Cedevita Zagreb

[ArnoldPettybone]

The meteoric rise of this club is simply amazing. I remember some years ago when checking on AJ Guyton status after leaving Hapoel and later later skipper, founding out he is playing for this then unknown club was quiet a surprise. In roughly one year time they are in at point of filing a 5200 seat arena (which they are playing at only from this season) in eurocup quarter final and wining on the road In Spain in front of 14000 fans like its no big deal. Did they even played in European competitions last season? At the Domestic front their loss to Zadar at the cup semi final was considered a huge surprise and they look like the favorites to win the league title when all traditional 3 big powers seem weaker then ever, especially the traditional strongest one of the last years. Seems Science as of two or three years ago. How did they do that, fairy tail of unknowns or just money investment? Without knowing anything about it looks like money from a rich guy who is fan or that sort, because the roster seem to include a several of Cibona's later year players, young and old.
If they do win the title and not play in the euroleague next year, this yet another example of the Euroleague contract system inadequacy.

[majkl]

Well, their owner is owner of Atlantic Group, one of strongest Croatian companies. He owns Cedevita brand, very popular drink on ex Yugoslavia, and they are getting more recognized in Europe.
He (owner, called Emil Tedeschi) is huge basketball fan, and his first aim was to buy Cibona... but, Cibona's board (thieves, criminals, ruined this basketball institution) just allowed him to be top sponsor, they did not let him to take total charge over club. So, he decided not to go in Cibona. He decided to take over one unknown club, I think, and renamed it to Cedevita and started going up. And, he carefuly invests his money, what Cibona never did. Now, Cedevita is on top, Cibona loses against minnows by 26pts (outside Croatia unknown club Borik dismantled them, and then Zadar beat them in Zagreb by 23)
They buy best possible domestic players (Rudež, Baždarić, Žižić), and with good foreigners - Draper gets Croatian nationality - will play for CRO in Lithuania this year, Wright, Edwards (but, he got sick and finished season) - and this is way to succeed.
They failed to qualify to NLB F4, failed to win Cup, but they made more than it was expected in European cometition. They could qualify to Euroleague, if they win Croatian league (KK Zagreb has 26pts, Cedevita has 19; Cro league win makes additional 35pts, runner up gets 27).
People are attracted to games with great game, European opponents and awards, like shirts, drinks, motocycles sometimes...

Anyway, it easily becomes best Croatian club.

[Cibos]

Good owners are the key.

There's no shady people around the club, its "clean" money and people who run the club really like the game. They are gaining huge amount of fans with.. hm. honest and good approach to the game. They are also investing shitload in youth teams. Marketing and PR services are on great level..

Basically they are doing everything that Cibona isn't and people are recognizing that. Sad part about this for us Cibona fans is that Emil Tadeschi (Cedevita owner) offered to merge Cedevita and Cibona before this season... Cibona would be A team (NLB league, Euroleague title shot in every year) and Cedevita development farm team in A1 league. But the smartasses from former Cibona management rejected him because they wanted to keep their seats. His only condition was that they all should leave.

Also, unlike KK Zagreb, they aren't backed by politicians and state companies, that's why basically all Cro fans like them and dislike KK Zagreb.

I'll always support Cibona, no matter if we end up in 5th league, but Cedevita will have my support as well for the honest and modern approach to the game. Club will continue to grow and considering how big and strong the Atlantic Group is.. sky is the limit. I wouldn't be surprised to see them sell out 15k Arena Zagreb next year in Euroleague.

[Cibos]

Well, their owner is owner of Atlantic Group, one of strongest Croatian companies. He owns Cedevita brand, very popular drink on ex Yugoslavia, and they are getting more recognized in Europe.
He (owner, called Emil Tedeschi) is huge basketball fan, and his first aim was to buy Cibona... but, Cibona's board (thieves, criminals, ruined this basketball institution) just allowed him to be top sponsor, they did not let him to take total charge over club. So, he decided not to go in Cibona. He decided to take over one unknown club, I think, and renamed it to Cedevita and started going up. And, he carefuly invests his money, what Cibona never did. Now, Cedevita is on top, Cibona loses against minnows by 26pts (outside Croatia unknown club Borik dismantled them, and then Zadar beat them in Zagreb by 23)
They buy best possible domestic players (Rudež, Baždarić, Žižić), and with good foreigners - Draper gets Croatian nationality - will play for CRO in Lithuania this year, Wright, Edwards (but, he got sick and finished season) - and this is way to succeed.
They failed to qualify to NLB F4, failed to win Cup, but they made more than it was expected in European cometition. They could qualify to Euroleague, if they win Croatian league (KK Zagreb has 26pts, Cedevita has 19; Cro league win makes additional 35pts, runner up gets 27).
People are attracted to games with great game, European opponents and awards, like shirts, drinks, motocycles sometimes...

