Dejan Koturović

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Dejan Koturović

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| position =

| height_m = 2.10

| weight_kg = 120

| team =

| number =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|03|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia

| nationality = Serbian

| draft_year = 1994

| career_position = Center

| career_start = 1989

| career_end = 2004

| years1 = 1989–1995

| team1 = Spartak Subotica

| years2 = 1995–1997

| team2 = Partizan

| years3 = 1997–1998

| team3 = PSG Racing

| years4 = 1998–2000

| team4 = Ülkerspor

| years5 = 2000–2002

| team5 = Alba Berlin

| years6 = 2002–2003

| team6 = Virtus Bologna

| years7 = 2003–2004

| team7 = Tau Cerámica

| highlights =

2× YUBA League champion (1996, 1997)
2× Bundesliga champion (2001, 2002)
German Cup winner (2002)

| medal_templates =

{{MedalCountry|{{flag|FR Yugoslavia}}}}

}}

Dejan Koturović (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Котуровић; born 31 March 1972) is a retired Serbian professional basketball player.{{cite web |url=https://www.urbanbookcircle.com/i-hope-for-a-golden-era--interview-with-dejan-koturovic-by-djuradj-ldquogeorgerdquo-vujcic.html |last=Vujcic |first=Djuradj |agency=Urban Book Circle |title=I Hope for a Golden Era |access-date=2024-07-29 |date=2022-07-02 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329002626/http://www.urbanbookcircle.com/i-hope-for-a-golden-era--interview-with-dejan-koturovic-by-djuradj-ldquogeorgerdquo-vujcic.html|archive-date=29 March 2024 |url-status= }}

Playing career

=Europe=

During his professional career, Koturović played for Spartak Subotica, Partizan, PSG Racing, Ülkerspor, Alba Berlin,{{cite news|last=|first=|authorlink=|url=https://www.bz-berlin.de/archiv-artikel/koturovic-alba-hol-mich-zurueck |title=Koturovic: Alba, hol' mich zurück! |agency=B.Z. |date=20 October 2001 |access-date=23 September 2022 |language=de}} Virtus Bologna and Tau Cerámica.

=NBA=

After winning gold at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, Koturović received interest from the Boston Celtics{{cite web |url=https://www.rds.ca/un-yougoslave-avec-les-celtics-1.484665 |author=RDS |title=Un Yougoslave avec les Celtics |accessdate=2023-02-20 |date=2002-09-10 |language=French}} but they ended up signing Rubén Wolkowyski instead.{{cite web |first=Đ. |last=Matić |url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2002/09/18/srpski/S02091706.shtml |agency=Glas javnosti |title=Boston je izigrao moje menadžere! |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831034226/http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2002/09/18/srpski/S02091706.shtml |archivedate=31 August 2019 |url-status=dead |accessdate=2019-08-30 |date=18 September 2002 |language=Serbian}} Koturović then turned down an offer from the Toronto Raptors and signed for Virtus Bologna.{{cite web |url=https://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2002&mm=10&dd=16&nav_id=73023 |author=B92 |title=Koturović odbio Toronto – potpisao za Virtus! |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006075657/https://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2002&mm=10&dd=16&nav_id=73023 |archivedate=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead |accessdate=2019-08-30 |date=16 October 2002 |language=Serbian}}

On 8 October 2003, Koturović signed a free-agent contract with the Phoenix Suns.{{cite web |url=https://www.nba.com/suns/news/report_031008.html |author=Suns.com |title=Suns Sign Yugoslavian Center |website=NBA.com |accessdate=2019-08-30 |date=2003-10-08 |language=English}} He was planned as a temporary replacement for the injured Scott Williams. Koturović was waived on 24 October 2003 after Williams started healing faster than expected.{{cite web |url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2003/10/26/srpski/S03102501.shtml |author=Glas javnosti |title=Čim upoznam Las Vegas vratiću se u Evropu |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002133144/http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2003/10/26/srpski/S03102501.shtml |archivedate=2 October 2015 |url-status=dead |accessdate=2019-08-30 |date=26 October 2003 |language=Serbian}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/24/sports/transactions-835528.html |author=The New York Times |title=TRANSACTIONS |work=The New York Times |accessdate=2019-08-30 |date=2003-10-24 |language=English}}

National team career

Koturović played for the national team of FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro in three major tournaments: winning the gold medal at the 1995 FIBA European Championship and the 2002 FIBA World Championship and also featuring at the 2003 FIBA European Championship.

= 1995 EuroBasket =

As a young player on a star-studded team coached by Dušan Ivković, twenty-three-year-old Koturović did not get a lot of playing time at the 1995 FIBA European Championship where Yugoslavia went on to win gold.

