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GENEVA (FIBA) - The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) was founded on 18th June 1932 in Geneva. Thus, today, 18th June 2007, FIBA is celebrating its 75th Anniversary and is very proud to announce, on such a special occasion, its Hall of Fame's 2007 Class of Inductees.





Players:



Sergei BELOV







Born on 23rd January 1944, in Nashchyokovo, Russia

Nationality: Russian

Height: 1.90 m

Position: Forward



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Uralmash Sverdlovsk: 1964-1967

CSKA Moscow: 1968-1980



As a head coach:



CSKA Moscow (1981-1982: Champion of the USSR League), CSKA Moscow Junior School (1983-1989), Cassino -Italy- (1991-1993) and Ural Great Perm (1999-2002: Champion of the Russian League in 2001)



Club Highlights:



2 times Champion of the European Cup for Men's Champion Clubs (current Euroleague): 1969 and 1971

11 times Champion of the USSR League: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980

2 times Champion of the USSR Cup: 1972 and 1973



National Team Highlights:



Olympic Gold medalist in Munich 1972

3 times Olympic Bronze medalist: Mexico 1968, Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980

2 times World Champion: Montevideo 1967 and Puerto Rico 1974

Silver medalist in the 1978 Manila World Championship

Bronze medalist in the 1970 Ljubljana World Championship

4 times European Champion: Helsinki 1967, Italy 1969, Germany 1971 and Italy 1979

2 times Silver medalist in the European Championships: Belgrade 1975 and Belgium 1977

Bronze medalist in the 1973 Barcelona European Championship

As head coach of the Russian National Team (1993-1998): 2 times Silver medalist in the World Championships of Toronto 1994 and Athens 1998 and Bronze medalist in the 1997 European Championship in Barcelona



Individual Highlights:



Lit the Olympic flame in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games

President of the Russian Basketball Federation: 1993-1998

President of Ural Great Perm since August 2005



Dra?en DALIPAGIĆ







Born on 27th November 1951, in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nationality: Serbian

Height: 1.97 m

Position: Forward



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Partizan Belgrade: 1971-1978 and 1979-1980 (military service: 1978-1979)

Venezia: 1980-1981

Partizan Belgrade: 1981-1982

Real Madrid: 1982-1983

Udine: 1983-1985

Venezia: 1985-1988

Verona: 1988-1989

Red Star Belgrade: 1990-1991



As a coach:



Gorizia (1992-1996), MZT Skopje (1997-1998) and Astra Banka Belgrade (2000-2001)

As a manager: Sports Manager of Red Star Belgrade (1998-1999), Team Manager of BC Atlas Belgrade (2003-2006) and Member of the Expert Council of the Serbian Basketball Federation (present)



Club Highlights:



Champion of the 1978 Korac Cup

Champion of the 1976 Yugoslavian League



National Team Highlights:



243 appearances with the Yugoslavian National Team between 1973 and 1986

Olympic Gold medalist in Moscow 1980

World Champion in Manila 1978

Olympic Silver medalist in Montreal 1976

Silver medalist in the 1974 World Championship in Puerto Rico

Olympic Bronze medalist in Los Angeles 1984

2 times Bronze medalist in World Championships: Colombia 1982 and Spain 1986

3 times European Champion: Barcelona 1973, Belgrade 1975 and Liege 1977

Silver medalist in the 1981 European Championship in Prague

Bronze medalist in the 1979 European Championship in Turin



Individual Highlights:



MVP and Top Scorer of the 1978 World Championship in Manila

European Player of the Year in 1977, 1978 and 1980

Best Sportsman of the Year 1978 in the former Yugoslavia

3 times Best Sportsman of Belgrade: 1976, 1977 and 1978

Almost perennial top scorer of all leagues and championships in which he took part, Dalipagic averaged over 30 points a game during most of his entire career (in 1981-1982 he averaged 43 points per game for Partizan Belgrade)



Ivo DANEU







Born on 6th October 1937, in Maribor, Slovenia

Nationality: Sloveninan

Height: 1.84 m

Position: Guard



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Branik Maribor: 1949-1956

Olimpija Ljubljana: 1956-1970

As a coach: Olimpija Ljubljana (1970-1971) and Rudar Trbovlje (1976)



Club Highlights:



