Serbian · Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia · Born 26 August 1967Aleksandar Đorđević is a Serbian basketball executive and former point guard, a World Championship winner and Olympic silver medallist who went on to coach Serbia to three major tournament finals.
Aleksandar Đorđević sprinted the length of the court to hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer that gave Partizan a 71-70 win over Joventut Badalona in the 1992 EuroLeague final — then built a coaching career that took Serbia to three consecutive major tournament finals at the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Olympics, and EuroBasket 2017.. He became a star of Yugoslav basketball through the late 1980s and early 1990s, and delivered the most iconic moment of his playing career in the 1992 EuroLeague final, sprinting the length of the court to hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer that gave Partizan a 71-70 win over Joventut Badalona for the club's only EuroLeague title. Đorđević went on to play for Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, winning multiple Spanish league titles, before further spells in Italy with Scavolini Pesaro and Armani Jeans Milano. Internationally, he was a central figure of the powerhouse Yugoslav and FR Yugoslav national teams, winning EuroBasket gold in 1991, 1995 — where he was named tournament MVP in one of the most dramatic finals in the event's history — and 1997, an Olympic silver medal in 1996, and the FIBA World Championship title in 1998. Đorđević retired from playing in 2005 and moved quickly into coaching, taking charge of clubs including Armani Jeans Milano, Benetton Treviso, Panathinaikos, and Fenerbahçe. He was appointed head coach of the Serbian national team in December 2013, and led the country to three consecutive major tournament finals: runner-up at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, the 2016 Rio Olympics, and EuroBasket 2017. He later coached Virtus Bologna to a Basketball Champions League and Italian league double, before taking charge of the Chinese national team from 2022 to 2024.
World Championship-winning point guard who later coached Serbia to three major tournament finals
How They Played
Sharp-shooting, clutch point guard renowned for big-moment performances
Lasting Impact
A key figure of Yugoslavia's golden generation as a player and the architect of Serbia's return to basketball's elite as a coach
Career Honours
- FIBA World Championship gold (1998, with FR Yugoslavia)
- 3x EuroBasket gold (1991, 1995, 1997)
- Olympic silver medal (1996)
- EuroLeague champion (1992, with Partizan)
- As coach: 3x runner-up with Serbia (2014 World Cup, 2016 Olympics, 2017 EuroBasket)
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| KK Partizan | 1983–1993 | — |
| Real Madrid | 1993–1994 | — |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 1994–1994 | — |
| Barcelona | 1994–2000 | — |
| Scavolini Pesaro | 2000–2002 | — |
| Armani Jeans Milano | 2002–2005 | — |
Serbian Athletes