Milko Bjelica

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Milko Bjelica

| image = Milko Bjelica 51 KK Crvena zvezda 20171219 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Bjelica with Crvena zvezda

| height = {{height|m=2.08}}

| weight_kg = 108

| league = B.League

| team = Saitama Broncos

| number = 51

| position = Power forward / center

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|6|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia

| nationality = Montenegrin / Serbian

| draft_year = 2006

| career_start = 2001

| career_end =

| years1 = 2001–2006

| team1 = Crvena zvezda

| years2 = 2006–2007

| team2 = Phantoms Braunschweig

| years3 = 2007–2008

| team3 = Köln 99ers

| years4 = 2008–2011

| team4 = Lietuvos rytas

| years5 = 2011–2013

| team5 = Saski Baskonia

| years6 = 2013–2015

| team6 = Anadolu Efes

| years7 = 2015–2016

| team7 = Darüşşafaka

| years8 = 2016–2018

| team8 = Crvena zvezda

| years9 = 2018

| team9 = Tecnyconta Zaragoza

| years10 = 2018–2019

| team10 = Alvark Tokyo

| years11 = 2019–2021

| team11 = Mornar

| years12 = 2021–2022

| team12 = Al Shamal Doha

| years13 = 2022

| team13 = Al Ittihad Jeddah

| years14 = 2022–2023

| team14 = Nadim Souaid Academy

| years15 = 2024

| team15 = Tainan TSG GhostHawks

| years16 = 2024–present

| team16 = Saitama Broncos

| awards = * ABA League champion (2017)

Serbian League champion (2017)
EuroCup champion (2009)
Japanese League champion (2019)
2× LKL champion (2009, 2010)
2× LKF Cup winner (2009, 2010)
Baltic League champion (2009)
LKL All-Star (2011)
3× Serbian Cup winner (2004, 2006, 2017)
Turkish Cup winner (2015)

}}

File:Milko Bjelica.JPG]]

Milko Bjelica ({{lang-sr-cyr|Милко Бјелица}}; born 4 June 1984) is a Serbian-born Montenegrin professional basketball player for Saitama Broncos of the B.League.

Professional career

He began his professional career with Crvena zvezda, where he spent five seasons. He then played in Germany with Phantoms Braunschweig and Köln 99ers. In 2008 he signed with Lietuvos rytas, and made his EuroLeague debut during the 2009–10 season.

In July 2011 he signed a two-year deal with Saski Baskonia.{{cite news|title=Caja Laboral announces the arrival of Milko Bjelica|url=http://www.sportando.net/eng/europe/spain/29905/caja_laboral_announces_the_arrival_of_milko_bjelica.html|access-date=30 December 2013|newspaper=Sportando.net|date=26 July 2011}} On 28 October 2013 he re-signed with Saski Baskonia on a short-term deal.{{cite news|title=LABORAL KUTXA brings Bjelica back |url=http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2013-14-signings/i/121441/8177/laboral-kutxa-brings-bjelica-back |access-date=22 June 2015 |newspaper=Euroleague.net |date=28 October 2013 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102024824/http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2013-14-signings/i/121441/8177/laboral-kutxa-brings-bjelica-back |archive-date=November 2, 2013 }} On 30 December 2013 he signed with the Turkish Euroleague team Anadolu Efes for the remainder of the season.{{cite news|title=Anadolu Efes signs Milko Bjelica|url=http://www.sportando.net/eng/europe/turkey/70606/anadolu-efes-signs-milko-bjelica.html|access-date=30 December 2013|newspaper=Sportando.net}}{{cite web|title=ANADOLU EFES tabs big man Milko Bjelica |url=http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2013-14-signings/i/127256/8177/anadolu-efes-tabs-big-man-milko-bjelica |website=euroleague.net |access-date=22 June 2015 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102203609/http://www.euroleague.net/euroleaguenews/transactions/2013-14-signings/i/127256/8177/anadolu-efes-tabs-big-man-milko-bjelica |archive-date=January 2, 2014 }} On 9 July 2014 he extended his contract with Efes for two more years.{{cite news|title=Anadolu Efes keeps Bjelica for two more years|url=http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/138549|access-date=July 9, 2014|work=Euroleague.net|date=July 9, 2014}} On 22 June 2015 he left Efes and signed with Darüşşafaka for the 2015–16 season.{{cite news|title=Milko Bjelica signs with Darussafaka Dogus|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/turkey/164919/milko-bjelica-signs-with-darussafaka-dogus.html|access-date=22 June 2015|work=Sportando.com|date=22 June 2015}}

