KK Cibona | |||
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Nickname | Vukovi (Wolves) | ||
Leagues |
Croatian League ABA League FIBA Europe Cup |
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Founded | 24 April 1946; 70 years ago | ||
Arena | Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall (1987–present) | ||
Capacity | 5,400 | ||
Location | Zagreb, Croatia | ||
Team colors | Blue and White |
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President | Ivo Markotić | ||
Team manager | Igor Kolarić | ||
Head coach | Damir Mulaomerović | ||
Team captain | Marin Rozić | ||
Championships | 18 Croatian Leagues 7 Croatian Cups 3 Yugoslav Leagues 8 Yugoslav Cups 2 FIBA European Champions Cups 2 FIBA European Cup Winner's Cups 1 FIBA Korać Cup 1 Triple Crown 1 Adriatic League |
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Website | www |
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Uniforms | |||
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Košarkaški klub Cibona (English: Basketball Club Cibona), commonly known as Cibona Zagreb, is a professional basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. The club competes in the Croatian League and the ABA League.
Cibona's history dates to late autumn of 1945 when Sloboda (Freedom) was founded as sports society of bank workers, craftsmen, traders and clerks. On April 24, 1946 thanks to basketball enthusiast Branimir Volfer and his friends Ljubo Prosen and Joso Miloš, basketball section of Sloboda, predecessor of today's Cibona, is formed. Its first game was against local rival Slavija on May 7, 1946. Sloboda did not last too long under that name as in November 1946 it merged with Tekstilac, Amater and Grafičar into Sportsko društvo Zagreb (Sports Society Zagreb). Name changing continued through next four years. In late 1948 it was known as Vihor (Vortex) and already in 1949 as Polet (Elan). Finally, in June 1950, the club changed name to Lokomotiva (Locomotive) and that name is going to stick for next 25 years. Lokomotiva competed in Yugoslav top division since 1951, with only two years (1952 and 1960) spent in second division.
Lokomotiva's first major trophy came in 1969, when they won the Yugoslav Cup, led by legendary Hall of Famer Mirko Novosel. Final game against AŠK Olimpija was played in Lokomotiva's new basketball hall "Kutija šibica" (literally meaning Matchbox). Led by phenomenal trio Većeslav Kavedžija, Nikola Plećaš and Milivoj Omašić, Lokomotiva won the game 78:77.
Their first European trophy came in 1972 when Lokomotiva won the premier edition of Korać Cup. Their opponent in finals was OKK Beograd and first game was played in Belgrade. OKK Beograd won the first game 83:71 but in a return match Lokomotiva, led by great Nikola Plećaš (nicknamed Sveti Nikola) who scored 40 points, trashed the Belgrade side by 94–73.