KK Split

History

The club's roots are found in Hajduk sports society's basketball section, which was established in 1945. After three years of mostly sporadic activity, in 1948 the club established its own organizational structure as KK Hajduk independently of sports society. Next year, 1949, the club changed its name to KK Split.

After competing in lower divisions for more than a decade, the club finally made it to Yugoslav First Federal League for the 1963/64 season and it stayed there until the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia.

In 1967 the club adopted -for sponsorship reasons- the name KK Jugoplastika (Jugoplastika was a factory of clothing, accessories, footwear, products from thermoplastic materials and fiberglass, original predecessor of AD Plastik.) and kept it until the end of the 1989/90 season. The next season (1990/91) the club participated in the wordlawide, domestic and European competitions under the sponsorship of Pop 84 (an Italian clothes company from Ancona).

KK Split has been a very successful club in European basketball. They are, together with the first champions, ASK Riga the only team to win the Euroleague trophy three times in a row. In the years 1989, 1990 and 1991, the team known back then as Jugoplastika and Pop 84 with players like Dino Rađa, Toni Kukoč, Žan Tabak and Velimir Perasović won the top European basketball trophy.

Apart from these successes, the club also reached the European Champions Cup final in 1972 and the Cup Winners Cup Final in 1973. It lost both finals against the 1970s superpower Ignis Varese and the soviet club Spartak Leningrad. KK Split still have won two back to back FIBA Korać Cups in 1976 against Chinamartini Torino and in 1977 against Alco Bologna.

Domestic competitions

Croatian League

Croatian Cup

Former domestic competitions

Yugoslav League

Yugoslav Cup

Yugoslav League (1. B League)

European competitions

FIBA European Champions Cup / Euroleague

FIBA European Cup Winner's Cup / FIBA Saporta Cup

FIBA Korać Cup

Worldwide competitions

McDonald's Championship

Unofficial

Triple Crown

The road to the European Cup victories

One of the greatest dynasties in European club competition history came between 1989 and 1991, when Split simply dominated the Euroleague like no team in decades. Head coach Božidar Maljković put together arguably one of the most talented young teams ever seen anywhere: featuring Toni Kukoč, Dino Rađa, Žan Tabak, Velimir Perasović, Zoran Sretenović, Luka Pavićević, who joined forces with veterans like Duško Ivanović. In 1989, Jugoplastika reached the Final Four along with heavy favorites FC Barcelona and Maccabi Elite. Kukoc had 24 points and Ivanovic 21 to lead Split past FC Barcelona 89–77 in the semifinal. Once in the final, Jugoplastika edged Maccabi 75–69 behind 20 points from Radja and 18 from an unstoppable Kukoc, whose combination of size, speed and incredible court vision turned him into a one-of-a-kind player

Jugoplastika met FC Barcelona again in the 1990 Euroleague final in Zaragoza, Spain. Barcelona was backed by thousands of fans and managed to get a brief 61–59 lead late in the second half, but Kukoc buried a couple of critical three-pointers that sent Jugoplastika on its way to its second straight title. Kukoc finished the game with 20 points and the Euroleague Final Four MVP award in his magic hands.

In most places, one can find that the European champs in 1991 were called Pop 84, but that was just the name of the sponsor under which the talented players of Jugoplastika were playing that season. Despite being without Dino Radja and Dusko Ivanovic, the team from Split was led by a great Toni Kukoc and a genius-like Zoran Savic to their third consecutive title. Since the times when ASK Riga of USSR won European titles between 1958 and 1960, no other team had won three in a row. And in the Final Four era, no team besides Jugoplastika has been able to win even two consecutively. In 1991, the competition provided some big surprises leading up to Paris. Kingston of England eliminated CSKA Moscow, and what's more, with a double victory, 93–77 at home and 72–74 in Moscow. Bayer Leverkusen of Germany made its debut in the third round, but the other faces were well-known to everyone: FC Barcelona ended first in that phase (11–3), Pop 84 was second (9–5), and the other two Final Four teams would be Scavolini and Maccabi, tied at 8–6. Once again, the first team of the previous round didn't get the title. In a rematch of the previous year's final – another occurrence that has not been repeated since – the team from Split won 70-65, almost identical to the 1990 score (72–67). Thanks to a great performance by Savic, who scored 27 points, Jugoplastika had an historic three-peat.

Seasons in Yugoslavia

Split participated in the Yugoslav First Basketball League from the 1964 season until the breakup of Yugoslavia in summer of 1991 (except from 1981–82 season where the club demoted to Yugoslav 1. B Federal Basketball League).

