third game was on Friday. The best team of the league, Milwaukee, also brings to Detroit the lead of two starting wins. The backs were confident tonight, half-time in the great third quarter settled the issue of the winners in a duel with Pistons. Bledso scored 27 points, Adetokumbo 26, with 12 rebounds, Midlton added 24. Greece had problems with early penalties, but in the second half they ripped apart, in the third quarter he scored 13 points and the win did not come into question. Guests without Griffin, again, although injured, received technical due to the discussion and criticism. At Pistons Kenad 19, Reds Jackson 18 points. As things stand now, especially if Griffin does not recover, Bucks appear to be heading for their first win in a series of play-offs from the beginning of the century, more precisely in 2001. Уграђени видео Ramón @shirlero https://twitter.com/shirlero?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1118758275116408833&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportske.net%2Fvest%2Fkosarka%2Fhardenova-lekcija-zver-se-odvezala-posle-poluvremena-373660.html James Harden 🔥 32PTS/13REB/10AST #RunAsOne 08:08 - 18. апр 2019. Погледај друге твитове корисника Ramón Употреба информација и политика приватности у Твитер огласима Even Jute has no solution for Houston, but after the first quarter there have been 20 differences. Harden made three-point 32 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists. "Brada" gave 25 points to half, controlled the game, last year in this series, Houston after the start of the match, lost the second match, and although they were 4: 1 in the end, the last-season series was a warning. At half-time there were +26 for home-made, who scored 17 trophies, it seems that "Jazzeri" will find it difficult to take this series, even though they now have two home matches. Houston - Utah 118: 98 (2: 0) Milwaukee - Detroit 120: 99 (2: 0) Boston - Indiana 99:91 (2: 0) https://www.sportske.net/vest/kosarka/hardenova-lekcija-zver-se-odvezala-posle-poluvremena-373660.html

Unique protest in the UK. Soccists will boycott social networks for 24 hours Premier League yesterday, 20:34 Professional gamers in England and Wales will boycott for 24 hours of social media since Friday morning as a protest over how social networks and football authorities respond to racism, according to bbc.com. This protest comes in the context of several racist incidents reported this season in international football. Most recently, this week, Manchester United captain Ashley Young has been the victim of racist Twitter attacks. "On Friday, we send a message to all those who offend players from the crowd or online that we will not tolerate this in football. The boycott is just a small step, but footballers show unanimously that they are against racism, "said Watford captain Troy Deeney, who this month was also targeting racist offenses on Instagram, and then decided to disable comments on Instagram. "It's time for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to think about regulating their platforms, assuming responsibility for protecting the mental health of users, regardless of age, race, sex or income," said Chris Smalling, defender of Manchester United . The #Enough Campaign, initiated by the Professional Soccer Association, will begin at 09.00 BST on Friday, and will end on Saturday at 09.00 BST. Players were encouraged to post the #Enough message on their social networking pages before the boycott started. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47982403

VIDEO 2019 NBA Playoffs About Last Night: White's revenge Derrick White turns tables on Murray; Simmons shines; Durant sends message David Lundy, NBA.com My, how the pendulum swings in playoff basketball. One game after being torched by Jamal Murray, who scored 22 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter in the Nuggets' Game 2 win over the Spurs, Derrick White showed up for Game 3 like a fire-breathing dragon. The result was a 118-108 home-court victory for the Spurs and a 2-1 series lead. "Derrick White came out like he hadn't eaten in two days," said Nuggets coach Mike Malone, who was critical of his team's defense. "Derrick White didn't even feel us," Malone added, who noted most of White's points came from drives in the paint. White poured in a career-high 36 points, added five rebounds and five assists, and attacked Murray and the Nuggets from the beginning. He was 15-of-21 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. How good was White's night? During the regular season, the second-year point guard averaged 9.