Anyway, it easily becomes best Croatian club.

Damn you were faster

[majkl]

Yaaay.

And if Cedevita enters EL, what would be crazy, Arena would certainly be sold out, in every game. Their marketing can make that happen. If Medveščak can do so in hockey (sport that was not played in last 20 years) also can basketball team.

[pohani komarac]

Cedevita is product of rich owners, one of rare private sport clubs in ex Yugoslavia.

Atlantic group owners Milan Tedeschi and Mladen Veber, former lower level basketball player wannted to sell their products such as Cedevita, Multipower etc. trough basketball. Best thing about it is they growe as company, geting richer and richer, consistantley buying other products and expanding, like Sloveian Cocta and Smoki. First they wannted to enter in Cibona, but people who runn the club didn't wannt that, so they decided to take small basketball club Hiron and start almost from 0 in 2005. They wannted to enter in Cibona last year as well but once again it was politcley stoped

They raised by entering NLB league even they didn't deserved it. With all money they had they couldn't get good players playing in A1 so after they finished 6th in Croatian A1 they paid 500000 eurose and become one of sponsors of NLB to enter in league, fucking up legendary KK Split who by result should enter the league...Anway at least they turned that in their faver, becoming more and more copetitive with upside to raise up

Now with this win they got 2 more points in race for EL so all they need is to finish infront of Zagreb, but it will be tough task because Zagreb has EL level TOP-16 bigs whille it's no secret that Zagreb has big help from Croatian basketball federation. Playing in Euroleague meens incrising budget, more public intrest and better players so they can rise.

But for me the best thing is how they organized youth categories. Since they started first theh had yunk from other clubs like Dino Butorac who was cut from Cibona at age of 16. Now overall they are perhaps best in Croatia. They established few developmet teams, few junior and cadet teams and now they established mini league for kids which will serve for finding young prospects. They are only team that finished in FF in bouth U-18 and U16 inlast 2 years and noe they always haveing some of their best players in Croatian youth NT. Like Butorac 90., Buva 91., Rogic 92., L. Saric 93. while they firs generation that they had from start 94. won Croatian U-16 title and has some high level prospects. Bundovic and Lebo who were starters in U-16 team that won gold last summer + Urli and Herendic who would be there if he didn't had hard injury. And now they aquired Junakovic, also high level prospect from D. Petrovic basketball academy who was also in. And in 95. they continiued same. Jelenek is sure, while Jurcevic, Dojkic, Njegovan and 96. born Tomic are potential U-16 team players. For me that's their moste remarkable thing they achived in such a short period. Especially knowing that Zagreb isn't loaded with talents, wery strong rules about aquiering players from other clubs and not being recognized and trustfull from may parents of kids like Saric' and Ramljak's fathers. Hopefully they will know how to capitalize from it one day. That with money they have could rise them even more

Their problems are bad manegers no mather how strange it seems. But with such a money in Balkan they could have even better team and results. They totaly underachived in NLB and got humiliated in Croatian cup. 2nd and their bigest problem is fan base. People are here very traditional and always against something new. Hemofarm and FMP in serbia are best sample. Clubs like Cedevita are called "fake" or "instant" clubs. Tough people from Zagreb are not so much traditionally based like people in Dalmatia or Serbia. With good results and big marketing you can atract people, especially when Croats desperetly have need fore more quality basketball

All in all hopefuly they will become good sport story

[Jitem]

honestly i dont like this kind of immitation clubs that have no history. if they even win EL 10 times, for me

1-yugoplastika
2-cibona
3-zadar

are the best clubs in croatia.

