Stefan Birčević

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Stefan Birčević

| image = Birčević.JPG

| image_size = 260px

| caption = Birčević with U-BT Cluj-Napoca in April 2022

| position =

| height_m = 2.10

| weight_kg = 100

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|12|13|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lazarevac, SR Serbia,
SFR Yugoslavia

| nationality = Serbian

| draft_year = 2011

| career_start = 2007

| career_end = 2025

| career_position = Power forward

| career_number = 14

| years1 = 2007–2011

| team1 = Metalac Valjevo

| years2 = 2011–2014

| team2 = Radnički Kragujevac

| years3 = 2014–2016

| team3 = Estudiantes

| years4 = 2016–2017

| team4 = Partizan

| years5 = 2017–2018

| team5 = İstanbul BB

| years6 = 2018

| team6 = Banvit

| years7 = 2018–2019

| team7 = Telekom Baskets Bonn

| years8 = 2019–2020

| team8 = Partizan

| years9 = 2021

| team9 = Bursaspor

| years10 = 2021–2023

| team10 = U-BT Cluj-Napoca

| years11 = 2023

| team11 = Mitteldeutscher

| years12 = 2023–2024

| team12 = Lietkabelis Panevėžys

| years13 = 2024–2025

| team13 = Kolubara

| highlights = * ABA Supercup winner (2019)

Serbian Cup winner (2020)
2× Romanian League champion (2022, 2023)
Romanian Cup champion (2023)
Romanian Supercup champion (2022)

| medal_templates = {{MedalSport|Men's basketball}}

{{MedalCountry|{{bk|SRB}}}}

}}

Stefan Birčević ({{langx|sr|Стефан Бирчевић}}, born 13 December 1989) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. He represented the senior Serbian national basketball team. Standing at {{height|m=2.10}}, he played the power forward position.

Professional career

Birčević played with Metalac Valjevo, before joining Radnički Kragujevac in the summer of 2011. In August 2014, he moved to Spain and signed with CB Estudiantes.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140821163137/http://www.abaliga.com/a7778/News/Bircevic_from_Kragujevac_to_Madrid.html Birčević from Kragujevac to Madrid] On 13 June 2016 he signed a two-year contract with Serbian club Partizan.{{cite news |title=Stefan Birčević je prvo pojačanje Partizana u sezoni 2016/17 |url=http://kkpartizan.rs/sr/vest/1879/stefan-bircevic-je-prvo-pojacanje-partizana-u-sezoni-2016-17 |accessdate=13 June 2016 |work=kkpartizan.rs |date=13 June 2016 |language=Serbian}}

On 13 July 2017, Birčević signed with Turkish club İstanbul BŞB for the 2017–18 season.{{cite news |title=Stefan Bircevic inks with Istanbul BSB |url=http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/turkey/241095/stefan-bircevic-inks-with-istanbul-bsb.html |accessdate=13 July 2017 |work=Sportando.com |date=13 July 2017}}

On 4 December 2018, Birčević signed with German club Baskets Bonn for the rest of 2018–19 season.{{cite news |title=Baskets verpflichten serbischen Nationalspieler |url=https://www.telekom-baskets-bonn.de/presse/news/artikel/baskets-verpflichten-serbischen-nationalspieler.html |accessdate=4 December 2018 |work=telekom-baskets-bonn.de |date=4 December 2018}}

On 23 August 2019, Birčević signed with Partizan for the 2019–20 season.{{cite news |title=Povratak Stefana Birčevića |url=http://kkpartizan.rs/sr/vest/2590/povratak-stefana-bircevica |accessdate=23 August 2019 |work=kkpartizan.rs |date=23 August 2019}}

On 16 December 2020, Birčević signed with Borac Čačak for the rest of 2020–21 season.{{cite web |title=Stefan Birčević reinforced Borac |url=https://www.aba-liga.com/news/44285/stefan-bircevic-reinforced-borac/ |website=aba-liga.com |access-date=16 December 2020}} He left the team 10 days later, prior his debut for Borac. On 28 December, he signed for the Hiroshima Dragonflies of the B.League.{{cite news |title=Stefan Birčević signed with Hiroshima Dragonflies |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/stefan-bircevic-signed-with-hiroshima-dragonflies/ |newspaper=Sportando |date=27 December 2020 |access-date=28 December 2020 |last1=Vezonik |first1=Uroš}}{{cite web |title=Birčević potpisao za Hirošimu |url=https://www.mozzartsport.com/kosarka/vesti/bircevic-potpisao-za-hirosimu/374584 |website=mozzartsport.com |access-date=28 December 2020}} However, due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions he never manage to join the Hiroshima Dragonflies and left the team prior his debut.

