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Croatia men's national basketball team

Men's national basketball team representing Croatia


Men's national basketball team representing Croatia

FieldValue
countryCroatia
logoCroatian Basketball Federation.png
nicknameKockasti
(The Chequered Ones)
coachTomislav Mijatović
fiba_ranking
joined_fiba1992
fiba_zoneFIBA Europe
national_fedHKS
oly_appearances4
oly_medalsSilver: (1992)
wc_appearances3
wc_medalsBronze: (1994)
zone_championshipEuroBasket
zone_appearances14
zone_medalsBronze: (1993, 1995)
h_pattern_b_CRO08Away
h_bodyffffff
h_shortsffffff
a_pattern_b_CRO08Away
a_bodyFF0000
a_shortsFF0000
first_game86–74
(Murcia, Spain; 22 June 1992)
largest_win124–51
(Murcia, Spain; 24 June 1992)
largest_loss70–103
(Barcelona, Spain; 27 July 1992)
Note

the men's team

(The Chequered Ones) (Murcia, Spain; 22 June 1992) (Murcia, Spain; 24 June 1992) (Barcelona, Spain; 27 July 1992)

The Croatia men's national basketball team () represents Croatia in international basketball matches. The team is controlled by the Croatian Basketball Federation (HKS).

The biggest success Croatia has achieved was at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when the team reached the final against the United States and won the silver medal. Croatia has also won one bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup and two bronze medals at EuroBasket.

Croatia's Krešimir Ćosić, Dražen Petrović, Dino Rađa, Mirko Novosel and Toni Kukoč are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ćosić was inducted in 1996, Petrović in 2002, Rađa in 2018 and Kukoč in 2021, all as players. Novosel was inducted in 2007 as a coach. Petrović, Ćosić, Kukoč and Novosel are members of the FIBA Hall of Fame. Ćosić is also the only Croatian to have received the FIBA Order of Merit. Ćosić, however, never played for the Croatia national team. As he was only a member of the Yugoslavia national team, holding the record for number of medals (including Olympic gold) and the most games played by a player.

History

Prior to Croatian independence

Croatia played its first unofficial friendly game on 2 June 1964 in Karlovac. Croatian team played against US All Star Team and lost 65–110 (31–50). USA players coached by Red Auerbach were Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, K. C. Jones, Jerry Lucas, Bob Pettit, Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell and Croatian team was Giuseppe Gjergja, Nemanja Đurić, Živko Kasun, Zlatko Kiseljak, Slobodan Kolaković, Dragan Kovačić, Boris Križan, Stjepan Ledić, Mirko Novosel, Marko Ostarčević, Petar Skansi and Željko Troskot.

Independent Croatia

After independence of Croatia in 1991, the first official tournament played by Croatians were the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Croatia defeated the CIS team 75–74 and reached the final against the USA Dream Team led by Michael Jordan. The USA won 85–117, but Croatia won its first medal at a major tournament in history.

The next competition for Croatia was the 1993 EuroBasket in Germany. Tragically, before the tournament Dražen Petrović died in a car accident on 7 June 1993 at the age of 28. Croatia still managed to reach the bronze medal game to defeat Greece 99–59.

Croatia earned its third medal at the 1994 FIBA World Cup in Canada. Croatia lost their semi-finals match against Russia 64–66, but beat Greece once again 78–60 for the bronze medal. A similar occurrence happened at the EuroBasket 1995 in Greece. Croatia lost in the semi-finals 80–90 against Lithuania, but beat Greece 73–68 for the third time in a row in a bronze medal match. That medal to date was the last Croatian medal from any major tournament. At the 1996 Summer Olympics Croatia finished in a subpar seventh place.

Decline

At the EuroBasket 1997 in Spain, the new Croatian generation emerged, but ended in 11th place. Croatia failed to qualify for the 2000, 2004 and 2012 Summer Olympics, but finished sixth in 2008. Croatia also failed to qualify for the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Although the team did manage to qualify in 2010, before falling in the Round of 16. However, at the EuroBasket 2013, Croatia had its best tournament appearance since 1995, where the team finished in fourth place.

Honours

The Croatia national team's all-time medal table:

GamesGoldSilverBronzeTotalSummer Olympics0101FIBA World Cup0011EuroBasket0022Mediterranean Games1102Stanković Cup2103Total3339

Competitive record

FIBA World Cup

World CupQualificationYearPositionPldWLPldWLTotal3/82012818513
1950 to 1990Part of YugoslaviaPart of Yugoslavia
CAN 1994871*EuroBasket served
as qualifiers*
GRE 1998Did not qualify
USA 2002
JPN 2006
TUR 201014th624
ESP 201410th633
CHN 2019Did not qualify1248
PHIJPNIDN 2023615
QAT 2027To be determinedTo be determined

