Vladimir Cvetković

Vladimir Cvetković

Medal record
Men's Basketball
Summer Olympics
	1968 Mexico City	Yugoslavia
FIBA World Championship
	1963 Brazil	Yugoslavia
	1967 Uruguay	Yugoslavia
Eurobasket
	1969	Yugoslavia

Vladimir Cvetković is a Serbian former basketball player and sports administrator. He played with KK Crvena zvezda for 13 seasons. With Crvena zvezda he won 2 National Championships and 1 National Cup. He spent his whole career with KK Crvena zvezda.

Cvetković's historical free-throws

The Yugoslav national team won their first Olympic medal in Mexico in 1968.^[1] The Yugoslavs played well and placed themselves into the semifinals where they played versus Soviet Union. In clash between basketball David and Goliath, in front of 22.000 supporters who gave their sympathies to David, i.e. Yugoslav team, the key man of the match was player of KK Crvena zvezda, Vladimir Cvetković.

Seven seconds before the end of the match, at the result 61–60 for Yugoslavia, Cvetković scored two free throws for 63–61. In between the free throws he kissed his wedding band for good luck. The Soviets had enough time to reduce to 63–62, but not enough time to avoid defeat. The celebration of the host for victory of Yugoslav team quickly hauled from the hall to the streets of Siudad Mexico, and lasted till daybreak.

The team of the USA was too strong rival in the finals and the Yugoslav team was defeated with 50–65 scoring the second place in the basketball tournament.

References