5 times Champion of the Yugoslavian League: 1957, 1959, 1961, 1966 and 1970



National Team Highlights:



209 appearances with the Yugoslavian National Team from 1956 to 1970: participated in 3 Olympic Games (Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968) and 3 World Championships (Rio de Janeiro 1963, Montevideo 1967 and Ljubljana 1970)

World Champion in Ljubljana 1970

Olympic Silver medalist in Mexico 1968

2 times Silver medalist in World Championships: Rio de Janeiro 1963 and Montevideo 1967

3 times Silver medalist in European Championships: Belgrade 1961, Germany 1965 and Italy 1969

Bronze medalist in the 1963 European Championship in Wroclaw



Individual Highlights:



MVP of the 1967 World Championship in Montevideo

Best Sportsman of the Year 1967 in the former Yugoslavia

Ivo Daneu mastered the hook shot and used this unstoppable weapon to regularly score even from as far as the 6-7 meter range



Oscar FURLONG







Born on 22nd October 1927, in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Nationality: Argentinean

Height: 1.88 m

Position: Power forward/Center



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Gimnasia y Esgrima de Villa del Parque: 1944-1956

Southern Methodist University (NCAA): 1953-1956

In 1957, the Argentinean military dictatorship sanctioned all the members of the 1950 World Champion team with the accusation that they had received "compensations and special treatments" from the government of Juan Domingo Per?n in 1950, a time when basketball had an amateur status. Such an unfair sanction, unanimously considered a "sports genocide", forced Furlong to retire when he was 29 years old. The sanction was only lifted in 1967. Too late for Furlong and most of his teammates?



Club Highlights:



6 times Champion of Buenos Aires (the Argentinean national championship was only created in 1984): 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951 and 1954



National Team Highlights:



50 appearances with the Argentinean National Team from 1947 to 1955: participated in 2 Olympic Games (London 1948 and Helsinki 1952) and in the Buenos Aires 1950 World Championship

World Champion in Buenos Aires 1950

Gold medalist in the World University Games of 1953 in Dortmund

2 times Silver medalist in the Pan American Games: Buenos Aires 1951 and Mexico City 1955



Individual Highlights:



After the 1948 London Games, Furlong received a formal offer to join the Minneapolis Lakers (NBA), but declined it. The Baltimore Bullets where not successful either

MVP and Top Scorer of the 1950 World Championship in Buenos Aires

Furlong introduced the jump-shot in Argentina after learning it during his three seasons in the Southern Methodist University (Division I, NCAA)



Nikos GALIS







Born on 23rd July 1957, in New Jersey, U.S.A.

Nationality: Greek

Height: 1.83 m

Position: Shooting guard



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Seton Hall University (NCAA): 1975-1979

Aris Thessaloniki: 1979-1992

Panathinaikos: 1992-1995



Club Highlights:



8 times Champion of the Greek League: 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991

7 times Champion of the Greek Cup: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993



National Team Highlights:



European Champion in Athens 1987

Silver medalist in the 1989 European Championship in Zagreb



Individual Highlights:



Nikos Galis is one of the biggest scoring-machines in basketball's history: averaged over 30 points a game during his 16-year career in Europe (both in the national and continental club competitions); top scorer of the 1986 World Championship and in four of the five European Championships in which he took part; 3rd top scorer in the NCAA's 1978-1979 season (27.5 points per game)?

MVP of the 1987 European Championship in Athens

First torchbearer during the Olympic flame's final route at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games



Hortencia MARCARI







Born on 23rd September 1959, in Potirendaba, S?o Paulo, Brazil

Nationality: Brazilian

Height: 1.74 m

Position: Shooting guard



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



S?o Caetano Esporte Clube: 1973-1981

Associa??o Prudentina: 1982-1983

C.A Minercal: 1984-1990

C.A Constecca/Sedox: 1991

NCNB Ponte Preta: 1992-1993

ADC Seara: 1994-1996



Club Highlights:



3 times Champion of the Intercontinental Cup: 1991, 1993 and 1994

2 times Pan American Champion: 1994 and 1995

4 times South American Champion: 1983, 1984, 1993 and 1996

7 times Champion of the Brazilian Cup: 1984, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995

9 times Champion of the S?o Paulo League: 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993