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists. "He was obviously spectacular -- on both ends of the floor," said Spurs coach Greg Popovich. White added three steals and a blocked shot and only one turnover. By contrast, Murray put up only six shots and ended with six points. He also had four turnovers. If the T-shirt fits ... TNT analyst Charles Barkley ragged Murray on the air for wearing an image of himself (part of an NBA Jam collage) after Game 2, in which he had caught fire late to lift the Nuggets to a 114-105 win. So, Murray showed up for tonight's game wearing a T-shirt with an image of Barkley emblazoned on the front. Chuck's response tonight was to guarantee the Nuggets were going to win Game 3. Joel who? If you still doubt Ben Simmons' ability to impact a big game, you didn't witness Thursday night's Game 3. What started with bad news for Philadelphia -- All-Star center Joel Embiid couldn't play after testing his sore knee in warmups -- ended with the 76ers winning convincingly 131-115 after Boban Marjanovic fouled out. Who needs big front-court players when you've got 6-foot-10 guard/forward Ben Simmons to drive, and Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick to shoot from the edge? Watch Ben Simmons take control and finish with 31 points. Simmons finished with a career playoff-high 31 points, including 15 in the fourth, and was excellent both with his jump shot (11-of-13) and from the free-throw line (9-of-11). Take that Jared Dudley! Dudley had called Simmons good in transition but average in the half-court game. That "average" has given the Sixers a 2-1 lead in the first-round series and a chance to take a commanding lead in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. With his performance, Simmons joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only 76ers to score 30-plus points with an 80-plus shooting percentage in a playoff game. Harris added 29 points and 16 rebounds, and Redick drained five 3-pointers and finished with 26 points. The fourth-quarter spurt from the Sixers overshadowed good performances from D'Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert, who each scored 26. LeVert poured in 19 points in the second quarter. See the best plays from D'Angelo Russ and Caris LeVert in Game 3. Bench cheekiness The Nets' Jarrett Allen had a nifty rebound and put-back slam early in Game 3, which elicited quite a bit of excitement on Brooklyn's bench. Look closely at the bench in the following tweet. Shabazz Napier, icing his right shoulder, is so worked up that he swung his left elbow into the upper cheek of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Who says basketball isn't a contact sport -- even on the bench? A Shaqtin' A Fool moment, no doubt. Warriors back in gear One game after giving up the largest lead in playoff history to the LA Clippers, Kevin Durant and the Warriors bounced back big-time from their Game 2 debacle. Durant erupted for 38 points and spent most of the fourth on the bench as the Warriors jumped on top early (the first quarter score was 41-24) and cruised to a 132-105 win over the Clippers in Game 3. Golden State went on a 22-9 opening run and never looked back. Kevin Durant dominated the Clippers in Game 3. Stephen Curry scored 21 despite getting into foul trouble. In case there was any doubt, the message was clear that the Warriors are still in charge and up 2-1 in the first-round series. Career stat of the night Durant passed Magic Johnson for 14th place on the all-time postseason scoring list. Kevin Durant moved into 14th place with his first bucket en route to a big Game 3. Johnson had 3,701 postseason points during his storied career. Durant passed him with his first 2-pointer of Game 3 and finished with 38. Playoff whammy! Everybody's a coach in the playoffs. "Here's what you do: If you get covered by two, it leaves another open." Basketball is simple, no? So, who's the king of the north? Is Jon Snow among the invaders? The pivotal Game 3 in Orlando tomorrow night between the Raptors and Magic (series tied 1-1) will determine whether a cold wind starts to blow in sunny Florida. SEE VIDEOS HERE https://www.nba.com/article/2019/04/18/about-last-night-4-18-19

Did you know how Serbs become good in basketball? You should read this! History of Serbia Men's Basketball Team "By grabbing or throwing the ball, the person is transformed, different, lighter and more beautiful, overcoming himself, approaching the state of life and the height flight, the triumph of his body, and at the same time he wins over it" - Ivo Andric From Weilland to liberation For the basketball beginnings in Serbia, the arrival of William A. Wielanda to Belgrade, Ambassador of the American Red Cross, October 1923. At that time, besides other American games, basketball was demonstrated, and attendants of the course were gymnasiums, fisculist teachers and Sokol's predecessors. With the active logistic support of the Sokol Organization, then the most massive sports institutions in the country, Wyland held courses during the two-month stay and left equipment