In February 2021, Birčević signed for Turkish club Frutti Extra Bursaspor.{{cite web |title=Birčević pronašao klub: Uželeo sam se košarke |url=https://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2021&mm=02&dd=22&nav_id=1816006 |website=b92.net |access-date=23 February 2021}}

On 13 July 2021, he signed with U-BT Cluj-Napoca of the Romanian Liga Națională.{{Cite news |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/stefan-bircevic-signs-with-u-banca-transilvania-cluj-napoca/ |title=Stefan Bircevic signs with U Banca Transilvania Cluj-Napoca |last= |first= |date=13 July 2021 |website= |newspaper=Sportando |language=En |access-date=4 August 2021 |last1=Carchia |first1=Emiliano}}

On 21 August 2023, Birčević signed a one-year deal with Mitteldeutscher BC of the German Basketball Bundesliga.{{Cite web |title=Stefan Bircevic kommt zum SYNTAINICS MBC |url=https://syntainics-mbc.de/stefan-bircevic-kommt-zum-syntainics-mbc/ |website=syntainics-mbc.de |language=de |date=21 August 2023 |access-date=12 November 2023}} He parted ways with the team on 23 October.{{Cite web |title=Syntainics MBC: Verletzung zwingt Bircevic zum vorzeitigen Abschied aus Weißenfels |url=https://www.mdr.de/sport/basketball/basketball-stefan-bircevic-verlaesst-den-mbc-100~amp.html |website=mdr.de |language=de |date=23 October 2023 |access-date=12 November 2023}}

On 11 November 2023, Birčević signed with Lietkabelis Panevėžys of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) for the rest of the season.{{Cite web |title=Priekinę liniją sustiprino Stefanas Birčevičius |url=https://www.kklietkabelis.lt/priekine-linija-sustiprino-stefanas-bircevicius/ |website=kklietkabelis.lt |language=lt |date=11 November 2023 |access-date=12 November 2023}} On 6 February 2024, Birčević parted ways with the team.

National team career

{{also|2016 Serbia men's Olympic basketball team|2017 Serbia men's EuroBasket team}}

Birčević won the gold medal with the Serbian university team at the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen. Birčević was a member of the Serbian national basketball team that won the silver medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Birčević also represented Serbia at the 2016 Summer Olympics where they won the silver medal, after losing to the United States in the final game with 96–66.{{cite news |title=Rio Olympics 2016: USA beat Serbia in men's basketball to win last gold of Games |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/36727948 |accessdate=18 September 2017 |work=BBC Sport |date=21 August 2016}}

Birčević also represented Serbia at the EuroBasket 2017 where they won the silver medal, after losing in the final game to Slovenia.{{cite news |title=Slovenia overcome injuries to claim historic title in Dragic's swansong |url=http://www.fiba.basketball/eurobasket/2017/news/slovenia-overcome-injuries-to-claim-historic-title |accessdate=17 September 2017 |work=FIBA.basketball |date=17 September 2017 |language=en}}

At the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the national team of Serbia was dubbed as favorite to win the trophy,{{cite news |last1=Curkovic |first1=Igor |title=FIBA Basketball World Cup Power Rankings, Volume 3 |url=http://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2019/news/fiba-basketball-world-cup-power-rankings-volume-3 |accessdate=14 September 2019 |work=fiba.basketball |date=28 August 2019}} but was eventually upset in the quarterfinals by Argentina.{{cite news |title=Argentina upsets Olympic silver medalist Serbia in FIBA World Cup quarterfinals |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/09/10/argentina-serbia-fiba-world-cup/ |accessdate=14 September 2019 |work=nbcsports.com |date=10 September 2019}} With wins over the United States and Czech Republic, it finished in fifth place.{{cite news |title=Serbia defeats USA in FIBA World Cup consolation round play |url=https://www.nba.com/article/2019/09/12/fiba-world-cup-usa-serbia-game-recap |accessdate=14 September 2019 |work=nba.com |date=12 September 2019}}{{cite news |last1=T. |first1=P. |title=Bogdanović ponovo briljirao – Srbiji peto mesto u Kini |url=https://www.b92.net/sport/kina2019/vesti.php?nav_id=1591176 |accessdate=14 September 2019 |date=14 September 2019 |language=Serbian}} Birčević averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds over 6 tournament games.

References

External links

[http://www.aba-liga.com/player.php?id=2070 Stefan Birčević] at aba-liga.com
[http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Stefan_Bircevic/113485 Stefan Birčević] at eurobasket.com
[http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=004868& Stefan Birčević] at euroleague.net
[https://archive.today/20160614200306/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/gamecent/p/pid/6043521/playerview.html Stefan Birčević] at fiba.com
{{Olympedia}}
{{Olympics.com|stefan-bircevic}}
{{OKS profile|stefan-bircevic}}

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Category:1989 births

Category:Living people

Category:2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players

Category:2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players

Category:ABA League players

Category:Bandırma B.İ.K. players

Category:Basketball League of Serbia players

Category:Basketball players from Belgrade

Category:Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:BC Lietkabelis players