KK Cedevita

Club history

The club was established in Zagreb in 1991 as KK Botinec, later becoming KK Hiron Botinec for sponsorship reasons. From season to season, the club moved up from the lowest levels of competition until it reached the A-1 League in 2002. In its first season of elite competition, it took 5th place in Croatia, behind the well-known clubs KK Cibona, KK Zadar, KK Zagreb and KK Split. A big step was taken in 2005 when Atlantic Grupa, a strong regional company, became the main sponsor of the club, after which the club was renamed to KK Cedevita. The young and modern board of directors raised the ambitions of the club, which achieved great success first in the 09/10 Season when it finished at 3rd place in the Croatian league (in the semi-final playoffs Zadar-Cedevita 2–1), played the semi-finals of the Croatian Cup along with taking 7th place in the strong regional Adriatic League as newcomer. Super Season, with greatest success in Europe, is 10–11 with 3rd place in Eurocup in very first appearance in the competition of that level. Cedevita played Eurocup Final four after victorious trip near Dynamo Moscow, Aris, Azovmash, Hemofarm Stada, Gran Canaria and Asefa Estiudiantes in Zagreb and Azovmash, Hapoel Galil Gilboa, Unics, Gran Canaria, Estudiantes and Benetton on the road. After regular 1st place in the Croatian league, Cedevita won Cibona in semi-final playoffs but lost The Finals against Zagreb CO. Also, Cedevita again took 7th place in Adriatic league. First Thropies came in 11-12 season with Cup Dražen Petrović and Croatian National Cup Krešimir Ćosić, also with the finals of the ABA league. First Croatian Champions title Croatian league came in the 13-14 season, also with the second Cup Krešimir Ćosić title and the second finals in the ABA league. Cedevita took two U-18 and one U-16 Croatian Championships titles.

First Trophies (2011–2013)

But one of the best Season, with greatest success is 11–12, with first ever Trophies for the team. After winning of the Cup Dražen Petrović (Croatian Supercup) against Zagreb, Cedevita took Croatian Cup Krešimir Ćosić for the first time in history, again against Zagreb in The Finals. After playing in Europe, beating French Champion Elan Chalon in qualifications, Cedevita finished competition in group, with strong Spartak St. Petersburg, Benetton Treviso and Bayern. But the real success was 2nd place in regular season of Adriatic league and crown came with great Finals in Tel Aviv, victory against Partizan in semi-finals and lose against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the finals. With that result, Cedevita had Euroleague place in her pocket. After regular 2nd place in the Croatian league, Cedevita won Split in semi-final playoffs but lost The Finals against Cibona.

Since 2005, the club has been led by great coaches such as the former coach of the Croatian National Team Srećko Medvedec, former Olympic Silver Medalist from Seoul and best scorer of the Euroleague Zdravko Radulović, former Yugoslavian National Team player Slobodan Subotić, former coach of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos and Aleksandar Petrović, National Team player and later Croatian National Team coach (brother of the famous Dražen Petrović) who became the best Eurocup coach in the 2010–11 season. Today, sitting on Cedevita’s bench is current National Team of Croatia coach Jasmin Repeša who came in 13-14 season and will lead the team in 14-15 season.

Before Repeša coach was in 12–13 four time European Champion with Jugoplastika Split, Limoges and Panathinaikos, great Božidar Maljković, successor of the former Croatian champion with Cibona and Belgian champion with Charleroi, Dražen Anzulović, who led Cedevita in season, 2011–12. Over the past few years, former Croatian and Bosnian National team members played for the team, including Slaven Rimac, Jurica Žuža, Damir Milačić, Krešimir Novosel, Mate Miliša, Milan Parezanović, Pero Dujmović, Stipe Modrić, Frano Čolak, alongside several excellent American players such as A. J. Guyton, Marlon Garnett, Adam Harrington, God Shammgod, Vonteego Cummings or Ramel Bradley.

The 2009–10 roster was strong with former Croatian National Team players Andrija Žižić, team captain Marino Baždarić and Damjan Rudež, B National Team player Tomislav Petrović, Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team players Bariša Krasić and Ivan Opačak, Canadian National Team playmaker Jermaine Anderson and Americans Ricardo Marsh and Thomas Mobley, as well as the U-20 Croatian National Team player Dino Butorac. In younger selections cadets became Champions of Croatia.

The 2010–11 roster was especially strong with Žižić, Baždarić, Rudež, Petrović, Butorac, and newcomers as former Croatian National Team players Vedran Vukušić and Vladimir Krstić, ex Cibona player Robert Troha and ex BIH National Team player Vedran Princ. Eurocup MVP was American Dontaye Draper, new Croatian National Team member, Eurocup the best second team member Bracey Wright and center Corsley Edwards. In younger selections juniors and cadets became vice Champions of Croatia.

Cedevita started 11–12 season's roster was especially strong with the best foreign player ever in Croatia, three times European Champion with CSKA and Bologna, Slovenian National Team player Matjaž Smodiš, fine Americans Chris Owens and Chris Warren, ex NBA and National Team player Dalibor Bagarić, new NT players Miro Bilan and Marko Car, along with Draper, Baždarić, Princ, Vukušić, Petrović, Opačak. In younger selections juniors became Champions and cadets vice Champions of Croatia.