= 2002 World Championship =

Koturović did not feature in any major international tournaments for seven years until the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Under coach Svetislav Pešić, Koturović featured in the starting lineup, shining in the semifinals against New Zealand where he led the team in scoring with 18 points. Yugoslavia went on to beat Argentina in the final with Koturović averaging 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in the tournament.

= 2003 EuroBasket =

One year after winning the World Championship in Indianapolis, Koturović again answered the national team call-up, this time under the new Serbia and Montenegro banner at the 2003 FIBA European Championship in Sweden.

In mid August 2003, during the national team training camp weeks before the tournament's start, following an exhibition game against Greece, coach Duško Vujošević expelled Koturović from the team—reportedly for showing insubordination during the Greece game—and called up Đuro Ostojić as replacement.{{cite web |first=M. |last=Z. |url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2003/08/13/srpski/S03081206.shtml |agency=Glas javnosti |title=Morao sam da odstranim Dejana Koturovića |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831044330/http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2003/08/13/srpski/S03081206.shtml |archivedate=31 August 2019 |url-status=dead |accessdate=2019-08-30 |date=13 August 2003 |language=Serbian}} The action resulted in a public row between Koturović and Vujošević.{{cite web |url=https://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2003&mm=08&dd=12&nav_id=116578 |author=B92 |title=Koturović za B92: Surova odluka Vujoševića |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113005141/https://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2003&mm=08&dd=12&nav_id=116578 |archivedate=13 January 2017 |url-status=dead |accessdate=2019-08-31 |date=12 September 2003 |language=Serbian}}

The two soon made up publicly with Koturović being reinstated in the team and eventually even making the final 12-man roster Vujošević took to the tournament. After losing to Russia, then beating outsiders Sweden, and losing to Spain in its 4-team preliminary round robin group, Serbia and Montenegro barely beat Turkey to make the quarterfinals where they lost to Lithuania. The team eventually placed sixth in the tournament, a result seen as disappointing in the country after two straight major tournament wins—EuroBasket 2001 and 2002 FIBA World Championship. The mending of fences between Vujošević and Koturović would prove only nominal as, right after the tournament ended, Koturović publicly blasted Vujošević for the team's disappointing result.{{cite web |url=https://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2003&mm=09&dd=20&nav_id=119955 |author=B92 |title=Koturović: Vujošević je grobar naše košarke... |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006090425/https://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2003&mm=09&dd=20&nav_id=119955 |archivedate=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead |accessdate=2019-08-31 |date=20 September 2003 |language=Serbian}}

Personal life

In September 2014, Koturović was arrested at the Greece–Macedonia border trying to enter Macedonia with a used Honda CR-V vehicle he had purchased without awareness that it was stolen.{{cite web|url=http://www.zurnal.rs/kosarka/reprezentacija/6574/bivsi-reprezentativac-dejan-koturovic-u-pritvoru-u-djevdjeliji|title=Bivši reprezentativac Dejan Koturović u pritvoru u Đevđeliji |agency=Sportski žurnal |date = 29 August 2014 |accessdate = 3 October 2014}} In early October 2014, he was sentenced to three months in prison which he served in Macedonia.{{cite web|url=http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/sport.295.html:512854-Koturovic-osudjen-na-tri-meseca-zatvora-u-Makedoniji-Bio-sam-meta-kriminalaca |title=Koturović osuđen na tri meseca zatvora u Makedoniji: Bio sam meta kriminalaca |agency=Večernje novosti |date= 2 October 2014 |accessdate= 3 October 2014}}

Koturović holds an Italian passport.{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/2003-07-17/ty-article/basketball-gershon-blatt-eye-dijan-koturovic/0000017f-db49-df9c-a17f-ff599f4f0000 |agency=Haaretz |title=Basketball Gershon, Blatt Eye Dijan Koturovic |accessdate=2023-02-20 |date=2003-07-17 |language=English}} In recent years, he has been a shamanic practitioner.{{cite news|last=Nikačević |first=Galeb |authorlink=|url=https://www.vice.com/sr/article/srpski-saman-dejan-koturovic-koji-ibogom-pomaze-ljudima/ |title=Srpski šaman Dejan Koturović koji Ibogom pomaže ljudima |agency=Vice |date=19 September 2017 |access-date=7 November 2022 |language=sr}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20131017062044/http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=B5A Dejan Koturović] at acb.com
[https://www.tblstat.net/player/492 Dejan Koturović] at tblstat.net
[http://web.legabasket.it/player/?id=KOT-DEJ-72 Dejan Koturović] at legabasket.it
[http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=BAU Dejan Koturović] at euroleague.net

Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alba Berlin players

Category:Centers (basketball)

Category:FIBA EuroBasket–winning players

Category:KK Crvena zvezda (youth) players

Category:KK Partizan players

Category:KK Spartak Subotica players

Category:Liga ACB players

Category:Paris Racing Basket players

Category:Saski Baskonia players

Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in France