2020 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Jure Zdovc

MIES (Switzerland) – Jure Zdovc, a FIBA Basketball World Cup winner and two-time FIBA EuroBasket champion from Slovenia, is being inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame.

A tall, long and tenacious point guard for Yugoslavia’s national team and numerous clubs in Europe, Zdovc is taking his place among a pantheon of greats.

Zdovc and eight other players – Isabelle Fijalkowski (France), Mieczyslaw Lopatka (Poland), Steve Nash (Canada), Agnes Nemeth (Hungary), Park Shin-ja (Korea), Modestas Paulauskas (Lithuania), Kenichi Sako (Japan) and Alexander Volkov (Ukraine) – are being enshrined, as well as legendary coaches Ruben Magnano (Argentina), Svetislav Pesic (Serbia) and Tara Van Derveer (USA).

To appreciate the impact of Zdovc, one needs to look back at his moves on the basketball court during international basketball tournaments, or with his various club sides. The game tapes reveal a player that was utterly brilliant at times.

Zdovc was a mesmerizing player that had a rare mix of height, length, quickness, savvy and intuition. He made difficult plays look easy and contributed, often in spectacular fashion, game-winning plays.

Surrounded by world-class talent when he suited up for Yugoslavia, Zdovc showed an ability to help his gifted teammates play at their best. It was a common occurrence to see Zdovc pick the pockets of an opposing point guard to trigger a fast break, which he finished.

He was always looking to make the smartest play, and if that passing it back to a teammate on a give-and-go, so be it.

Zdovc showed signs of becoming a steady and at times remarkable playmaker as a member of the Yugoslavia team that won the 1983 European Championship for Cadets.

He displayed a cool head at the event and signed off with a 20-point haul in the Final, an 89-86 victory over Spain. He then immediately joined his country’s team, as its youngest player, at the 1983 World Championship for Junior Men.

Zdovc burst onto the pro scene with Smelt Olimpija in 1984 and enthralled fans of the club for several years. With Yugoslavia, he made the team for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, where Yugoslavia reached the Final before falling to the Soviet Union.

At FIBA EuroBasket 1989 in Zagreb, Zdovc played a larger role and celebrated his first title with the senior team, and that was followed with another top-of-the-podium finish at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1990 in Argentina. Zdovc helped Yugoslavia win 99-91 over the USA and 92-75 over the Soviet Union in the Semi-Finals and Final, respectively.

He played the following year, too, at FIBA EuroBasket 1991 in Rome, and excelled as the point guard, yet politics got in the way. He was ordered to return home to Slovenia by his government due to its conflict with Yugoslavia. His coach at that tournament, the legendary Dusan Ivkovic, presented Zdovc with his gold medal 14 years later.

In the years between leaving Yugoslavia at the EuroBasket in Rome and finally getting his medal, Zdovc represented Slovenia in national team competitions.

At club level, Zdovc also have many achievements, including capturing a EuroLeague title with Limoges in 1993.

It came as no surprise after his playing days that Zdovc got into coaching. He was a natural, having already been an extension of his coaches on the court as a point guard.