Olympic Games

Olympic GamesQualifyingYearPositionPldWLPldWLTotal4/928161231256
1936 to 1988Part of YugoslaviaPart of Yugoslavia
ESP 199286211101
USA 19967th844Direct qualification
AUS 2000Did not qualifyDid not qualify
GRE 2004
CHN 20086th633440
UK 2012Did not qualifyDid not qualify
BRA 20165th633431
JPN 2020Did not qualify312
FRA 2024972
USA 2028To be determinedTo be determined

EuroBasket

EuroBasketQualificationYearPositionPldWLPldWLTotal14/151025646937518
1935 to 1991Part of YugoslaviaPart of Yugoslavia
GER 1993981761
GRE 1995981651
ESP 199711th8261073
FRA 199911th6331073
TUR 20017th73410100
SWE 200311th4131082
SCG 20057th743431
ESP 20076th936651
POL 20096th945Direct qualification
LTU 201113th523
SVN 20134th1183880
FRACROGERLAT 20159th633Qualified as co-host
FINISRROUTUR 201710th642Direct qualification
CZEGEOITAGER 202212th633642
CYPFINPOLLAT 2025Did not qualify16124
ESTGRESVNESP 2029To be determinedTo be determined

Results and fixtures

2025

2026

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers matches on 28 November and 1 December 2025 against Cyprus and Israel.

  • CRO Tomislav Mijatović
  • CRO Dražen Orešković
  • CRO Iván Tomás
  • (C) Team captain
  • Club – describes last club before the competition
  • Age – describes age on 28 November 2025

Depth chart

Head coaches

;1990s and 2000s

YearsNameCompetition
1992Petar Skansi1992 Summer Olympics
1993Mirko Novosel1993 EuroBasket
1994Josip Gjergja1994 World Cup
1995Aleksandar Petrović1995 EuroBasket
1996–1998Petar Skansi7th 1996 Summer Olympics
11th 1997 EuroBasket
1999Boško Božić9th 1999 EuroBasket
1999–2001Aleksandar Petrović7th 2001 EuroBasket
2001–2005Neven Spahija11th 2003 EuroBasket
7th 2005 EuroBasket
2005–2009Jasmin Repeša6th 2007 EuroBasket
6th 2008 Summer Olympics
6th 2009 EuroBasket

;2010s and 2020s

YearsNameCompetition
2010–2011Josip-Jerko Vranković14th 2010 World Cup
13th 2011 EuroBasket
2012–2014Jasmin Repeša4th 2013 EuroBasket
10th 2014 World Cup
2015Velimir Perasović9th 2015 EuroBasket
2016–2017Aleksandar Petrović5th 2016 Summer Olympics
10th 2017 EuroBasket
2017–2018Ivica Skelin
2018–2019Dražen Anzulović
2019–2022Veljko Mršić
2022Damir Mulaomerović12th 2022 EuroBasket
2022–2023Aleksandar Petrović (interim)
2023–2025Josip Sesar
2025–presentTomislav Mijatović

Past rosters

  • EuroBasket 1993
  • EuroBasket 1995
  • EuroBasket 1997
  • EuroBasket 1999
  • EuroBasket 2001
  • EuroBasket 2003
  • EuroBasket 2005
  • EuroBasket 2007
  • EuroBasket 2009
  • EuroBasket 2011
  • EuroBasket 2013
  • EuroBasket 2015
  • EuroBasket 2017
  • EuroBasket 2022
  • 1994 FIBA World Cup
  • 2010 FIBA World Cup
  • 2014 FIBA World Cup
  • 1992 Summer Olympics
  • 1996 Summer Olympics
  • 2008 Summer Olympics
  • 2016 Summer Olympics