[pohani komarac]

honestly i dont like this kind of immitation clubs that have no history. if they even win EL 10 times, for me

1-yugoplastika
2-cibona
3-zadar

are the best clubs in croatia.

well.....history and tradition has to start sometime

[Cibos]

honestly i dont like this kind of immitation clubs that have no history. if they even win EL 10 times, for me

1-yugoplastika
2-cibona
3-zadar

are the best clubs in croatia.

Those 3 clubs have only themselfs to blame for situation theyre in. Cedevita is doing awesome in every single aspect like i said.

As for attracting new fans... Estudiantes - Cedevita away match had 2x bigger TV ratings than any other match this year that was televised on some Croatian station (public or ppv). That includes NBA, Euroleague, NLB and A1 league.

[majkl]

are the best clubs in croatia.

Those were the best clubs in Croatia. But, NO MORE.

Top teams are KK Zagreb and KK Cedevita. Clubs you mentioned are just average clubs now.


And information Cibos said, about TV ratings, is just awesome.

[JABroy]

Do you know if the team (Cedevita Zagabria) has already started the season?
If I'm not mistaken; the team should be this:

(STARTING FIVE)
Pullen;Pilepic;White;Delas;Bilan;

(BENCH)
Gordic;Babic;Mazalin;Zubcic;Zoric

(NEW COACH)
Vellko Mrsic

Do you know if these young players are still with the team?
Toni Katic '92; Karlo Miksic '97; Ivan Vucic '96; Marko Arapovic '96; Karlo Zganec '95; Markus Loncar '96

Last question: Dzanan Musa '99 could stay with the team instead of going to the ZZ ZABOK or there are too many players before him?

Thanks

[tallwestman]

As far as I know, Croatian basketball is very good at using tall advantages & producing giant players. I hope those basketball clubs and sports schools still find many tall young kids ( 210cm+) and train them. I also hope Croatian parents give birth to more tall youths. The more tall young guys, the more choices you have. Any way, at the end of day, basketball is always giant's sport.

[JABroy]

hello to everyone, you know what will be the market of the Cedevita strategies? I think I can say some certainty (read on various rumors):
- VELIJKO MRSIC has already renewed, so he'll still be the coach;
- GIANMARCO POZZECCO most likely will return to Italy (the rumors indicate Verona);
- CEDEVITA should play the 2016-2017 EUROCUP;
- all Americans (Pullen, Walker, White) should not remain;
- DZANAN MUSA will remain in the team for the next two years (He said this in a recent interview), despite obvious requests from other teams, but in order to grow and reach the NBA (already in 2018? This we will see with time ...);
- MARKO ARAPOVIC probably will not be picked up in the NBA DRAFT, so it could stay in Europe for another year ... to Cedevita or in EUROLEAGUE TEAM?
- LUKA BABIC and MIRO BILAN are the only other players who may have a market in EUROPE: they will decide to stay or go in a more famous team?
- IVICA ZUBAC will play in Cedevita or he will go in the NBA this year?
- some rumors give CEDEVITA on the trail of DAVID STOCKTON-PG (the son of the legendary John);

I hope the team for the incoming 2016-2017 season is this:

(Starting Five)
D.STOCKTON;F.Pilepic;SF-USA;M.Arapovic;C-USA;
(Bench)
N.Gordic;L.Mazalin;D.Musa;K.Zganec;I.ZUBAC;
(other)
T.Katic;I.Vucic;M.Loncar;

And for the 2017-2018 season;

(Starting Five)
D.STOCKTON;D.Musa;SF-USA;PF-USA;I.Zubac;
(Bench)
N.Gordic;F.Pilepic;L.Mazalin;K.Zganec;M.Loncar;
(other)
T.Katic;I.Vucic;

[CoachZ]

Ivica Zubac is not in Cedevita anymore. He has signed a contract with Mega Leks from Serbia and he has announced entering the NBA draft. So depending on who drafts him (probably in the second round, some small chance in late 1st round) he might be a guy that they decide to bring over right away (like Nuggets with Jokic) and work to get him physically ready to play in NBA or they might let him stay for a year or two in Mega to develop before coming to NBA.

Regarding rest of Cedevita, yes all of the US players will be released since they cannot spend so much and still play Eurocup.

[JABroy]

Marko ARAPOVIC withdraw from the nbadraft: he has a contract with Cedevita until 2018... could he stay?