Quick Facts
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Jurij "Jure" Zdovc (born 13 December 1966) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player and a current head coach of the Slovenia national basketball team and AEK Athens of the Greek Basketball League. He was a 1.98 m (6'6") point guard, and Zdovc began his professional career with the Slovenian League club Smelt Olimpija.
In 2012, Zdovc received the EuroCup Coach of the Year award with Spartak Saint Petersburg.
Playing career
Club career
As a junior Zdovc started to play for Comet Slovenske Konjice. He played for Smelt Olimpija, Knorr Bologna, Limoges, Iraklis, Helios Domžale, Racing Paris, Panionios, Split and Geoplin Slovan.
Playing for Union Olimpija, Jure Zdovc won 2 Slovenian league titles, 3 Slovenian Cups and the 2002 Adriatic League.
In 1993, he won the EuroLeague and the French League championship, while playing for Limoges. In 1997, as a Paris Racing player, he won the French League championship.
Yugoslav national team
Zdovc was a member of the Yugoslavia National Squad that won the gold medal at the 1989 and 1991 EuroBasket. He also won the gold medal in the 1990 World Championship.
Coaching career
Zdovc started his coaching career as the head coach of Split in 2003. He stayed the head coach of Split until 2004, leading the team to a 1st-place finish at the Croatian Cup. He also won the Bosnia and Herzegovina League Cchampionship with Bosna Royal in 2008. In 2009, he won the Slovenian League championship with Union Olimpija. Zdovc also won the Slovenian Cup three times in a row with Union Olimpija, in 2009, 2010, and 2011. He was also the coach who led Union Olimpija to the top of European-wide distinction, to the Top-16 stage of the EuroLeague.
Zdovc was the head coach of the Slovenian national basketball team in 2009. He returned to the same post in 2014. Zdovc was named the EuroCup Coach of the Year in 2012.
Slovenia national team
In 2009, Zdovc was named the head coach of the Slovenian national basketball team. He took the 4th place at the EuroBasket 2009.
In 2014, Zdovc returned to coach the Slovenian national basketball team, and signed a three-year contract.
AEK
On 20 December 2015, he signed a three-year contract with AEK.
Honors and titles
Playing career
Some of the honors Zdovc won as a senior player are:
- EuroLeague:
- 1993
- French League:
- 1993, 1997
- Slovenian League:
- 1999, 2002
- Slovenian Cup:
- 1999, 2000, 2002
- Adriatic League:
- 2002
Coaching career
Some of the honors Zdovc won as a head coach are:
- Croatian League: (with Split)
- 2003
- Croatian Cup: (with Split)
- 2004
- Bosnian League: (with Bosna Sarajevo)
- 2008
- Slovenian League: (with Union Olimpija)
- 2009
- Slovenian Cup: (with Union Olimpija)
- 2009, 2010, 2011