Name Zeljko Pavlicevic | Role Basketball Player | |
Željko Pavličević dvostruki prvak Evrope: Kukoč se zabavljao, Dražen je bio mašina!
Željko Pavličević (born 26 March 1951) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former professional player. He is currently the head coach of NBL team Wakayama Trians.
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Early life
Pavličević began playing basketball in 1969 for the junior team of Locomotiva in the city of Zagreb. He was studying at the Faculty of Chemical Technology at the basketball school.
Cibona
Having passed all the categories in the club, (cadets, juniors etc.) in 1975, he became Mirko Novosel's assistant coach in the senior team of Cibona (until then WIT). In 1984–85 he was promoted to head coach, but only in domestic competitions (in Euroleague led Mirko Novosel).
In his first season as head coach with Cibona, won the Yugoslav Cup and the Yugoslav League (against Jugoplastika & Crvena zvezda ). As assistant coach he took part in the winning of the first title of European Champions Cup (the predecessor of today's Euroleague) with Cibona in Athens Peace and Friendship Stadium against Real Madrid. The following season, (1985–86) as head coach of Cibona both in domestic and European competitions and with the roster weakened by the loss of Andro Knego in Cajamadrid, but refreshed with newcomer Dražen Petrović, won the Yugoslav Cup and became back to back European champion in Budapest against the Soviet champions Žalgiris. This match was marked by the participation of the two best European players, Petrović and the Lithuanian center Arvydas Sabonis.
Spain
After the three seasons with Cibona, he accepted his first international bid and coached the Spanish club OAR Ferrol, later becoming the club's sports director. During the 1989–90 season, he was hired by the Spanish first league club of Taugrés Vitoria.
Pop 84
In the summer of 1990 he accepted the offer from back-to-back European champions of Pop 84 the former Jugoplastika to lead the team following the exodus of Dino Rađa (il Messaggero Roma), Duško Ivanović (Girona) and Goran Sobin (Aris). Despite the changes, Pop 84 dominated and won all three trophies. Yugoslav Cup (finals with Cibona), the Yugoslav League (final playoffs against the rising power of Partizan) and third European title for the club and other personal title against FC Barcelona in Paris. He was awarded coach of the year. Players included Toni Kukoč, Zoran Savić, Velimir Perasović, Zoran Sretenović, Žan Tabak, Petar Naumoski and Luka Pavićević. Božidar Maljković led Barcelona, which is connected to Split by winning the previous two league titles in Europe.
Panathinaikos
In 1991–92 Pavličević joined Panathinaikos and created the backbone of the club's future success. In 1992–93 with the arrival of Nikos Galis, Stojan Vranković, Arijan Komazec and Tiit Sokk the team won only the Greek Cup against Aris. The Championship final against arch-rival Olympiacos was controversial, given the club's decision not to play a third decisive game. The next season (1993–94) despite the coming of Alexander Volkov and participation in the Final Four of Tel Aviv, he was fired in late 1993.
Decline
He was sports director of selection for the Basketball Association of Croatia from 1996 to 1998. At the invitation of Croatia Osiguranje during the 1996–97 season he coached the team again. In early 2003 Japanese Basketball Federation offered him a position coaching the Japanese national basketball team. It was a cycle of four years as a preparation for the World Basketball Championship in Japan in 2006. The national team progressed significantly, and held the largest seminar for coaches in the history of Japan with over 900 participants. In 2007–08 he coached Zagreb, with which he won the Krešimir Ćosić Cup, the first trophy in the club's history.
At the invitation of Shimane Susanoo novosnovanog Club Magica, member BJL (Japanese professional league) in summer 2010, he became head coach and remained for three seasons, reaching the playoffs each season. He coached Wakayama Trians NBL National basketball L. Japan in 2013–14.