Milutin Minja

Minja started his basketball career with Radnički Kristal from Zrenjanin. In 1953, he signed for a Zrenjanin-based team Proleter.

During his stint with Proleter, Minja won the National Championships in the 1956 season.{{cite web |title=Košarkaška prvenstva Jugoslavije (1945-91) – treći deo |url=http://www.strategija.org/kosarkaska-prvenstva-jugoslavije-1945-91-treci-deo/ |website=strategija.org |accessdate=11 January 2019}} Minja was a part of the group of players known as the Proleter's Five, which included himself, Lajos Engler, Ljubomir Katić, Dušan Radojčić, and Vilmos Lóczi.{{cite web |title=DISKRETNI ŠARM ŠAMPIONA I VIRTUOZA POD OBRUČIMA |url=http://www.sportinfo.rs/2016/04/27/diskretni-sarm-sampiona-i-virtuoza-pod-obrucima/ |website=sportinfo.rs |accessdate=11 January 2019}}{{cite web |title=Košarkaško prisećanje: Proleter Zrenjanin 1956. |url=http://www.utakmica.rs/vesti/kosarkasko-prisecanje-proleter-zrenjanin-1956 |website=utakmica.rs |accessdate=12 January 2019}}

In 1957, Minja moved to a Belgrade powerhouse Crvena zvezda where he played for two seasons. In the 1958 season, Minja averaged 12.9 points per game while appearing in 15 games. In the 1959 season, he averaged 13.4 points per game while appearing in 17 games.{{cite web |title=KK Crvena zvezda History |url=http://www.kkcrvenazvezda.rs/istorijat-rs.html#cup_season1959 |website=kkcrvenazvezda.rs |accessdate=12 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830210506/http://kkcrvenazvezda.rs/istorijat-rs.html#cup_season1959 |archive-date=30 August 2017 |url-status=dead }} In 1960, he got two-year suspension after had got caught smuggling on the Poland tour.{{cite web |title=1960: Šampion OKK Beograd, superstar Korać |url=https://kosmagazin.com/1960-sampion-okk-beograd-superstar-korac/ |website=kosmagazin.com |accessdate=2 August 2019}}

Minja was a member of the Yugoslavia national team that participated at the 1955 FIBA European Championship in Budapest, Hungary. Over nine tournament games, he averaged 6.5 points per game.{{cite web |title=1955 Yugoslavia 4 - Mulitin Minja |url=https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/64323/pid2//sid/2245/tid/390/tid2//_/1955_European_Championship_for_Men_Final_Round/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601170915/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/64323/pid2//sid/2245/tid/390/tid2//_/1955_European_Championship_for_Men_Final_Round/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 1, 2022 |website=fiba.basketball |accessdate=12 January 2019}} At the 1957 FIBA European Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria, he averaged 10.9 points per game over nine tournament games.{{cite web |title=1957 Yugoslavia 9 - Mulitin Minja |url=https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/64323/pid2//sid/2246/tid/390/tid2//_/1957_European_Championship_for_Men_Final_Round/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601170916/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/64323/pid2//sid/2246/tid/390/tid2//_/1957_European_Championship_for_Men_Final_Round/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 1, 2022 |website=fiba.basketball |accessdate=12 January 2019}} At the 1959 FIBA European Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, he averaged 9.7 points per game over six tournament games.{{cite web |title=1959 Yugoslavia 9 - Mulitin Minja |url=https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/64323/pid2//sid/2247/tid/390/tid2//_/1959_European_Championship_for_Men_Final_Round/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601170919/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/64323/pid2//sid/2247/tid/390/tid2//_/1959_European_Championship_for_Men_Final_Round/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 1, 2022 |website=fiba.basketball |accessdate=12 January 2019}}

Minja was a member of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1959 Mediterranean Games in Lebanon.

Minja coached both Vojvodina men's and women's team from Novi Sad during 1970s.{{cite web |title=Šest decenija Košarkaškog kluba Vojvodina 1948-2008 |url=http://kkvojvodina.rs/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/KK-vojvodina.pdf |website=kkvojvodina.rs |accessdate=12 January 2019}}

• Yugoslav League champion: 1 (with Proleter Zrenjanin: 1956).
• Plaque of the Basketball Federation of Serbia (2016, posthumous){{cite web |title=Zrenjanin u znaku košarke |url=http://www.kss.rs/zrenjanin-u-znaku-kosarke/?langcir=lat |website=kss.rs |accessdate=12 January 2019}}

• The 2016 Serbian documentary, Šampioni iz pedeset i šeste ({{Translation|The 1956 Champions}}), portrays Minja and the achievements of the Proleter basketball team in the mid 1950s and how they won the Yugoslav Championship in 1956.{{cite web |title=Šampioni iz pedeset i šeste |url=http://www.kss.rs/sampioni-iz-pedeset-i-seste/?langcir=lat |website=kss.rs |accessdate=13 January 2019}}{{cite web |title=Film Šampioni iz pedeset šeste prikazan u Ljubljani |url=http://www.zrenjanin.org.rs/3-45-45-4859/Film-%27%27Sampioni-iz-pedeset-seste%27%27-prikazan-u-Ljubljani |website=zrenjanin.org.rs |accessdate=13 January 2019}}{{cite web |title=ŠAMPIONI IZ PEDESET I ŠESTE |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4snrZfXPvY |website=on YouTube |accessdate=13 January 2019}}

{{reflist}}

{{Proleter Zrenjanin 1956 Yugoslav Basketball League Champions}}

{{Yugoslavia Squad 1959 Mediterranean Games}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minja, Milutin}}

Category:1930s births

Category:Competitors at the 1959 Mediterranean Games

Category:Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Yugoslavia

Category:KK Crvena zvezda players

Category:KK Proleter Zrenjanin players

Category:KK Vojvodina coaches

Category:Serbian men's basketball players

Category:Serbian men's basketball coaches

Category:Yugoslav men's basketball players

Category:Yugoslav basketball coaches

Category:Date of birth missing

Category:Date of death missing

Category:Place of birth missing

Category:Place of death missing

Category:Mediterranean Games medalists in basketball

Category:Shooting guards