National Team Highlights:



137 appearances with the Brazilian National Team, averaging 24.4 points per game: participated in 2 Olympic Games (Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996) and in 5 World Championships (Seoul 1979, Brazil 1983, Moscow 1986, Malaysia 1990 and Australia 1994)

World Champion in Australia 1994 (averaging 27.6 points per game)

Olympic Silver medalist in Atlanta 1996

Gold medalist in the Pan American Games of Havana 1991

Silver medalist in the Pan American Games of Indianapolis 1987

Bronze medalist in the Pan American Games of Caracas 1983

4 times Gold medalist in the South American Championships: Bolivia 1978, Peru 1981, Brazil 1986 and Chile 1989



Individual Highlights:



Top scorer of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games (94 points in total/18.8 points per game)



Pierluigi MARZORATI







Born on 12th September 1952, in Figino Serenza (Como), Italy

Nationality: Italian

Height: 1.87 m

Position: Playmaker



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Pallacanestro Cant?: 1969-1991

As an executive: Vice President of Pallacanestro Cant? (1991-1996)



Club Highlights:



2 times Champion of the European Cup for Men's Champion Clubs (current Euroleague): 1982 and 19831

4 times Champion of the European Cup Winner's Cup: 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981

4 times Champion of the European Cup Radivoj Korac: 1973, 1974, 1975 and 199

2 times Champion of the Intercontinental Cup: 1975 and 1982

2 times Champion of the Italian League: 1975 and 1981



National Team Highlights:



278 appearances (all-time record) and 2,209 points with the Italian National Team: participated in 4 Olympic Games (Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984), 2 World Championships (Manila 1978 and Spain 1986) and 8 European Championships/EuroBaskets (1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1985)

Olympic Silver medalist in Moscow 1980

European Champion in Nantes 1983

3 times Bronze medalist in European Championships: Germany 1971, Yugoslavia 1975 and Germany 1985



Individual Highlights:



Played an impressive number of 22 consecutive seasons (692 games) in the same club, Pallacanestro Cant?, scoring a total of 8,659 points

Pallacanestro Cant? retired his #14 jersey in 1991

On 8th October 2006, Marzorati started in Pallacanestro Cant?'s first game of the season (vs. Benetton Treviso) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the club, thus becoming the first player in history to compete in official games in five different decades and, at age 54, the oldest player to have ever taken part in an official competition



Ann MEYERS







Born on 26th March 1955, in San Diego (California), U.S.A

Nationality: United States Citizen

Height: 1.75 m

Position: Guard



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



UCLA (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women -AIAW-): 1974-1978

New Jersey Gems (Women's Professional Basketball League -WBL-): 1979-1980



Club Highlights:



1978 National Collegiate Champion



National Team Highlights:



World Champion in Seoul 1979

Olympic Silver medalist in Montreal 1976

Gold medalist in the Pan American Games of Mexico City 1975

Silver medalist in the Pan American Games of San Juan 1979

Silver medalist in the World University Games of 1977 in Sofia



Individual Highlights:



First woman ever to receive a full athletic scholarship from UCLA

4 times Kodak All-American: 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978

1978 Broderick Award Winner (recognizing the best collegiate player in the U.S.A.)

Co-MVP and Top Scorer of the WBL in 1979-1980

Only woman ever to sign a free-agent contract with an NBA franchise (in September 1979, with the Indiana Pacers, but did not make the team and was released)

UCLA retired her #15 jersey on 3rd February 1990

Winner of the 2006 United States Sports Academy's (USSA) Ronald Reagan Media Award after over two and a half decades devoted to sports broadcasting and journalism

General Manager of the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) and Vice President of the Phoenix Suns (NBA) since September 2006



Amaury PASOS







Born on 11th December 1935, in S?o Paulo, Brazil

Nationality: Brazilian

Height: 1.91 m

Position: Power Forward



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Clube de Regatas Tiet?: 1949-1961

C. R. S?rio: 1962-1965

Corinthians: 1966-1972



Club Highlights:



2 times Champion of the Brazilian League: 1966 and 1969

3 times champion of the S?o Paulo League: 1966, 1968 and 1969



National Team Highlights:



96 appearances with the Brazilian National Team: participated in 3 Olympic Games (Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964) and in 4 World Championships (Rio de Janeiro 1954, Santiago de Chile 1959, Rio de Janeiro 1963 and Montevideo 1967)

2 times World Champion: Santiago de Chile 1959 and Rio de Janeiro 1963

Silver medalist in the Rio de Janeiro 1954 World Championship

2 times Olympic Bronze medalist: Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964

Bronze medalist in the Montevideo 1967 World Championship

Silver medalist in the Pan American Games of S?o Paulo 1963

Bronze medalist in the Pan American Games of Mexico City 1955



Individual Highlights:



MVP of the 1959 World Championship in Santiago de Chile



Emiliano RODR?GUEZ







Born on 10th June 1937, in San Feliz de Tor?o (Le?n), Spain

Nationality: Spanish

Height: 1.91 m

Position: Forward



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Aismalibar: 1958-1960

Real Madrid: 1960-1973



Club Highlights:



4 times Champion of the European Cup for Men's Champion Clubs (current Euroleague): 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1968

12 times Champion of the Spanish League: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973

9 times Champion of the Spanish Cup: 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973



National Team Highlights:



175 consecutive appearances with the Spanish National Team: participated in 2 Olympic Games (Rome 1960 and Mexico 1968) and 7 European Championships/EuroBaskets (1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969 and 1971)



Individual Highlights:



3 times Top Scorer of the Spanish League: 1959, 1963 and 1964

MVP of the 1963 Wroclaw European Championship/EuroBasket

1973 Fair Play Award from UNESCO

FIBA Order of Merit in 1997



Bill RUSSELL







Born on 12th February 1934, in Monroe (Louisiana), United States

Nationality: USA

Height: 2.13 m

Position: Center



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



University of San Francisco (NCAA): 1953-1956

Boston Celtics: 1956-1969



As a coach:



head coach and player of the Boston Celtics (1966-1969), head coach and general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics (1973-1977) and head coach of the Sacramento Kings (1987-1988)



Club Highlights:



2 times NCAA Champion: 1955 and 1956

11 times NBA Champion: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969



National Team Highlights:



Olympic Gold medalist in Melbourne 1956



Individual Highlights:



1955 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player

5 times MVP of the NBA: 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1965

Member of 3 All-NBA First Teams (1959, 1963 and 1965), 8 All-NBA Second Teams and of the 1969 NBA All-Defensive First Team

12 times NBA All-Star: 1958-1969

MVP of the 1963 NBA All-Star Game

2nd all-time leading rebounder in NBA history (21,620 rebounds in total/22.5 per game)

The Boston Celtics retired his #6 jersey on 12th March 1972

Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996



Uljana SEMJONOVA







Born on 9th March 1952, in Medumi (Daugavpils District), Latvia

Nationality: Latvian

Height: 2.13 m

Position: Center



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



TTT Riga: 1967-1987

Tintoretto (Spain): 1987-1988

Valenciennes Orchies (France): 1988-1989



Club Highlights:



11 times Champion of the European Cup for Women's Champions Clubs (current EuroLeague Women): 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981 and 1982

Champion of the 1987 European Cup Liliana Ronchetti

15 times Champion of the USSR League: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984



National Team Highlights:



Played in the USSR Women's National Team for 18 straight years (1968-1986) in which her teams remained completely undefeated

2 times Olympic Gold medalist: Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980

3 times World Champion: S?o Paulo 1971, Colombia 1975 and Brazil 1983

10 times in a row European Champion: Italy 1968, Netherlands 1970, Bulgaria 1972, Italy 1974, France 1976, Poland 1978, Yugoslavia 1980, Italy 1981, Hungary 1983 and Italy 1985



Individual Highlights:



Winningest player in the history of women's basketball

Named Latvia's Most Popular Athlete 12 times from 1970 to 1985

Chairwoman of the Latvian Olympian Social Foundation (an organization devoted to the support of sports veterans) since 1991

Coaches:



Lidia ALEXEEVA







Born on 4th July 1924, in Moscow, Russia

Nationality: Russian



Enshrined as a coach in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Clubs (as a player):



Lokomotiv Moscow: 1943-1946

MAI Moscow: 1947-1957



Club Highlights (as a player):