for basketball, basketball and balls. The constructions from Belgrade, at the end of the course, were taken over by gymnasiums in the Second Grammar School, which was in the place of today's Politika building and continued to play basketball. Thanks to the opening of the SOCO to team sports, as well as the desire of the state itself to extend sport through schools, basketball, in the early thirties of the last century, gets a new momentum. The bearer of almost all basketball activities in this period is the SOKO of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and its members tirelessly work on improving the rules, improving the conditions for playing and training. The new sport, until then, the name of the basketball basket, basketball basketball or basketball player gets its own name - basketball. The crowning of basketball competitions until the beginning of the Second World War certainly represents the Holy Land in Borovo in 1940, with the participation of 170 players and players divided into four age categories. The women's team of Belgrade's Sokolsko društvo Matica won the title of the country's champions, with a somewhat strange result of 2: 0, due to bad weather conditions. The only basket in the match was Ruzica Radovanovic. In the period leading up to the Second World War, Zdenko Pavić, his wife, Verma, the Head of Competition Games with the principle of the Association of Falcons, who promoted basketball both through SOKO and through school sports, was the most deserving one for the development and improvement of basketball in Belgrade. Within the Belgrade Sokol X he formed a basketball team, and he was the main organizer of high school basketball tournaments in Belgrade in the late 1930s. He translated basketball rules and worked on the construction of basketball courts and baskets. The first basketball clubs were formed within the football clubs as a section just before the start of World War II. Mass formation of clubs takes place immediately after the occupation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in the spring of 1941. First of all, they are Matica, Omladinac, Sask, Refugees, SK 1913, a bit later and others: Bask, BSK, Mitic, Obilic, BTK, BOB. The players are former falcons and high school students (M. Stefanović, N. Popović, I. Dimić, Sokolović, S. Šaper, B. Aksentijević ...), as well as a group of refugees, top basketball players who brought a warfare to Belgrade (Neferović, Tešin , Putnik, Ronac, Maureuh ...). During the occupation, the basket was played on Tashmajdan and Kalemegdan, as well as in the terrain SK 1913 at Topcidersko Brdo (now FK C.Zvezde Stadium). In September 1941, the championship of Belgrade was organized, and in the spring of 1942. The Serbian Association of Basketball and Volleyball was founded in the same year. In less than a year, the alliance has 23 club members and basketball and volleyball matches totaled 15,000 people in this period. President of the Alliance was a participant in the Weilland Course in 1923, Svetislav Bata Vulovic. In Belgrade, basketball played throughout the occupation, basketball games are played for the first time in Šabac and Kragujevac. Attention attracts high ratings, between 1,000 and 1,500 people played, and basketball played all the war years, even in August 1944 just before the liberation. The champions of Serbia were proclaimed, and the basketball definitely won with its attractiveness, speed and beauty, those who played it and those who watched it. Period 1945 - 1959 Already in 1945 our basketball players have first international performances. Under the name of the representation of Belgrade, the men's and women's teams play against Sofia's national team. In Subotica is organized the championship of republics in basketball where the Yugoslav Army team wins. Much is being done to promote basketball and its massiveness. A tournament of cities in Rijeka is organized. In 1947 we recorded the first participation of our national team at the European Championship in Prague. Red Star dominates the domestic championship of both competitors. Nebojša Popović as the coach won 17 titles of the country's champions. At the end of 1948, the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia was founded, a Basketball magazine was launched. After qualifying in Nice, we participate in the first World Cup championship in Buenos Aires in 1950. Danilo Knezevic, the long-time president of the KSJ opens the European Women's Championship in 1954, at Tasmajdan, where we have shown that we can organize the biggest basketball events at the top level. Aleksandar Nikolić replaces Nebojša Popović as the national team selector and starts to create a team for great works. At the end of the fifties, future stars of the world format were born, first of all Radivoj Korac, then Nemanja Djuric, Slobodan Gordic, Ivo