Saša Dončić (Serbian Cyrillic: Саша Дончић; born June 14, 1974) is a Slovenian professional basketball coach and former player. He last served as head coach of Ilirija in the Slovenian League. He is the father of Luka Dončić.
 Dončić, in Helsinki, during the EuroBasket 2017 tournament | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 14, 1974 Šempeter pri Gorici, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Nationality | Slovenian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7.5 in (2.02 m) |
| Listed weight | 234 lb (106 kg) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1993–2010 |
| Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
| Number | 4 |
| Coaching career | 2010–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1993–1994 | Ilirija |
| 1994–1995 | Postojna |
| 1995–1996 | Idrija |
| 1996–1999 | Pivovarna Laško |
| 1999–2000 | Loka Kava |
| 2000–2001 | Krka |
| 2001 | Loka Kava |
| 2001–2002 | Sloga Telekom Srbija |
| 2002 | ALM Évreux |
| 2002–2003 | Slovan |
| 2003–2004 | Pivovarna Laško |
| 2004–2006 | Slovan |
| 2006–2007 | Domžale |
| 2007–2008 | Olimpija |
| 2008–2009 | Slovan |
| 2010 | Avantgard Radovljica |
| As coach: | |
| 2010–2011 | Avantgard Radovljica |
| 2012–2013 | Škofja Loka |
| 2015 | Slovenia B (assistant) |
| 2015–2019 | Ilirija |
| 2019 | Šentjur |
| 2020–2022 | Nutrisport Ilirija |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
| |
As a player, Dončić started his professional career in Ilirija, Ljubljana in the 1992-1993 season and played in several clubs in Slovenia throughout his career that included international club appearances in Serbia and France. He mainly played at the shooting guard and small forward positions, but could also play at power forward if needed.
Professional career
editDuring his pro club career, Dončić won 2 Slovenian Premier A League championships (2007, 2008), and 3 Slovenian Cups, (2004, 2007, 2008). He also won the Slovenian Supercup, in 2007. He played in the European-wide top-tier level league, the EuroLeague, during the 2007–08 season.[1]
National team career
editDončić was a member of the Yugoslavia national cadet team at the 1991 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Greece. Over four tournament games, he averaged 2.0 points per game.[2]
In 2004, he played in two games for the senior Slovenian national basketball team at the FIBA EuroBasket 2005 qualification.[3]
Coaching career
editAfter retiring from playing professional basketball, Dončić began his career working as a basketball coach, in 2010.
Personal life
editDončić was born in Šempeter pri Gorici, Yugoslavia, now present-day Slovenia. His family is of Serbian descent.[4][5]
He was married to Slovenian model and beauty salon owner Mirjam Poterbin, until their divorce in 2008. Their son Luka, who is also a professional basketball player, currently plays with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.[6]
References
edit- ^ EuroLeague 2007-08 STATISTICS.
- ^ "Yugoslavia 7 - Sasa Doncic". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Sasa DONCIC (SLO) participated in 2 FIBA / FIBA Zones events.
- ^ ""Mavericks' Luka Doncic to pay for funerals from Belgrade shooting"".
- ^ ""Mavericks' Luka Dončić to Pay for Funerals, Counseling After Belgrade School Shooting"".
- ^ Jonathan Abrams (February 16, 2023). "Luka Doncic Makes Basketball Look Easy. It's Not". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2023.