The most decorated coach in European basketball history has completed the circle and returned to the club where he started his coaching career with the news that Partizan has hired Zeljko Obradovic as its new head coach. Obradovic, 61, who signed a three-year deal, starts his second stint with Partizan three decades after his coaching debut with the Serbian powerhouse. In his first season as head coach, 1991—92, Obradovic led Partizan to its only EuroLeague title. He also won the Yugoslavian League championship and Yugoslavian Cup that season to complete the triple crown. Obradovic went on to coach Joventut Badalona and Real Madrid of Spain, Benetton Treviso of Italy, Panathinaikos Athens of Greece and Fenerbahce Istanbul of Turkey, becoming the winningest coach in EuroLeague history.

Coach Obradovic has won nine EuroLeague titles - with Partizan in 1992, Joventut in 1994, Real in 1995, Panathinaikos in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011; and Fenerbahce in 2017. He took teams to 18 Final Fours and also won the Saporta Cup twice – with Real in 1997 and Benetton in 1999. He also led Panathinaikos to 11 Greek championships and seven Greek Cups in his 13 seasons with the Greens and helped Fenerbahce win four Turkish championships and three Turkish Cups. Obradovic was also successful with the Yugoslavian national team, leading it to gold medals at EuroBasket 1997 and the 1998 World Cup. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and a bronze medal at EuroBasket 1999.

Obradovic has a 69.9% winning percentage in the EuroLeague and is the only coach to win the Euroleague Basketball Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year award three times (2007, 2011 and 2017). Now Obradovic is set to coach in two new competitions in his legendary career: the Adriatic League and the 7DAYS EuroCup.



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">VRATIO SE! 🖤🤍<br><br>📑<a href="https://t.co/7BjY7cFGdQ">https://t.co/7BjY7cFGdQ</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ABALiga?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ABALiga</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7dayseurocup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7dayseurocup</a> <a href="https://t.co/sFL3WCXGeD">pic.twitter.com/sFL3WCXGeD</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan NIS (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1408443694471127042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Coach Obradovic returns to Partizan

Umana Reyer Venice added experience to its backcourt with the addition of guard Michele Vitali on a multiyear deal

Reyer adds veteran guard Vitali

Vitali (1.96 meters, 29 years old) arrives from Brose Bamberg where he averaged 9.7 points, 2.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds last season in German League action, and also posted 12.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals in Basketball Champions League. Vitali returns to 7DAYS EuroCup where he played in the 2018-19 season when he helped MoraBanc Andorra reach the semifinals with 7.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

Vitali started his career with Virtus Bologna and also played for Gira Ozzano, SAIE3 Bologna, Biancoblu Basket Bologna, Pasta Reggia JuveCaserta, Germani Brescia and Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari. Vitali has been a member of the Italian national team, and in youth categories he helped Italy win a silver medal at the 2011 U20 European Championships.



Umana Reyer Venice added experience to its backcourt with the addition of guard Michele Vitali on a multiyear deal.

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Hamburg Towers gave their roster a boost of energy ahead of their 7DAYS EuroCup debut by signing forward Robin Christen to a one-year deal, the club announced on Thursday

Hamburg inks forward Christen

Christen (2.00 meters, 30 years old) arrives from a fellow German League side Rasta Vechta where last season he averaged 7.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists. Last season was Christen's remarkable return to basketball after a 16-month absence that caused him to miss the entire 2019-20 season due to a knee injury and an appendectomy. At Hamburg, he will reunite with head coach Pedro Calles, as the two were together with Vechta in the past. 

"I am happy that Robin is healthy again. In the last year he proved that impressively", Calles said. "I also appreciate his character and his mentality - he is ready to do everything for the team's success." 

During his professional career, Christen also played in German lower divisions with Essen, Hanau and Cologne, and now is set to make his EuroCup debut.

<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">So und nicht anders, wollen wir unseren Neuzugang Robin Christen nächste Saison auch im Towers-Trikot jubeln sehen! Herzlich Willkommen in Hamburg, <a href="https://twitter.com/robse33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@robse33</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HamburgTowers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HamburgTowers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MorethanBasktball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MorethanBasktball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/easyCreditBBL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#easyCreditBBL</a><br><br>📰 Zur News ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/wlVTyAwuED">https://t.co/wlVTyAwuED</a><br>📷 Becker <a href="https://t.co/P2S0dDuAG4">pic.twitter.com/P2S0dDuAG4</a></p>&mdash; Hamburg Towers (@hamburgtowers) <a href="https://twitter.com/hamburgtowers/status/1407986961898520578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Hamburg Towers gave their roster a boost of energy ahead of their 7DAYS EuroCup debut by signing forward Robin Christen to a one-year deal, the club announced on Thursday.

