KK Akademik Podgorica is a professional basketball club based in Podgorica, Montenegro. The club currently competes in the Montenegrin League.
History:
KK Akademik Podgorica was founded in 1970. The club spent most of its early years competing in the lower divisions of the Yugoslav basketball system. In 1987, Akademik Podgorica gained promotion to the Yugoslav First League, the top tier of basketball in Yugoslavia. The club played in the Yugoslav First League for two seasons before being relegated back to the Second League.
After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Akademik Podgorica became a founding member of the Montenegrin League. The club has won the Montenegrin League four times, in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011. Akademik Podgorica has also won the Montenegrin Cup six times, in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
European Competitions:
KK Akademik Podgorica has participated in several European competitions. The club's best result in a European competition was reaching the quarterfinals of the FIBA EuroChallenge in 2009. Akademik Podgorica has also competed in the EuroCup and the FIBA Europe Cup.
Home Arena:
KK Akademik Podgorica plays its home games at the Morača Sports Center in Podgorica. The arena has a capacity of 4,570 spectators.
Notable Players:
Some of the notable players who have played for KK Akademik Podgorica include:
* Nikola Vučević - NBA All-Star and Olympic medalist
* Bojan Bogdanović - NBA player and Olympic medalist
* Milko Bjelica - NBA player and EuroLeague champion
* Vladimir Dašić - EuroLeague champion and Montenegrin League MVP
* Mladen Šekularac - Montenegrin League MVP and EuroChallenge champion
Current Roster:
The current roster of KK Akademik Podgorica includes:
* Guards: Nikola Pavlićević, Aleksa Radišić, Andrija Stipanović, Luka Bulatović
* Forwards: Nikola Vučević, Bojan Bogdanović, Milko Bjelica, Vladimir Dašić
* Centers: Mladen Šekularac, Marko Jovanović, Nikola Ivanović
Coaching Staff:
The coaching staff of KK Akademik Podgorica is led by head coach Dejan Radonjić. Radonjić is a former EuroLeague coach who has led several teams to success, including Crvena Zvezda mts and Bayern Munich.