Slobodan "Rica" Gordić (Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан "Рица" Гордић; born 28 September 1937)[1] is a Serbian former professional basketball player. He represented the Yugoslavia national basketball team internationally.

Slobodan Gordić
Personal information
Born (1937-09-28) 28 September 1937 (age 87)
Čačak, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Died23/11/2022
NationalitySerbian
Listed height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Listed weight93 kg (205 lb)
Career information
NBA draft1959: undrafted
Playing career1954–1976
Number4
Career history
1954–1967OKK Beograd
1967–1968JA Vichy
1968–1970Mechelen
1970–1972Battel Mechelen
1972–1976Maccabi Brussels
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Yugoslavia
FIBA World Championship
Silver medal – second place 1963 Brasil Team
EuroBasket
Silver medal – second place 1961 Yugoslavia Team
Silver medal – second place 1965 Soviet Union Team
Bronze medal – third place 1963 Poland Team
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1959 Lebanon Team

Playing career

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Gordić played for OKK Beograd during their so-called 'Golden Era' in the late 1950s and the first half of the 1960s in the Yugoslav First League. His teammates were Radivoj Korać, Miodrag Nikolić, Bogomir Rajković, Trajko Rajković and Milorad Erkić. OKK Beograd's coaches during that time were Borislav Stanković and Aleksandar Nikolić and sports director was Radomir Šaper. In that period they won four Yugoslav League championships and two Yugoslav Cups.

During the 1967–68 season, Gordić played for a French team JA Vichy led by Đorđe Andrijašević. In 1968, he went to Belgium where he played in their Basketball League.[2]

National team career

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As a player for the Yugoslavia national basketball team Gordić has played from 1958 to 1965. He participated at the 1963 FIBA World Championship in Brazil,[3] and four EuroBasket (1959 in Turkey, 1961 in Yugoslavia, 1963 in Poland and 1965 in Soviet Union)[4] and two Summer Olympics (1960 in Rome and 1964 in Tokyo).[5] Gordić won the silver medal at the 1963 World Championship, as well as two silver medals (1961, 1965) and a bronze medal (1963) at EuroBasket. Also, he won the gold medal at the 1959 Mediterranean Games in Lebanon.

Post-playing career

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On 1 October 1973, Gordić got employed at the Belgian supermarket chain GB in Brussels. He worked there until 1996.[2]

Career achievements

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References

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  1. ^ Gordic Profile at OKK Beograd website
  2. ^ a b "Slobodan Gordić – Rica" (PDF). okkbeograd.org.rs. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. ^ Gordic at 1963 World Championship for Men
  4. ^ Slobodan Gordic at 1965 European Championship for Men
  5. ^ Gordic at 1960 Olympic Games Tournament for Men
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