Daneu, Josip Djerdja ... We conquer the Mediterranean Games in Beirut in 1959, and in the 1960 Olympics we took the 6th place. Radomir Shaper and Borislav Stankovic are actively involved in the work of the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia. Vilmos Loci (Partizan, Proleter) is the first player to score in the national team. Demsar, Gec, Sokolovic, Popovic, Roklicer, Kalember and Marjanovic acquire the experience with the national team and transfer them to their club comrades ... Basketball is progressing with big steps in all segments and gaining popularity throughout the territory of Yugoslavia. Period 1961 - 1968 The sixties of the 20th century were marked with successes and medals. Six silver and one bronze medal were won at European championships and world championships and the Olympic Games. Only gold in this period, was won at the unofficial world championship in Chile in 1966. The women's team at the European Championship in Italy in 1968 won the silver medal and completed the series. The European championship in Belgrade in 1961, before the crowded stands of the Belgrade Fair marks a new chapter in our basketball. The silver medal is just the beginning of a series of successes in the coming decades. In the final against the then unreliable Soviet Union, we provided decent resistance, and Radivoj Korac was named the best shooter of the championship. Aleksandar Nikolić, at the helm of the national team in 1967, replaced Ranko Žeravica. In the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968, Korać, with Daneu, Šermak, Trajko Rajković and Ražnatović, with the golden shot of Cvetković from the free-throw line in the semifinals against the Soviet Union, we plundered into our first Olympic finals. Silver in the European Championship in 1969 we turn to a new page of basketball history. The golden years of our national team are coming. Period 1970 - 1980. The Fifth World Championship, held in Ljubljana in 1970, is a crown of a generation that has great credit for the popularity of basketball in this region. The heroes of our sleepless nights, when we were eagerly awaiting direct radio broadcasts from faraway America and rejoicing their games and successes, they transferred silver medals to one - gold - in the title of the WORLD CHAMPIONS. Daneu, Cosic, Trajko Rajkovic, Cermak, Plecas, Simonovic, Kapicic and others masterfully led by the directional baton Ranko Zeravica also played for Radivoj Korac, the best goalkeeper of the national team, who was injured in a road accident a year earlier. In the newly formed European club competition Radivoje Korac, Lokomotiva and Belgrade play finals, Red Star wins the Cup of Europe Cup, while the Belgrade Radnicki led by Raznatovic, Marovic, Jaric, Ivkovic and Damjanovic arrives to the semi-finals of the Cup of Champions. The European Championship in Barcelona in 1973 is the new, golden page of our basketball. Kićanović, Slavnić and Dalipagić ... Ćosić, Jelovac, Tvrdić and Plećaš, Jerkov and Šolman, Marovic, Ivković and Knežević win the first European gold achieving all seven victories. Spain's winner was beaten in the final by 78:67. The European Championship in Belgrade in 1975 confirms the dominance of the Blue. Belgrade as a host, is again presenting Europe in the most beautiful light. The backbone of the team consists of players from Barcelona who won gold reinforced by Mirzom Delibasic and Rajko Zizic to the future stars of our basketball. Mirko Novosel leads the blue to the second gold in a match against the Soviet Union in which we win the 90:84 golden shot of Dragan Kicanovic in the final. Professor Aleksandar Nikolic triumphantly returns to the head of the national team in 1977 in Liege. Third gold is won at European championships in a row. Volleyball Kicanovica and Slavnić takes the place at all the pinnacles of sports shows in the next decade. The World Cup in Manila is a new confirmation of the domination of the GOLDEN CATCH OF YUGOSLAV BAG. Leaded by Kićanović and Dalipagić, who was named the World's Best Shooter, we conquer again after 8 years, the title PRVAKA SVETA. Club basketball, with fantastic results, Partizan wins three Cups of Radivoje Korać, Bosnia is the champion of Europe, Women's Red Star team, featuring Pekić, Đurković, Marković, Mitic also winning the title of European champions. Women's team wins silver in 1978 in Poznan and bronze in 1980 in Banja Luka at the European Championships. The junior and cadet national team won 12 medals at the European Championships in the 1980s, five of which are the brightest - gold. The Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980 marked the crown of a great generation ... from 1973 to 1980, the men's team won five gold medals, three European, one world and one Olympic gold. In its first Olympiad, the women's team wins the bronze medal. Period: