2009-10 Team Profile: Crvena Zvezda
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 When it comes to great teams in European basketball, the name of Crvena Zvezda is always a name to consider. As one of the most-crowned teams in former Yugoslavia, Crvena Zvezda - Red Star in Serbian - has always commanded attention wherever it plays. Founded in 1945, Zvezda immediately dominated a country that would soon claim basketball as its main sport. For an entire decade, from 1946 to 1955, Zvezda won 10 straight titles and assured its place in the history books. With basketball's rise in popularity came plenty of challengers, and Zvezda waited until 1972 for the next domestic title, then 21 years again for another. But of all the great clubs who won in the interim, to this day none can claim as many titles as Zvezda. There was also a European title, the 1974 Saporta Cup, and three Yugoslavian national cups to boast. And Zvezda keeps going strong, making the finals of the 2003 Adriatic League and winning the 2004 Serbia and Montengro Cup in stirring fashion, after a weekend full of overtime games. It also lost the 2004 Adriatic League final to Reflex. In its ULEB Cup debut, Zvezda was eliminated from the playoff hunt on the last day of the regular season. Once Milan Gurovic arrived to the club in 2005-06, things got even better. The superstar forward led Zvezda to the ULEB Cup quarterfinals in 2006 and 2007, losing against eventual champions Dynamo Moscow and Real Madrid, respectively. Zvezda also advanced to the Serbian League finals both years, but archrival Partizan stood in the way to success. In 2007-08, Zvezda reached the ULEB Cup Last 16 round, downing European powerhouse Benetton Treviso in the process, but Besiktas won that series on points differential. The team also reached the Serbian League and Serbian Cup semifinals. Last season, Zvezda made it to the Adriatic League Final Four and the Serbian Cup finals, also taking the Serbian League finals to a do-or-die fifth games but once again archrivals Partizan prevailed in all domestic competitions. Zvezda is back to the Eurocup in 2009-10 - its seventh consecutive season in Europe's second competition - ready to use its experience and young talent to reach the Final Eight.
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Friday, September 04, 2009
Eurocupbasketball.com
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