BELGRADE (Serbia) - Tributes to Drazen Dalipagic, one of the most charismatic players to ever grace European basketball courts, have been pouring in since he passed away on Saturday, at the age of 73.
A phenomenal shooter whose career however concluded shortly after the introduction of the three-point line, Dalipagic was one of the most decorated players in world basketball and conquered a rare triple-crown with Yugoslavia at the three major competitions.
Dalipagic won Olympic gold in the Moscow 1980 Games, the FIBA Basketball World Cup trophy in 1978, when he was also named MVP, and lifted the EuroBasket trophy in 1973, 1975 and 1977.
His silverware collection with the national team totaled 12 medals as it also includes silver at the 1976 Olympics, bronze in the 1984 Olympics, second place at the 1974 FIBA World Cup and 1981 EuroBasket, and third place at the 1982 World Cup, 1986 World Cup and 1979 EuroBasket.
The Serbian legend made his debut with the senior national team in 1973 and scored a career 3,700 points over his 243 international games, making him the top scorer in the history of Yugoslavia.
At club level, he conquered the FIBA Korac Cup in 1978 and 1979 and the Yugoslavian league on two occasions, all with Partizan Belgrade. He was named Sportsman of the Year in Yugoslavia in 1978 and claimed individual awards also in Italy, where he played for Udine, Verona and Venezia towards the end of his career and in Spain, where he played for Real Madrid.
Dalipagic was a FIBA Hall of Fame inductee who was enshrined also into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and was included on FIBA's list of 50 Greatest Players in 1991.
FIBA