eighties The new coach, Krešimir Cosic and Drazen Dalipagic, as captain, led the blue at the 1986 World Championships in Barcelona. With Praja and Ratko Radovanovic with Drazen Petrovic we reached the bronze medal. Vlade Divac debuted at this competition, as the first edition of the new GOLDEN GENERATION - White Dream Team. Bronze was also won in Athens one year later at the European Championship. Another three towers of Djordjevic, Kukoc and Radja, who were at the World Junior Championships in Bormio that year, won the gold medal for our national team. At the Olympic Games in 1988, we missed the chance to be again at the Olympic Summit with Dusan Ivkovic. Petrović, Paspalj, Divac, Rađa, Kukoč and Željko Obradović suggest a new golden series. Success was completed by girls who also climbed to the winning stand by winning a silver medal. The European Championship in Zagreb in 1989, when we won all opponents with over 20 points, the difference began with a new golden series. The first performance is recorded by Saša Danilović, since the world format. In Buenos Aires, the world championship is dominated by boys in blue jerseys. For the third time, the World Championship was won. Rome in 1991 and the absolute supremacy over opponents. Sasa Djordjevic, Danilovic, Kukoc, Rađa, Savic, Sretenovic and Paspalj suggest that in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, ​​there will be a long-awaited clash between the BELOG and the Black Dream team. European nightmare 1995 - 2002 Unfortunately, the Barcelona Games in Barcelona in 1992 did not bring the expected meeting of the century. Due to sanctions against our country, the generation rightly called the European Nightmare, had to skip the European Championship in Germany and the Toronto World Championship in 1994, which was to be played in Belgrade. Partizan's basketball players in the first year of sanctions, when they were playing in Fuenlabrada as local players, became champions of Europe in the final. The European Championship in Athens in 1995 marks a new beginning, new teams and new countries. Divac, Savic, Danilovic, Paspalj, Sretenovic and Djordjevic, rejuvenated with Bodrog, Tomasevic, Beric, Rebrac, Koturovic and Sasa Obradovic, under the leadership of Dusan Ivkovic and coach Zeljko Obradovic, won the gold medal. In the final against Lithuania, Aleksandar Djordjevic plays one of the best games in his career in which he scored 41 points. Danijelovic, who is in the finals, will score 23 points in the final, and in the memory of all, dancers in the finals through the NBA star Arvidas Sabonis remain, reflecting all our strength, knowledge and motive in this competition. The Olympic Games in Atlanta where we won the silver medal confirm the quality of this team. With Zeljko Obradovic as a selector, at the European Championship in Barcelona in 1997, we win again gold ... Sasa Djordjevic scored a victory against Croatia almost indistinguishable to the one that he scored five years earlier in Istanbul for Partizan. In the final, our big rival Italy is left with 49 points scored in second place. Athens in 1998 brings us joy again. In the final, the opponent is Russia's team. Brilliant Željko Rebrač leads us to the fourth world gold. He gave the best party in the finals when he scored 16 points and dominated under both wrap. After the bronze medal in France and the Olympics in Sydney, Svetislav Pesic comes to the helm of our team. In Turkey, at the European Championship, led by NBA star Predrag Stojakovic and Dejan Bodiroga, with Gurović, Šćepanović, Drobnjak and Tarlac, we arrive at the OSME TITLE champions of Europe! In 2002, Indianapolis, in addition to winning the World Champion's title, the fifth gold medal in history, will be remembered that we felt in the halls we played in, thanks to our fans, who were always in large numbers, as if playing on the home court . In the quarter-finals, the United States team won. NBA Stars placed their weapons in front of the moods of Gurović, Jarić, Stojaković, Divac, Bodirog ... After the big minus at the end of the third period, we managed to break down the biggest favorite of the championship. In the final against Argentina, we played one of the most exciting games in the history of world championships. After the extension, Dejan Bodiroga picked up the winner trophy, and we received medals from Borislav Stankovic, General Secretary of FIBA, the legend of the world and our basketball. Serbia is heading to the top Year 2008 marks the beginning of the creation of a new team in the new country - SERBIA, whose name has been playing since 2007. Already in the summer of 2007, the younger Serbian choices have achieved unprecedented domination in Europe. Dušan Ivković, one of the most trained trainers of our national team, accepted for the third time a difficult job - to form a young and