Notable players and coaches

;Players

Individual awards

  • FIBA World Cup MVP
    • Dražen Petrović – 1986
    • Toni Kukoč – 1990
  • EuroBasket MVP
    • Krešimir Ćosić – 1971, 1975
    • Dražen Petrović – 1989
    • Toni Kukoč – 1991
  • Olympics Top Scorer
    • Bojan Bogdanović – 2016
  • EuroBasket Top Scorer - by total points
    • Dražen Petrović – 1985
  • FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team
    • Krešimir Ćosić – 1970, 1978
    • Vinko Jelovac – 1974
    • Dražen Petrović – 1986
    • Toni Kukoč – 1990
    • Dino Rađa – 1994
  • EuroBasket All-Tournament Team
    • Krešimir Ćosić – 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979
    • Dražen Petrović – 1985, 1989
    • Dino Rađa – 1989, 1993
    • Toni Kukoč – 1991, 1995
    • Damir Mulaomerović – 2001
    • Bojan Bogdanović – 2013
  • Olympic Final Top Scorer
    • Dražen Petrović – 1992
  • World Cup Final Top Scorer
    • Krešimir Ćosić – 1970
  • EuroBasket Final Top Scorer
    • Krešimir Ćosić – 1973
    • Dražen Petrović – 1989
    • Dino Rađa – 1991 ;Other notable achievements
  • FIBA Order of Merit
    • Krešimir Ćosić
  • FIBA Hall of Fame
    • Krešimir Ćosić
    • Dražen Petrović
    • Toni Kukoč
  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
    • Krešimir Ćosić
    • Dražen Petrović
    • Dino Rađa
    • Toni Kukoč
  • College Basketball Hall of Fame
    • Krešimir Ćosić
  • Euroscar
    • Toni Kukoč – 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998
    • Dražen Petrović – 1992, 1993
  • Mr. Europa
    • Toni Kukoč – 1991, 1992, 1996
    • Dražen Petrović – 1993
  • NBA champion
    • Toni Kukoč – 1996, 1997, 1998
    • Žan Tabak – 1995
  • All-NBA Team
    • Dražen Petrović – 1993
  • NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award
    • Toni Kukoč – 1996
  • NBA All-Defensive Second Team
    • Ivica Zubac – 2025
  • NBA All-Rookie First Team
    • Dario Šarić – 2017
  • NBA All-Rookie Second Team
    • Toni Kukoč – 1994
    • Dino Rađa – 1994
    • Gordan Giriček – 2003
    • Bojan Bogdanović – 2015
  • EuroLeague Final Four MVP
    • Dino Rađa - 1989
    • Toni Kukoč – 1990, 1991, 1993
  • EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer
    • Petar Skansi - 1972
    • Dražen Petrović - 1985
    • Toni Kukoč - 1990
  • EuroLeague Top Scorer
    • Zdravko Radulović – 1993
  • EuroLeague Rebounds Leader
    • Stojko Vranković – 1995
    • Žan Tabak – 1999
  • EuroLeague Assists Leader
    • Ivica Marić – 2001
    • Zoran Planinić – 2013
  • EuroLeague Steals Leader
    • Ivica Marić – 2001
  • EuroLeague PIR Leader
    • Nikola Vujčić – 2007
  • All EuroLeague First Team
    • Nikola Vujčić – 2005, 2006, 2007
    • Ante Tomić – 2013, 2014
  • All EuroLeague Second Team
    • Nikola Vujčić – 2003, 2004
    • Ante Tomić – 2015
    • Mario Hezonja – 2024
  • All Europe First Team
    • Nikola Vujčić – 2005, 2006
    • Bojan Bogdanović – 2013
    • Ante Tomić – 2015
  • All Europe Second Team
    • Nikola Vujčić – 2004, 2007
    • Ante Tomić – 2013, 2014
  • 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008)
    • Krešimir Ćosić
    • Dražen Petrović
    • Toni Kukoč
    • Dino Rađa
  • Cup Winner's Cup Finals Top Scorer
    • Andro Knego - 1982
    • Dražen Petrović - 1987, 1989
  • FIBA Korać Cup Finals Top Scorer
    • Željko Jerkov - 1977
    • Dražen Petrović - 1988
  • FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)
    • Krešimir Ćosić
    • Toni Kukoč
    • Dražen Petrović
    • Dino Rađa
    • Petar Skansi
  • FIBA All-Star Games
    • Krešimir Ćosić
    • Josip Gjergja
    • Vinko Jelovac
    • Željko Jerkov
    • Andro Knego
    • Toni Kukoč
    • Veljko Mršić
    • Dražen Petrović
    • Dino Rađa
    • Petar Skansi
    • Damir Šolman
    • Ratomir Tvrdić
    • Stojko Vranković

;Coaches

Individual achievements

  • FIBA Hall of Fame
    • Mirko Novosel
  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
    • Mirko Novosel
  • Euroleague winning head coach
    • Mirko Novosel - 1985
    • Željko Pavličević - 1986, 1991

Head-to-head record

Record against teams at the EuroBasket

National teamPldWLPFPAPDTotal27 teams
Belgium Belgium11010674+32
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina321243229+14
Bulgaria Bulgaria220192165+27
Czech Republic Czech Republic431322266+56
Estonia Estonia330252219+33
Finland Finland431350313+37
France France7345665660
Georgia Georgia211135147−12
Germany Germany7345595590
Greece Greece936710684+26
Great Britain Great Britain1108665+21
Hungary Hungary1106758+9
Israel Israel211161159+2
Italy Italy752500475+25
Latvia Latvia211170176−6
Lithuania Lithuania505356417−61
Montenegro Montenegro220173153+20
Netherlands Netherlands1107872+6
North Macedonia North Macedonia321230204+26
Poland Poland211150147+3
Portugal Portugal1109068+22
Romania Romania1107458+16
Russia Russia835628648−20
Serbia Serbia202128144−16
Slovenia Slovenia532392386+6
Spain Spain725500572−72
Turkey Turkey633503430+73
Ukraine Ukraine431355323+32