"KK Split: Odyssey in Yellow"(2015 Documentary)

There are nostalgic moments when you look closely in the past and liked it that you look left in times of success as long as possible. Such moments usually occur when the present knows no success, when the bleak and when it is difficult to find prospects. Again, anniversaries are there for those moments. The documentary film "70 years of KK Split: Odyssey in yellow", which was broadcast on December 1 this year on HRT in the appropriate project in which this, a number of reasons stumbled, basketball giant revives glorious past. Split "Jugoplastika" by FIBA declared the best basketball collective in the 20th century is deeply woven into the history of Croatian basketball, and the movie "The Odyssey in yellow" in just over eighty minutes evokes important moments in the history of Split, Croatian and Yugoslav basketball.

It is impossible to talk about any sport in Split, and not to mention Hajduk. "Odyssey in yellow" mentions that in infected football, basketball began. The beginning of basketball in Split bind for women's basketball, men's section began a little later. Elvira Čulić Carbonini at the beginning of the film is about establishing žemske basketball team which was the first game played in 1945 against Zadar team. This game, in addition to the defeat, caused the perception that the "basketball sport for women." Vinko Bajrović spoke on the playground at Spinutu where he began the tradition of men's basketball in Split. People who have passed the courses did not understand how men can practice basketball. The perception started to change the arrival Branka Radonića. Radonić has laid the foundation of modern work that later led to the first great success of the Split basketball.

The first phase of a documentary film about the first great, legendary generation of Split basketball. These players were the key part of the Yugoslav team that won the World Championship in Ljubljana in 1970 and referred to in the movie "We will be world champions," about which I wrote earlier. The name under which the club achieved the greatest success bringing the first signed a sponsorship deal the club and the company. Club after moving to the flu, a signature sponsorship speech and arrival Damir Solman city known shaft Skansi-Šolman-Rato Tvrdić bringing the first championship of Yugoslavia (1970–71.). The story of this generation continues and the first European Cup Final of Europe "Jugoplastika" unfortunate loses 70:69 of the Italian Ignis '72. This generation that is with Kreso Cosic represented the backbone of the Yugoslav national team and winning the World Cup, dropped the chance to become European champions for one last ball. The work of Peter Skansi worth mentioning in the coaching segment and the construction of a new, successful genracije Split yellow. Generation led by Jerkov and Krstulović, the hoarder departing won 2 Korac Cup. In this part, I would say, ends the first phase of the film.

"You know when you will certainly give the basket," said Jerkov, "when you stop and think when you're doing everything by instinct." Most emotional moment of the film and milestone between two geniuses generation forgiveness is a hoarder Rate of active play. Mladen Delic in his distinctive style, comments that forgiveness and thus creates the atmosphere of which is, frankly, a man stands on end.

The second phase of the documentary film about the most famous building, trophy genracije eighties. Skansi, Slavnić, Trninić and Kreso Cosic laid the foundations of inserting "yellow chickens" in the first team, and their work has been upgraded to the professional and meticulous work God Maljkovic. Trninić talk about how "every success there are more fathers. You have to respect those who were before you, who have set certain foundations ". After Maljkovic arrival split team where they played Kukoc, Radja, Ivanovic, Sretenovic, Perasović and other eighties dominated Europe, a team player and Maljkovic is explained through statements that could be considered on the basis of sports psychology and creating a healthy atmosphere and attitude in team sport. Maljkovic expertise and ingenuity of players has led to the domination of the European Cup which became legendary. The last European title, but called POP 84, led by Zeljko Pavlicevic was a special surprise. But equally, the swan song of a great generation. "Odyssey in yellow" speaks about the period after the collapse of Yugoslavia. The existence of the club in the nineties, while Cibona's dominance is also touched upon in the film. RaDJin back and winning PH, with Zdovca and Sesar, made a "KK Split 'last championship, and just under Zdovčevim leadership team wins the Croatian Cup as their last trophy.

"Today's parents, managers when vampires ..." – Dino Radja

"Odyssey in yellow" is a film that is as archival compilation followed statements by participants agreed screenwriter Mladen Capin, a director Tomislav Mršić all gave a touch nostalgic patina that usually last successes contain. "Odyssey in yellow" is a journey into some better days when the club with flu traveled across Europe and caused respect in European and global scale. Today, when the yellow submarine ship more than anything else we can not sing the song popular Beatles to feel better. It is a pity. If it is true that the development of society can be measured attitude to the legends. "Jugoplastika", "POP 84" or "KK Split" certainly is one of those legends. Although today is far from glorious days, do not play no regional division and is located before shutting down, I hope you will find in a good mood that would help the aged seventy avoid the fate of the company under whose name the greatest success.

Minira whether the club Split will lose one of the most famous symbols. Then the "Odyssey in yellow" in the legend to cross the myth. For fans of basketball that would be indescribable damage. Among other things, because of the past – not live.