On this day 21 years ago, Bosnia's best athlete of all time Mirza Delibasic died at the age of 41. Family, friends and supporters will mark the anniversary by laying wreaths at the basketball star's grave at the Sarajevo Bare cemetery.
Delibasic was born in Tuzla, north of Sarajevo, where he started his career in sports as a tennis player. At the age of 14, he became junior tennis champion, when he switched to basketball.
He started with Tuzla-based ‘Sloboda’ team but transferred to Sarajevo's ‘Bosna’ basketball club in 1972.
Delibasic, who is considered one of the best shooters in the history of European basketball, played nearly 700 matches for ‘Bosna’ and scored around 14,000 points.
He was named the champion of Yugoslavia in 1978 and 1980, as well as EuroLeague champion in 1979. He won numerous trophies with the Yugoslavia national team, including European championship in 1977 and 1979, and the World Cup in 1978.
The Bosnian was named the best basketball player of Yugoslavian team in 1980.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, he was named the best athlete on four occasions and in 2000 he was declared the best Bosnian athlete of all time.
Delibasic was the Bosnia national team's head coach when the team ended up as the eight in the 1993 European championship, which was the best achievement of the basketball team in European competitions.
He also had a remarkable career with Real Madrid, where he is considered one of the best ever player to ever play for the Spanish team.
Posthumously he entered the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named one of the 50 greatest EuroLeague contributors in 2008.
Delibasic died in Sarajevo on December 8, 2001.
The city installed a monument in honour of the great player in front of the Skenderija sports hall in summer 2022.
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