JL Bourg en Bresse bolstered its roster with the addition of a versatile winger Maxime Roos who signed a two-year deal

Bourg adds versatility with forward Roos

Roos (2.02 meters, 26 years old) arrives from a fellow French and 7DAYS EuroCup side Boulogne Metropolitans 92 where he posted 4.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game last season. Roos played his best during the Top 16 when he averaged 6.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and was the Top 16 leader in blocked shots with 2.5 per game, helping Metropolitans reach the EuroCup quarterfinals. His performances last season also led to his debut with the French national team. Roos grew up and played his whole career with Metropolitans, apart from one season on loan with a French lower division side ADA Blois, and he is now set to begin a new chapter with Bourg.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🔴 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏.𝟐𝟐<br>⚪️ <a href="https://twitter.com/RoosMaxime?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoosMaxime</a> rejoindra la JL Bourg la saison prochaine !<br><br>Lire le communiqué ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/S2BtofYYte">https://t.co/S2BtofYYte</a> <a href="https://t.co/R31XEjBNMX">pic.twitter.com/R31XEjBNMX</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1407726667355799553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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JL Bourg en Bresse bolstered its roster with the addition of a versatile winger Maxime Roos who signed a two-year deal.

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Frutti Extra Bursaspor brought a familiar face to its backcourt by signing combo guard Allerik Freeman for the upcoming season, the club announced on Thursday

Bursaspor re-unites with guard Freeman

Freeman (1.91 meters, 26 years old) spent the first part of last season with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne where he made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut, averaging 7.4 points, 1.2 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 18 appearances. He posted 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the French League action. He returns to Bursaspor where he shined during the first part of the 2019-20 campaign. Freeman was among the top scorers in the Turkish League that season, putting up 18.5 points per game, and also posting 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 14 games before leaving for Shenzhen of the Chinese Basketball Association, where he averaged 25.5 points in four games before the season was suspended. Freeman had started his professional career a season earlier with Alba Fehervar of Hungary, and prior to turning pro, he played four seasons split between Baylor University and North Carolina State University. He is now set to make his 7DAYS EuroCup debut.

<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Welcome Back Allerik Freeman 🐊🏀<br><br>Kulübümüz, 2019-20 sezonunda takımımızda forma giyen ve gösterdiği etkili performansla dikkat çeken Amerikalı oyuncu Allerik Freeman ile yeniden anlaşma sağladı. <br><br>Freeman&#39;a yeniden hoşgeldin diyor, başarılı bir sezon geçirmesini diliyoruz. <a href="https://t.co/Lh2kiYfdiy">pic.twitter.com/Lh2kiYfdiy</a></p>&mdash; Frutti Extra Bursaspor (@BsBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BsBasketbol/status/1407959242699640832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Frutti Extra Bursaspor brought a familiar face to its backcourt by signing combo guard Allerik Freeman for the upcoming season, the club announced on Thursday.

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Buducnost VOLI Podgorica continued a busy week by signing forward Marko Jagodic-Kuridza for the coming season on Thursday.

Buducnost signs big man Jagodic-Kuridza

Jagodic-Kuridza (2.05 meters, 34 years old) arrives from Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, where he spent the past season and a half. He averaged 4.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 34 EuroLeague games as a part-time starter last season. Before that, Jagodic-Kuridza played for Slovenian side Koper Primorska. He has also played for Spartak and Novi Sad in Serbia, Capljina and Borac Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cibona Zagreb in Croatia, CEZ Nymburk in the Czech Republic and Oostende in Belgium. He helped Cibona win the 2014 Adriatic League title, and has also captured national championships with Cibona, Nymburk, Oostende, Primorska and Zvezda.

<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Marko Jagodić-Kuridža potpisao za Budućnost Voli! 🔵⚪️👇<a href="https://t.co/jQiWohtEEN">https://t.co/jQiWohtEEN</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ajmoplavobijeli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ajmoplavobijeli</a> <a href="https://t.co/mRbxqFjTPr">pic.twitter.com/mRbxqFjTPr</a></p>&mdash; KK Budućnost VOLI (@KKBuducnostVOLI) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI/status/1408066066266279948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica continued a busy week by signing forward Marko Jagodic-Kuridza for the coming season on Thursday. 

