Basketball New Zealand would like to pass on its condolences to the family and friends of Borislav Stankovic, who passed away at age 94.
The former FIBA Secretary General and member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had a significant impact on the game of basketball and his contributions were recognised in 1991 when he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
As FIBA’s Secretary General, he laid the foundations for NBA players to compete in the Olympic Games for the first time by adjusting FIBA’s rules. Without him, the 1992 Dream Team would never have come together.
Stankovic also served basketball as a member of the IOC, the Yugoslav Basketball Committee and the Board of Trustees at the Basketball Hall of Fame.
As a player, he was included among the founding Crvena Zvezda members back in 1946 and also played for Zeleznicar, Partizan and the Yugoslav senior team. After retiring, he went on to coach OKK Beograd and Cantu.
The Hall of Famer also had a FIBA’s Mini Basketball World Cup named after him with the FIBA Stanković Continental Champions’ Cup. The Tall Blacks have competed for the cup and won it in 2015.