promising team. Qualifications for the European Championships are easily overcome. In Poland in 2009, our team showed all the luxury of talent and the beauty of basketball. In the final, we did not manage to win Spain, which was already won in this qualification, but the silver medal shone as a sign of the new great success of this national team. Turkey's veteran championship has confirmed that Serbia has a team for the highest achievements. Argentina and Spain, the countries that dominated basketball competitions in the first decade of this century had to lay down their weapons in front of our team. In the semifinals, Turkey's host was better for one point, the medal was not won, but we showed the game that we deserved it. 1959 - First gold medal - Mediterranean Games Beirut 1961 - First medal, European Championship in Belgrade 1968 - Olympic Silver, Mexico 1970 - World Championship in Ljubljana 1973 - First European Gold - Barcelona 1975 - Gold medal at the European Championship in Belgrade 1977 - Third European gold in a row - Ice 1989 - "criminal expedition" to European Championship, gold in Zagreb 1991 - European supremacy in Rome 1995 - gold medal at European Championship in Athens 1996 - Silver Atalanta Olympic Games 2002 - the fifth World Championship gold in Indianapolis Games Gold Silver Bronze Total Summer Olympics 0 2 0 2 FIBA World Cup 2 1 0 3 EuroBasket 3 2 1 6 Mediterranean Games 0 1 1 2 FIBA Diamond Ball 1 1 0 2 Stanković Cup 0 0 1 1 Grand Totals 6 7 2 16 Individual awards FIBA World Cup MVP Dejan Bodiroga – 1998 EuroBasket MVP Aleksandar Đorđević – 1997 Predrag Stojaković – 2001 FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team Dejan Bodiroga – 1998 Željko Rebrača – 1998 Predrag Stojaković – 2002 Miloš Teodosić – 2010, 2014 EuroBasket All-Tournament Team Vlade Divac – 1995 Aleksandar Đorđević – 1997 Željko Rebrača – 1997 Dejan Bodiroga – 1997, 1999 Predrag Stojaković – 2001 Miloš Teodosić – 2009 Bogdan Bogdanović – 2017 EuroBasket Assists Leader Miloš Teodosić – 2009, 2011 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia_men%27s_national_basketball_team For results, competitions and info before 1992, see Yugoslavia national basketball team https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslavia_national_basketball_team For more photos and info go to https://www.kss.rs/istorijat/istorija-kosarke/istorija-kosarke/

Kalemegdan, cradle of Serbian basketball By Vladimir Stankovic The word is Turkish. As a matter of fact, it's two words: kale (city) and megdan (field). In reality, it is a historic monument, some walls from the third century B.C. when Belgrade, then a part of the Roman Empire, was called Singidunum. Below the walls, the Sava and Danube rivers converge in a beautiful scene visible from the Kalemegdan lookout, an unmissable spot for any tourist visiting the Serbian capital. The history of Kalemegdan is long and rich, but we will talk about Serbian basketball here, which was born precisely inside the walls of this historic fortress. The birthplace is known and so, too, is the year, 1945, but the introduction of basketball to Serbia can be found 20 years earlier, in 1923. At that time, the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia (it wouldn't become the Kingdom of Yugoslavia officially until 1929) had a visitor named William Wieland, a missionary with the Red Cross. He was also a missionary for basketball. He was in Belgrade from September 27 to October 20 of that year, and during those days he taught basketball at King Petar I elementary school, did his job and left happy. In fact, in his memoirs, he pointed out that "Slavs of the south were the ones to show the bigger talent for basketball, followed by Estonians." Many years later, his prediction about Yugoslavs (those Slavs of the south) was, in fact, true. In the 1930s, basketball began to exist in a more organized manner, with the first clubs and the first games, but we are still talking about beginnings with an uncertain future. Basketball was also played during World War II, but the true start was during the summer of 1945. The war was not over yet when in Belgrade, the Crvena Zvezda sports society, which included a basketball team, was founded on March 4. In the summer of 1945, the new club had in its team Borislav Stankovic, Nebojsa Popovic, Radomir Shaper and Aleksandar Nikolic. It is the only club in the world to have produced two members now in the Springfield Hall of Fame (Stankovic and Nikolic) and all four in the FIBA Hall of Fame in Geneva. The four of them have the highest Order of Merit from FIBA. However, in 1945 they were just basketball players, young students with ambition and a clear vision. I will talk about them, the "Four Saints of Serbian Basketball", in a future story, but this will be focused on Kalemegdan. Crvena Zvezda managed to build