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ratiopharm solidified its backcourt by signing point guard Thomas Klepeisz to a three-year contract extension on Thursday

Ulm extends Klepeisz for three years

Klepeisz (1.86 meters, 29 years old) has spent the past season-plus with the club, which he first joined for the end-of-season tournament in the German League in 2020. He played in only three games in the 7DAYS EuroCup last season, during which he averaged 6.7 points, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in less than 20 minutes per game. Those numbers rose to 9.2 points on 41.0% three-point shooting, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game in the German League. The veteran point guard began his career with Gussing Knights in his native Austria, where he played nine seasons before joining Basketball Loewen Braunschweig in 2016.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Tommy für Drei!<br><br>Unser Lieblings-Österreicher mit deutschem Pass <a href="https://twitter.com/TKlepeisz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TKlepeisz</a> bleibt ein <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uuulmer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uuulmer</a> und hat seinen Vertrag um drei… Drei… DREI Jahre verlängert. <br><br>Alle Infos und Stimmen für Euch jetzt hier👇 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weareone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weareone</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/easyCreditBBL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#easyCreditBBL</a> <a href="https://t.co/l8uakVzWcf">https://t.co/l8uakVzWcf</a></p>&mdash; ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm/status/1408085830284025862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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ratiopharm solidified its backcourt by signing point guard Thomas Klepeisz to a three-year contract extension on Thursday.

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A day after announcing its new coach, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica has a new swingman, too, in Edin Atic, who has joined the 7DAYS EuroCup club on a contract for the next two seasons

Buducnost brings on swingman Atic

Atic (2.01 meters, 24 years old) arrives from Igokea in his native Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he averaged 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season over 36 games split between the Adriatic League and the FIBA Champions League. Atic had started his career in Spars Sarajevo, with whose U18 team he starred in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament, averaging 19.6 points over two seasons, including an appearance in the 2015 ANGT Finals, when he ranked second with 18.7 points per game. He moved from Spars to AEK the next season and made a brief debut in the EuroCup, scoring one basket in three appearances during the regular season at age 18. He played since with Trikala of Greece and Mega Bemax of Serbia before joining Igokea last season.

<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Edin Atić, dvadesetčetvorogodišnje krilni igrač, novi je košarkaš Budućnost Volija.<a href="https://t.co/jmk40luWqH">https://t.co/jmk40luWqH</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ajmoplavobijeli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ajmoplavobijeli</a> <a href="https://t.co/IvtLFr080p">pic.twitter.com/IvtLFr080p</a></p>&mdash; KK Budućnost VOLI (@KKBuducnostVOLI) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI/status/1407775239166177280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

A day after announcing its new coach, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica has a new swingman, too, in Edin Atic, who has joined the 7DAYS EuroCup club on a contract for the next two seasons.

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ratiopharm Ulm announced on Wednesday that it has re-signed forward Christoph Philipps, the second-longest tenured player on the roster, for another season

Ulm extends homegrown forward Philipps

Philipps (2.03 meters, 23 years old) grew up with Ulm and the only player who has been with the club longer than him is team captain Per Guenther. Philipps averaged 4.0 points and 3.6 rebounds last season in the first five games of the 7DAYS EuroCup before the injury bug hit. He appeared in a total of seven EuroCup games and 17 German League games – posting 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds - but has not played in 2021. With 22 EuroCup appearances over the last three seasons, Philipps is now heading into his fifth season with the club.

<div style="display: grid; place-items: center;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Die nächsten großartigen <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uuulmer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uuulmer</a> News: unser 22-jähriger Forward aus dem eigenen Nachwuchs hat seinen Vertrag um ein weiteres Jahr verlängert.<br> <br>„Ich freue mich unglaublich auf Fans, die ratiopharm arena, die BBL und Eurocup.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weareone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weareone</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/easycreditbbl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#easycreditbbl</a><a href="https://t.co/xYtJIiz6GM">https://t.co/xYtJIiz6GM</a></p>&mdash; ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm/status/1407700968314130433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

ratiopharm Ulm announced on Wednesday that it has re-signed forward Christoph Philipps, the second-longest tenured player on the roster, for another season.

christoph-philipps-ratiopharm-ulm-photo-ulm-harry-langer-ec20-axobxmb98wc4gg6f.jpeg