5 times Champion of the USSR Women's League: 1947, 1951, 1954, 1955 and 1956

Champion of the 1952 USSR Cup

Champion of the 1956 Spartakiade of the USSR peoples



National Team Highlights:



22 years (1962-1984) head coach of a URSS Women's National Team that won every single international tournament (Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships) in which it took part (note: the USSR boycotted the 1979 World Championship for Women in South Korea)

2 times Olympic Gold medalist: Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980

5 times World Champion: Lima 1964, Prague 1967, S?o Paulo 1971, Colombia 1975 and Brazil 1983

12 times European Champion: Mulhouse 1962, Budapest 1964, Romania 1966, Italy 1968, Netherlands 1970, Bulgaria 1972, Italy 1974, France 1976, Poland 1978, Yugoslavia 1980, Italy 1981 and Hungary 1983



As a player:



4 times European Champion (Budapest 1950, Moscow 1952, Belgrade 1954 and Prague 1956)



Dean SMITH







Born on 28th February 1931, in Emporio (Kansas), U.S.A

Nationality: United States Citizen



Enshrined as a coach in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Teams:



Assistant coach at the University of Kansas (NCAA): 1953-1954

Assistant coach at the Air Force Academy (NCAA): 1957-1958

Assistant coach at the University of North Carolina: 1958-1961

Head coach of the University of North Carolina: 1961-1997

Head coach of the U.S.A. National Team in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games



As a player:



University of Kansas (1949-1953)



Team Highlights (as a player):



2 times Champion of the NCAA: 1982 and 1993

Champion of the 1971 NCAA's National Invitation Tournament (NIT)

As a player: Champion of the 1952 NCAA



National Team Highlights:



Olympic Gold medalist in Montreal 1976



Individual Highlights:



With 879 wins (77.6% winning percentage), Dean Smith is the second winningest coach (after Bobby Knight) in the history of the NCAA

Second coach (after John Wooden) in history with the highest number of appearances in the NCAA's Final Four (11 times)

4 times National Coach of the Year: 1977, 1979, 1982 and 1993

Named 1997 Sportsman of the Year by 'Sports Illustrated'

Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement by the University of North Carolina in 1998

Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of North Carolina in 2007

His impressive list of players during his 36-year career as head coach of North Carolina include names like Vince Carter, Billy Cunningham, Brad Daugherty, Antawn Jamison, Bob McAdoo, Sam Perkins, Rasheed Wallace, James Worthy? and Michael Jordan



Togo Renan SOARES, "Kanela" (posthumous)







Born on 22nd May 1906, in Jo?o Pessoa, Brazil

Died on 12th December 1992, in Rio de Janiero, Brazil

Nationality: Brazilian



Enshrined as a coach in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Flamengo: 1948-1970

Brazilian National Team: 1951-1971



Club Highlights:



12 times Champion of the Rio de Janeiro League (1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960)2

1973 Champion of the Brazilian Cup



National Team Highlights:



103 appearances (87 wins and 16 losses) during his 20 years (1951-1971) as head coach of the Brazilian National Team: participated in 2 Olympic Games (Rome 1960 and Munich 1972) and in 5 World Championships (Rio de Janeiro 1954, Santiago de Chile 1959, Rio de Janeiro 1963, Montevideo 1967 and Ljubljana 1970)

2 times World Champion: Santiago de Chile 1959 and Rio de Janeiro 1963

2 times Silver medalist in World Championships: Rio de Janeiro 1954 and Ljubljana 1970

Olympic Bronze medalist in Rome 1960

Bronze medalist in the Montevideo 1967 World Championship

Silver medalist in the Pan American Games of S?o Paulo 1963

2 times Bronze medalist in the Pan American Games: Buenos Aires 1951 and Chicago 1959

5 times South American Champion: Chile 1958, Argentina 1960, Brazil 1961, Peru 1963 and Paraguay 1971



Ranko ZERAVICA







Born on 17th November 1929, in Novo Milosevo, Serbia

Nationality: Serbian



Enshrined as a coach in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Clubs:



Partizan Belgrade: 1971-1974

F.C. Barcelona: 1974-1976

Partizan Belgrade: 1976-1978

KK Pula: 1978-1980

Red Star Belgrade: 1980-1986

CAI Zaragoza: 1987-1989

Irge Desio: 1989-1990

Filodoro Napoli (7 games): 1990-1991

Conservas Daroca: 1990-1991

Slobodna Dalmacija: 1991-1992 (until October 1991)