its headquarters inside the walls of Kalemegdan, and still maintains its club offices there. With the voluntary work of those youngsters, the land was leveled and the stands were built, so that Kalemegdan was soon a sports center, too. Later the same year, on October 4 of 1945, the Partizan sports society was born, founded by the Yugoslav army. It's funny that the gym of Partizan was also in Kalemegdan, and that the two clubs are still neighbors, separated only by a fence. That was where and when a rivalry that translated to our days was born. The 'Four Saints' were players, but also men with clear goals who started many trends. From the very start, they demonstrated their organizational abilities. What they knew for sure was that they didn't know much about technical stuff. They were lacking in reading and experience, so they had to learn with tours abroad and from coaches who landed in Belgrade to teach some fundamentals. One of the first ones was Veselin Temkov of Bulgaria, who arrived in 1946. Henri Hell from France was the Yugoslav national coach for the qualifying tournament for the World Championship of 1950 in Buenos Aires. In 1954, Robert Busnel, the French coach who "opened Ranko Zeravica's eyes," according to the great coach himself, also arrived in Belgrade. The hunger for learning, together with natural talent and genetic predisposition (many tall males) made basketball develop fast in Belgrade. The city was the epicenter and Zvezda dominated the national championship between 1946 and 1955, but good basketball with good players was also being played in Ljubljana, Zadar, Zagreb, Karlovac and later in Split, Cacak, Sarajevo and Skopje. One of the secrets of Yugoslav basketball was balanced geographic development. The games between Zvezda and Partizan always drew big crowds that filled the stands at Kalemegdan. The games were played in the summer, at night, in a very pleasant atmosphere. By the late 1940s and early 1950s, Kalemegdan had turned into a special place. Friendship among players and some musicians produced the idea of the "Night of the Stars" in Kalemegdan. Vojislav Simic, currently 93 and born in 1924, was the director of the Dinamo orchestra, formed by 15 men who revolutionized Belgrade with new music. They played jazz, something that was not always seen with keen eyes by the communist leaders, but those men were way ahead of their time. They played songs by Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller. The players had some homework during their tours of Western countries: they had to bring home records so that Simic and his men could play the songs live later. Partizan and Crvena Zvezda also had women's teams that drew big crowds. It's believed that famous writer Ivo Andric, author of 'The Bridge over Drina' and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1961, was a regular attendee at those women's games. Ljubica Otasevic, a player for both Zvezda and the national team, was considered a beauty and soon after started a career in the movies, working several times as a stand-in for Sofia Loren. Little by little, with its basketball and its "Night of the Stars", which attracted the elites of the city, Kalemegdan became a chic place that everybody had to visit. That lasted until 1967, when the Yugoslav federation decided to change the calendar to play games from October to April. That was one of the most important decisions in Yugoslav basketball, because there was just one covered arena in the whole country, and it was in a city, Zrenjanin, that didn't have a team in the first division. The four Belgrade teams -- Zvezda, Partizan, OKK and Radnicki -- had to play in a hall at the Belgrade Fair, but by the end of 1968 the arena in New Belgrade was finalized and soon joined by the legendary Hala Pionir in 1973, the arena that today bears the name of Nikolic, one of the "Four Saints". Kalemegdan not only still exists, but remains active for Zvezda and Partizan, especially in the summer. They are essentially an open museum that is part of the history of Serbian basketball. The offices of Crvena Zvezda are decorated with some pictures of the 1950s. Some of them you can see in this story as a testament to a different but unforgettable time, thanks to people with vision, talent, courage and faith. When several thousand fans from abroad go to Belgrade next May to see the Final Four, I encourage them to visit Kalemegdan. It's easy to get there, at the end of Knez Mihailova street. It's a beautiful park, it's well cared for with many flowers and a beautiful view of the Sava river merging with the Danube. And, of course, with historical basketball courts. It's well worth it. Surce: https://www.euroleague.net/final-four/belgrade-2018/news/i/8h8gbhyu4mdkj3yp/kalemegdan-cradle-of-serbian-basketball

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