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  InterBasket > Player Profiles > Zarko Paspalj, Montenegro > talk From Fiba.com: "In 1989, the Yugoslavs assembled all of their “golden generation” in what would turn into a 3-year dominance of world basketball (European titles in 1989 and 1990 and a World Championship in 1991).

Coached by Dusan Ivkovic and led on the court by Drazen Petrovic, Yugoslavia also counted on Predrag Danilovic, Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc, Stojan Vrankovic, Zoran Radovic, Juri Zdovc, Zarko Paspalj, Z Cutura and M Primorac in what was an embarrassment of basketball riches.

The championship was reduced from 12 to 8 teams, but as Drazen Petrovic predicted before the championship, the only team that could beat Yugoslavia was themselves.

Yugoslavia had little trouble progressing to the semi-final stage and in fact the interesting action came from the other group. Champions Greece were under pressure to show that they could perform outside their home country and they did so in style in the semi-finals. As in 1987, the Soviet Union stood in their way and once again, they beat them by 1 point, 81-80.

There was really only one way the final could go and that was victory for Yugoslavia. The home side had little trouble beating Greece and the 98-76 scoreline reflected their dominance. Petrovic finished the game with 28 points and was also elected tournament MVP."

From Fiba.com: "The 1995 European Championship final in Athens will go down as one of the greatest ever. It had everything, an electric atmosphere, an outstanding individual performance and plenty of controversy.

The final featured 2 teams that had not even played 2 years previously. Lithuania were back at the event, led by their triumvirate of stars, Sarunas Marciulionis, Rimas Kurtinaitis and Arvydas Sabonis. Yugoslavia, meanwhile, were reinstated after the politically enforced ban.

The Yugoslavs were hungry to take off from where they left world basketball in 1991, and with the likes of Aleksander Djordjevic, Zarko Paspalj, Predrag Danilovic, Zoran Savic, Dejan Bodiroga and Zeljko Rebraca, they had the personnel for the job.

The game was marked by a remarkable performance from Djordjevic, perhaps the finest in any European Championship final. The 188 cm guard torched Lithuania for 41 points on 9/12 three point shooting. Marciulionis was almost as spectacular, tallying 32 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds, but it was not enough to stop Yugoslavia from winning, 96-90..."

Жарко Паспаљ Profile

 Name: Žarko Paspalj
Nickname: N
Born: March 27, 1966
Status: Retired
Origin: Pljevlja, Yugoslavia (now Montenegro)
Height: 6-0/1,83
Weight: 80kg
Schools:
Drafted: Undrafted
Languages: Serbian
Website: InterBasket
Teams (jersey): Yugoslavian Natrional Team, Budućnost, KK Partizan, San Antonio Spurs, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, Panionios, Paris Racing, Aris Thessaloniki, Virtus Bologna, San Antonio Spurs
Ibn Notes:
 
Zarko Paspalj Links  From our forum: Serbia Basketball Forum, What's Happening With Serbian Basketball??   Articles and other resources: A New Generation of Stars: History of Eurobasket (Fiba.com), Global discoveries: Spurs serve as pioneers in scouting European talent (MySanAntonio)