On 8 September 2016 Bjelica returned to Crvena zvezda, signing a two-year contract.{{cite news|title=Crvena Zvezda brings Bjelica home|url=http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/7999yswj6ydyuycv/crvena-zvezda-brings-bjelica-home|access-date=11 September 2016|work=Euroleague.net|date=8 September 2016}} On 17 April 2018, after parting ways with Crvena zvezda, Bjelica returned to Spain, signing with Basket Zaragoza for the remainder of the season.{{cite news|title=Milko Bjelica signs with Tecnyconta Zaragoza|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/spain/acb/271734/milko-bjelica-signs-with-tecnyconta-zaragoza.html|access-date=18 April 2018|work=Sportando.basketball|date=17 April 2018}}

On January 5, 2024, Bjelica signed with Tainan TSG GhostHawks of the T1 League.{{cite news |title=台鋼獵鷹第4洋到齊！蒙特內哥羅世界盃國手加盟 |url=https://sports.ettoday.net/news/2658002 |accessdate=January 5, 2024 |work=ETtoday |date=January 5, 2024}} On June 28, Bjelica signed with Saitama Broncos of the B.League.{{cite news |title=2024-25シーズン契約合意(新規)のお知らせ |url=https://broncos20.jp/news/team/1789/ |accessdate=June 29, 2024 |work=The Saitama Broncos |date=June 28, 2024}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable"

style="background:#CFECEC; width:1em"|

|Led the league

=Euroleague=

| style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2| Lietuvos Rytas

| 10 || 2 || 21.5 || .462 || .154 || .667 || 4.3 || 1.1 || .4 || .2 || 11.8 || 9.0

| style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11

| 16 || 10 || 26.1 || .533 || .279 || .727 || 4.7 || 1.4 || .7 || .4 || 12.3 || 12.1

| style="text-align:left;"| 2011–12

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=3| Baskonia

| 8 || 2 || 23.7 || .492 || .294 || .842 || 3.9 || .8 || .8 || .1 || 10.6 || 9.5

| style="text-align:left;"| 2012–13

| 27 || 19 || 17.3 || .406 || .378 || .750 || 2.7 || 1.2 || .5 || .2 || 5.4 || 5.7

| style="text-align:left;"| 2013–14

| 8 || 3 || 21.3 || .594 || .353 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|.952 || 4.4 || 1.3 || .3 || .4 || 12.8 || 13.8

| style="text-align:left;"| 2013–14

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2| Anadolu Efes

| 14 || 3 || 22.8 || .459 || .270 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|.913 || 2.5 || 1.2 || .6 || .1 || 9.4 || 7.5

| style="text-align:left;"| 2014–15

| 28 || 7 || 16.2 || .462 || .415 || .736 || 2.5 || .8 || .2 || .3 || 7.8 || 6.8

| style="text-align:left;"| 2015–16

| style="text-align:left;"| Darüşşafaka

| 24 || 6 || 19.1 || .434 || .354 || .679 || 3.4 || .8 || .4 || .1 || 7.5 || 7.5

| style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17

| style="text-align:left;"| Crvena zvezda

| 30 || 1 || 15.6 || .385 || .193 || .795 || 3.0 || 1.1 || .5 || .3 || 7.4 || 7.5

| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18

| style="text-align:left;"| Crvena zvezda

| 29 || 29 || 26.0 || .397 || .297 || .703 || 3.7 || 1.3 || .4 || .2 || 9.2 || 8.8

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career

| 194 || 82 || 20.2 || .446 || .305 || .750 || 3.3 || 1.1 || .4 || .2 || 8.6 || 8.1

Personal life

Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, he internationally represents Montenegro,{{cite web | title = Milko Bjelica Player Profile | publisher = EUROBASKET | url = http://www.eurobasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=ger&PlayerID=49833 | access-date =2008-06-28 }} where his grandfather is from. One of his sisters, Milka, is also a basketball player, while another, Ana is a Serbian volleyball player.

References

External links

[http://www.aba-liga.com/player.php?id=281 Milko Bjelica] at aba-liga.com
[http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=CHX Milko Bjelica] at euroleague.net
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151207134810/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/gamecent/p/pid/6016488/playerview.html Milko Bjelica] at fiba.com
[https://www.tblstat.net/player/2544 Milko Bjelica] at tblstat.net

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:ABA League players

Category:Alvark Tokyo players

Category:Anadolu Efes S.K. players

Category:Basket Zaragoza players

Category:Basketball players from Belgrade

Category:Basketball League of Serbia players

Category:Basketball Löwen Braunschweig players

Category:BC Rytas players