12-13 season was marked by the arrival of the four times European Champion, coach Božidar Maljković for the first time ever participation of the club in the Euroleague. Three Croatian National Team members, Marko Tomas, Lukša Andrić and Luka Babić joined the club, as well as stars like Mickaël Gelabale or Vlado Ilievski. Cedevita achieved its first victories at the highest level in Europe, but without passing to the TOP 16. After Maljković left the club, Aleksandar Petrović became the new coach but he also left the club before the end of the season in the Adriatic League in which Cedevita won the 6th place, enough for the participation in the ULEB Eurocup next season. Before leaving, coach Petrović played the Cup finals, and interim coach Jakša Vulić reach the semifinals of the Croatian A-1 League play off. In younger selections juniors became vice Champions of Croatia and cadets, young cadets and U-12 team played in Final fours.

First Croatian Champions title (2013–2014)

13-14 season started with big change on the bench, with arrival of Jasmin Repeša, Croatian National Team coach who led Croatia to the semifinals of European Championships in Slovenia. Repeša had young but strong defence roster with one of the best young players in Europe, 19yo Jusuf Nurkić and 16yo Lovro Mazalin. With Bilan, Suton, Tomas, captain Baždarić and Babić from season before, team roster was stronger for occasional NT players Ante Delaš, Tomislav Zubčić and Ivan Ramljak and two strong Americans Nolan Smith and Allan Ray. BC Cedevita has won Cup Krešimir Ćosić, against BC Zagreb in the finals 86:68. In ULEB Eurocup passed by Elan Chalon, Charleroi and Oldenburg in the second stage, with Bilbao and Dynamo Sassari from group, and stayed in TOP32 level regardless victories in Zaragoza or Istanbul over Bešiktaš. The club lost two games against Lietuvos Rytas, 83:84 and 75:74. But the best came latter. In great Final four tournament of ABA league in Belgrade, Cedevita defeat Partizan in front of 15000 home supporters but lost in the finals from Cibona. This Finals is important because it ensured Euroleague ticket for 14-15 season. The best came in the end of the season, with the first Croatian Champions title and great 3-0 victory in the series against Cibona. In 13-14 season Cedevita has won the new title in junior competition and became U-18 Croatian Champions. In 14-15 season Cedevita became Croatian Champion again, with a win 3-1 in the playoffs finals vs Cibona, won Croatian Krešimir Ćosić Cup again and with a ABA league Finals ( 1-3 against Crvena Zvezda ) will play in Euroleague 15-16. U-16 team is Croatian Champion, U-18 team played in the Finals. Džanan Musa is MVP U-16 European Championships with gold for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marko Arapović is a captain silver U-19 Croatian Team at World U-19 Championships with position in best 5 of tournament. New season 15-16 with new coach, Veljko Mršić and Gianmarco Pozzecco as assistant coach bring in some of the best seasons ever in 2015-2016. Championships title again also Croatian Krešimir Ćosić Cup with semifinals in ABA league and TOP 16 Euroleague. Miro Bilan, Marko Arapović and Luka Babić will play at the Olympic Games in Rio and Džanan Musa became the best scorer of FIBA U17 World Championships with Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team.

BC Cedevita had success with the younger selections as well. About 700 boys are being coached in the basketball school, the youngest generation, with special competition for them, Cedevita´s little league. Six players won gold medals with U-16 Croatian National Team in European Championships 2010. and 2011. Two players and the coach won gold medals with U-18 Croatian National Team in European Championship 2012. Now, in every National Team level we can find several players from BC Cedevita.

Head sponsor

President of KK Cedevita is Mladen Veber, Senior Vice President of Atlantic Grupa (owned by CEO Emil Tedeschi), head sponsor of the club, largest producer of sports beverages and vitamin supplements in Europe with the leading brands of Multipower and Cedevita, among other, the largest distribution company in the region, who, with the purchase of Slovenian company Droga Kolinska, became the largest food & beverage company in the Southeastern Europe. The club management board consists of: vice president Davor Užbinec, Ivan Mišetić, Zoran Stanković and Roland Janković. General manager is Davor Užbinec, team manager is Mate Skelin, former Croatian National Team member and the sports director is Matej Mamić, former Croatian National Team member and captain of KK Cibona and Alba Berlin.

Domestic competitions

Croatian League

Croatian Cup

Dražen Petrović Cup

European competitions

Eurocup

Regional competitions

Adriatic League

Club identity

After the company Cedevita changed its brand colours from red to orange in 2015, the basketball club also re-branded and adopted orange as its main color for the 2016–17 season.

Retired numbers

Manager

General manager of the club from 2007.-2015. was Krešimir Novosel, former Croatian National Team member and son of the Hall of Fame member Mirko Novosel, now as director of Adriatic League replaced 2015. by Davor Užbinec, team manager is Mate Skelin, former Croatian National Team member, Scout and youth team manager is Marino Baždarić, former Croatian National Team member and Cedevita´s ex captain and the sports director is Matej Mamić, former Croatian National Team member and ex captain of KK Cibona and Alba Berlin. Media director is former sports journalist Igor Jagić. Marketing director is Arsen Šolić.

Head coaches