101 Greats of European Basketball

Vladimir Stankovic
68-62. In the Saporta Cup, Cibona reached the final. On
March 16, 1982 in Brussels, Real Madrid – armed with
Fernando Martin, Juan Antonio Corbalan, Mirza Delibasic,
Wayne Brabender, Juanma Iturriaga and Fernando
Romay - was the clear favorite, but the talented Croatian
team managed to prevail. After trailing 50-40 at
the break, Real Madrid managed to force overtime, 88-
88, but in the extra session it fell behind and lost 96-95.
Only five players scored for Cibona in that game: Knego
34, Cosic and Aca Petrovic 22 each, Damir Pavlicevic 12
and Mihovil Nakic, 6. The young Cutura, just like Rajko
Gospodnetic and Adnan Becic, was scoreless.
The Yugoslav League also presented, for the first
time and with its share of criticism, a playoffs system.
Partizan finished first and Cibona second. The first
game of their playoff series was played at the old Sports
Hall in New Belgrade. It is still one of the best games
I can remember at the club level. Three overtimes,
drama in the final seconds, and in the end, a 112-108
Cibona victory. The final series was best-of-three and at
home Cibona won easily and claimed its first title.
Two-time European champ
Cibona won the Yugoslav Cup in 1983 and won the
Yugoslav League title again in 1984, which allowed the
team to return to the EuroLeague. The team had a great
roster but it was lacking a superstar, a leader. Novosel,
smart as always, took the lead and won the battle, over
several other teams, for the young Drazen Petrovic.
After a great season, with 12,000 fans attending all
its home games, Cibona reached the continental title
game. The opponent: Real Madrid. The site: Peace and
Friendship Stadium in Piraeus, Greece. The referees:
Yvan Mainini, the future FIBA president, and Costas
Rigas, the future Euroleague Basketball director of referees.
The date: April 3, 1985.
Cibona won 87-78 behind 36 points from Drazen
Petrovic, but Cutura also played 33 minutes and scored
16 points as one of the key men for his team. Novosel,
following the Yugoslavian school method, didn’t make
many changes. Aca Petrovic and Nakic played 40 minutes
each, Drazen 39 and Knego 37. Real Madrid had a great
team with the Martin brothers, Fernando and Antonio,
Corbalan, Iturriaga, Rafa Rullan, Wayne Robinson and
Brian Jackson, but it could not match Cibona’s talent.
Cibona ended the season with another triple crown
because it won the Yugoslav Cup (against Jugoplastika
104-83) and the domestic league title, as well. Cutura also
fulfilled another dream as he made his debut with the
senior national team at the 1985 EuroBasket in Germany.
In the midst of a generation change, Yugoslavia finished
seventh, but Cutura managed to average 9.2 points.
With the same roster, Cibona started to defend its
EuroLeague title in 1985-86. On April 3, 1986, the team
reached the championship game in Budapest, where it
would meet Zalgiris with Arvydas Sabonis. Again, the
ref was Costas Rigas, but this time with Vittorio Fiorito
of Italy. Cibona managed to defeat Zalgiris 94-82. Danko
Cvjeticanin scored 24 points, Drazen 22, Cutura 16
(with 2 of 2 free throws and 7 of 12 field goals). Sabonis
scored 27 points and had 14 rebounds, but was ejected
from the game in the 31st minute.
Cutura’s role was, as usual, not that of a visible star,
but that of the crucial player for his coaches and teammates.
He was a team player and a star who maybe
didn’t shine too bright, but never dimmed either. He
was constant.
In the summer of 1986, Cutura put a new medal
around his neck as Yugoslavia won the bronze at the
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