Onyx Caserta (25 games): 1993-1994

Partizan Belgrade: 1995-1996

Red Star Belgrade: 1997-1998 (until October 1997)

CAI Zaragoza: 2002-2003 (sports director + head coach from 25th February to 19th March 2003)



Club Highlights:



Champion of the 1978 European Radijov Korac Cup

Champion of the 1996 Yugoslavian League



National Team Highlights:



Head coach of the Yugoslavian National Team in 3 Olympic Games (Mexico 1968, Munich 1972 and Moscow 1980), 3 World Championships (Montevideo 1967, Ljubljana 1970 and Colombia 1982) and 3 European Championships (Finland 1967, Italy 1969 and Germany 1971)

Olympic Gold medalist in Moscow 1980

World Champion in Ljubljana 1970

Olympic Silver medalist in Mexico 1968

Silver medalist in the 1967 Montevideo World Championship

Bronze medalist in the 1982 Colombia World Championship

2 times Silver medalist in the European Championships: Italy 1969 and Germany 1971

Contributors:





Borislav STANKOVIC







Born on 9th July 1925, in Bihac, Serbia

Nationality: Serbian



Enshrined as a contributor in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Highlights:



Graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Belgrade. Veterinary inspector for meat control in Belgrade for ten years

As a player: 2 times Champion of the Yugoslavian League (1946 and 1947) with Red Star Belgrade and 36 appearances from 1940 to 1953 with the Yugoslavian National Team, participating in the 1st World Championship in Buenos Aires 1950

As a coach (obtains coach license in 1948, in Belgrade): OKK Belgrade from 1953 to 1963 and in 1965 (4 times Champion of the Yugoslavian League: 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1965) and Oransoda Cant? from 1966 to 1969 (1968 Italian League Champion)

Member of the Central Board of the Yugoslavian Basketball Federation: 1953-1966

Secretary General of the Yugoslavian Basketball Federation: 1956-1966

Elected Member of the European Cup Commission of FIBA: 1958

Vice-Secretary General of FIBA: 1960-1972

Deputy Secretary General of FIBA: 1972-1976

Secretary General of FIBA: 1976-2002

Member of the IOC's Commission for the Olympic Movement: 1982

Secretary General of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF): 1982-1993

Member of the Yugoslavian Olympic Committee: since 1988

Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC): since 1988

Member of the IOC's Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXV Olympiad (Barcelona 1992): 1988-1992

Member of the IOC's Olympic Programme Commission: 1992

Member of the IOC's Enquiry Commission for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad (Sydney 2000): 1992-1993

Member of the IOC's Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXVI Olympiad (Atlanta 1996): 1992-1996

Member of the IOC's Women and Sport Working Group: 1996

Member of the IOC's Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad (Athens 2004): 2000-2004

Secretary General Emeritus of FIBA: since August 2002



Distinctions/Recognitions:



World Sport Leader Award, by the United States Sports Academy: 1983

Order of Merit of the Venezuelan Basketball Federation: 1983

Olympic Order, awarded by S.E. Mr. J.A. Samaranch, President of the IOC: 1985

Ordre National du Lion (S?n?gal): 1999

Chevalier de l'Ordre de la L?gion d'Honneur (France): 2001

Merit for Yugoslavia, First Degree: 2002

Award of the National Olympic Committee of Serbia & Montenegro: 2003

Olympic Order, awarded by Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC: 2005

Many great players but only a few that I've heard of. The height standard was different in the past. There are not many exceptions when a forward is lower than 2m nowadays. Great topic Arkadios <!-- s:thup: -->[img]{SMILIES_PATH}/thup.gif[/img]<!-- s:thup: -->

They are the first players that entered FIBA Hall of Fame, every year there will be seven new players, so there is a big competition as you can understand.



The candidates are hundreds.

great topic <!-- s:cool: -->[img]{SMILIES_PATH}/coolio.gif[/img]<!-- s:cool: -->

you know it's say that heros are remembered but legends never die... or something like that <!-- s -->[img]{SMILIES_PATH}/crazy.gif[/img]<!-- s -->

U?jana Semjonova officially entered the Hall of Fame today.