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Dejan Koturović

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Dejan Koturović
Personal information
Born (1972-03-31) 31 March 1972 (age 52)
Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
NationalitySerbian
Listed height2.10 m (6 ft 11 in)
Listed weight120 kg (265 lb)
Career information
NBA draft1994: undrafted
Playing career1989–2004
PositionCenter
Career history
1989–1995Spartak Subotica
1995–1997Partizan
1997–1998PSG Racing
1998–2000Ülkerspor
2000–2002Alba Berlin
2002–2003Virtus Bologna
2003–2004Tau Cerámica
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Representing  FR Yugoslavia
Men's basketball
FIBA World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2002 United States National team
FIBA European Championship
Gold medal – first place 1995 Greece National team

Dejan Koturović (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Котуровић; born 31 March 1972) is a retired Serbian professional basketball player.[1]

Playing career

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Europe

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During his professional career, Koturović played for Spartak Subotica, Partizan, PSG Racing, Ülkerspor, Alba Berlin,[2] Virtus Bologna and Tau Cerámica.

NBA

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After winning gold at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, Koturović received interest from the Boston Celtics[3] but they ended up signing Rubén Wolkowyski instead.[4] Koturović then turned down an offer from the Toronto Raptors and signed for Virtus Bologna.[5]

On 8 October 2003, Koturović signed a free-agent contract with the Phoenix Suns.[6] He was planned as a temporary replacement for the injured Scott Williams.[6] Koturović was waived on 24 October 2003 after Williams started healing faster than expected.[7][8]

National team career

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Koturović played for the national team of FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro in three major tournaments: winning the gold medal at the 1995 FIBA European Championship and the 2002 FIBA World Championship and also featuring at the 2003 FIBA European Championship.

1995 EuroBasket

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As a young player on a star-studded team coached by Dušan Ivković, twenty-three-year-old Koturović did not get a lot of playing time at the 1995 FIBA European Championship where Yugoslavia went on to win gold.

2002 World Championship

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Koturović did not feature in any major international tournaments for seven years until the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Under coach Svetislav Pešić, Koturović featured in the starting lineup, shining in the semifinals against New Zealand where he led the team in scoring with 18 points. Yugoslavia went on to beat Argentina in the final with Koturović averaging 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in the tournament.[6]

2003 EuroBasket

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One year after winning the World Championship in Indianapolis, Koturović again answered the national team call-up, this time under the new Serbia and Montenegro banner at the 2003 FIBA European Championship in Sweden.

In mid August 2003, just weeks before the tournament, during an exhibition game against Greece, Koturović reportedly showed insubordination to coach Duško Vujošević for which Vujošević expelled him from the team and called up Đuro Ostojić as a replacement.[9] This resulted in a public row between the two.[10]

Vujošević and Koturović soon made up publicly with Koturović being reinstated in the team and eventually even making the final 12-man roster Vujošević took to the tournament. After losing to Russia, then beating outsiders Sweden, and losing to Spain in its 4-team preliminary round robin group, Serbia and Montenegro barely beat Turkey to make the quarterfinals where they lost to Lithuania. The team eventually placed sixth in the tournament, a result seen as disappointing in the country after two straight major tournament wins—EuroBasket 2001 and 2002 FIBA World Championship. The mending of fences between Vujošević and Koturović would prove only nominal as, right after the tournament ended, Koturović blasted Vujošević publicly for the team's disappointing result.[11]

Personal life

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In September 2014, Koturović was arrested at the Greece–Macedonia border trying to enter Macedonia with a used Honda CR-V vehicle he had purchased without awareness that it was stolen.[12] In early October 2014, he was sentenced to three months in prison which he served in Macedonia.[13]

Koturović holds an Italian passport.[14] In recent years, he has been a shamanic practitioner.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Vujcic, Djuradj (2022-07-02). "I Hope for a Golden Era". Urban Book Circle. Archived from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  2. ^ "Koturovic: Alba, hol' mich zurück!" (in German). B.Z. 20 October 2001. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  3. ^ RDS (2002-09-10). "Un Yougoslave avec les Celtics" (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  4. ^ Matić, Đ. (18 September 2002). "Boston je izigrao moje menadžere!" (in Serbian). Glas javnosti. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  5. ^ B92 (16 October 2002). "Koturović odbio Toronto – potpisao za Virtus!" (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2019-08-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b c Suns.com (2003-10-08). "Suns Sign Yugoslavian Center". NBA.com. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  7. ^ Glas javnosti (26 October 2003). "Čim upoznam Las Vegas vratiću se u Evropu" (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  8. ^ The New York Times (2003-10-24). "TRANSACTIONS". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  9. ^ Z., M. (13 August 2003). "Morao sam da odstranim Dejana Koturovića" (in Serbian). Glas javnosti. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  10. ^ B92 (12 September 2003). "Koturović za B92: Surova odluka Vujoševića" (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 2019-08-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ B92 (20 September 2003). "Koturović: Vujošević je grobar naše košarke..." (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2019-08-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Bivši reprezentativac Dejan Koturović u pritvoru u Đevđeliji". Sportski žurnal. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Koturović osuđen na tri meseca zatvora u Makedoniji: Bio sam meta kriminalaca". Večernje novosti. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  14. ^ "Basketball Gershon, Blatt Eye Dijan Koturovic". Haaretz. 2003-07-17. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  15. ^ Nikačević, Galeb (19 September 2017). "Srpski šaman Dejan Koturović koji Ibogom pomaže ljudima" (in Serbian). Vice. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
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