Record against teams in EuroBasket qualification

National teamPldWLPFPAPDTotal28 teams
Austria Austria440344298+46
Belarus Belarus11011272+40
Belgium Belgium220176129+47
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina633474453+21
Bulgaria Bulgaria211173148+25
Cyprus Cyprus660564354+210
Denmark Denmark220183146+37
England England220163149+14
Estonia Estonia541417350+67
France France202141156−15
Germany Germany202144159−15
Hungary Hungary440316268+48
Iceland Iceland220193151+42
Ireland Ireland440349255+94
Latvia Latvia550466371+95
Lithuania Lithuania211137140−3
Luxembourg Luxembourg220189141+48
Netherlands Netherlands651457389+68
North Macedonia North Macedonia330312232+80
Poland Poland211151156−5
Romania Romania330342206+136
Russia Russia211151138+13
Slovakia Slovakia440355277+53
Slovenia Slovenia1019094−4
Sweden Sweden651479417+62
Switzerland Switzerland440324236+88
Turkey Turkey422290267+23
Ukraine Ukraine541416370+46

Record against teams at the World Cup

National teamPldWLPFPAPDTotal18 teams
Argentina Argentina1109085+5
Australia Australia1108369+14
Brazil Brazil1017492−18
Canada Canada1109261+31
People's Republic of China China11010573+32
Cuba Cuba1108565+20
France France1016469−5
Greece Greece321224191+33
Iran Iran1107554+21
Philippines Philippines1108178+3
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico11010382+21
Russia Russia1016466−2
Senegal Senegal1017577−2
Serbia Serbia1017273−1
Slovenia Slovenia1018491−7
South Korea South Korea11010453+51
Tunisia Tunisia1108464+20
USA United States10178106−28

Record against teams in World Cup qualification

National teamPldWLPFPAPDTotal13 teams
Cyprus Cyprus11010060+40
Denmark Denmark220179147+32
Finland Finland202150158−8
Hungary Hungary211139153−14
Israel Israel1108571+14
Italy Italy211142152−10
Lithuania Lithuania202145163−18
Netherlands Netherlands211143146−3
Norway Norway220203121+82
Poland Poland202143156−13
Romania Romania211146121+25
Slovenia Slovenia202143173−30
Sweden Sweden211169168+1

Record against teams at the Olympic Games

National teamPldWLPFPAPDTotal14 teams
Angola Angola220144112+32
Argentina Argentina312225242−17
Australia Australia321266220+46
Brazil Brazil321243230+13
People's Republic of China China220208163+45
CIS CIS1107574+1
Germany Germany1109978+21
Iran Iran1109157+34
Lithuania Lithuania312244250−6
Nigeria Nigeria1017690−14
Russia Russia1108578+7
Serbia Serbia1018386−3
Spain Spain321219221−2
USA United States303226322−96

Biggest tournament wins

20+ point difference

Olympic GamesWorld CupEuroBasket
  • Croatia also defeated Albania (94–70) for a win margin of +24 at the 2009 Mediterranean Games.

Biggest tournament losses

-20 point difference

Olympic GamesWorld CupEuroBasket

Biggest qualification wins

20+ point difference

Olympic qualificationWorld Cup qualificationEuroBasket qualification

References

References

  1. "XIII Olympic Basketball Tournament (Barcelona 1992) Qualifying stage". Linguasport.
  2. "Croatia basketball news". eurobasket.com.
  3. [http://www.hks-cbf.hr Naslovnica – Hrvatski košarkaški savez]
  4. "All Star NBA u Šancu 1964.". kafotka.net.
  5. "U Šancu haklale NBA zvijezde, a u Draganiću gradili naftnu bušotinu". www.kaportal.hr.
  6. "KARLOVAC: 40 GODINA NBA LIGE U KARLOVCU". [[Index.hr]].
  7. (8 August 1992). "Croatia at the 1992 Olympic Games". Archive.fiba.com.
  8. (3 July 1993). "Croatia v Greece EuroBasket 1993 Bronze medal game results". Archive.fiba.com.
  9. (2 August 1996). "Croatia at the 1996 Olympic Games". Archive.fiba.com.
  10. (22 September 2013). "Croatia at the EuroBasket 2013". Archive.fiba.com.
  11. "Croatia during the 2027 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers in November 2025".
  12. (15 September 2017). "ACO PETROVIĆ OTIŠAO, A HRVATSKA EKSPRESNO DOBILA NOVOG IZBORNIKA EVO TKO ĆE VODITI REPREZENTACIJU U KVALIFIKACIJAMA ZA SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO!". Jutarnji.hr.
  13. "XXVIII European Championship (München 1993) Qualifying stage". Linguasport.
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