1.
Umag
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Umag is a coastal city in Istria, Croatia. The city hosts a yearly ATP tennis tournament on clay courts and it is the westernmost city of Croatia, and the municipality includes Savudrija/Salvore, the westernmost point of Croatia. Umag has a population of 7,769, for a municipal population of 13,064. Like many other towns in Istria, Umag has a multi-ethnic population. Croats comprise a majority with 59. 6%, Italians 18. 3%, Serbs 3. 8%, Slovenes 2. 2%, Bosniaks 1. 7%, Albanians 1. 3%. Umag was mentioned for the first time in the 7th century by a citizen from Ravenna. Proof of that is found in the remains of Roman retreats. The towns history is linked to the settlement of Sipar whose ruins can be found on the narrow cape. In the 9th century, the settlement of Sipar was devastated by invaders. However, after this unfortunate incident Umag grew in significance thanks also to its location and it was actually this location that safeguarded the settlement from the continuous invasions throughout the centuries. The Roman period of prosperity was substituted by one of insecurity caused primarily by frequent invasions, outbreaks of plague, cholera. The number of its dwellers declined rapidly, Umag became part of the reigns of Odoacer, Theodoric, and was also ruled by the Langobards. From the 6th to the 8th centuries it fell under Byzantine dominion, followed by the rule of the Lombards in 751, the period to come was marked by insecurity and frequent changes of government from the Patriarchs of Grado and Aquileia to the Bishops of Trieste. However, the increasingly powerful Venetian Republic imposed its rule over Istria, forcing Umag, actually, in 1269, the Commune of Umag promised loyalty to Venice which from that time all through 1797 was to appoint governors of Umag from among its nobility. This period was by no means a peaceful one, century old clashes with Genoa brought about more destruction and looting. In 1370 the Genovese navy attacked Umag, destroying the towns archive, the outbreaks of plague that decimated the dwellers forced the Venetian authorities to consider colonising the area with new settlers, mainly from the territories threatened by Turkish invasions. The harbour of Umag was utilised for loading agricultural surplus from the hinterland, up to the collapse of Venice Umag had lived like other Istrian towns. Its communal arrangement was guaranteed in the Statute from 1541, with the fall of the Venetian Republic, Umag, like the entire eastern Adriatic coast, came under the rule of France until 1815 when it passed over to Austria until 1918
2.
Mostar
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Mostar is a city and municipality in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Inhabited by 105,797 people, it is the most important city in the Herzegovina region, its capital. Mostar is situated on the Neretva River and is the fifth-largest city in the country, Mostar was named after the bridge keepers who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most over the Neretva. Human settlements on the river Neretva, between the Hum Hill and the Velež Mountain, have existed since prehistory, as witnessed by discoveries of fortified enceintes and cemeteries, evidence of Roman occupation was discovered beneath the present town. As far as medieval Mostar goes, although the Christian basilicas of late antiquity remained in use, few historical sources were preserved, during this time it was also the seat of a kadiluk. Since Mostar was on the route between the Adriatic and the mineral-rich regions of central Bosnia, the settlement began to spread to the right bank of the river. Prior to the 1474 the names of two towns appear in historical sources, along with their later medieval territories and properties – the towns of Nebojša. In the early 15th century the county of Večenike covered the site of the present-day Mostar along the bank of the Neretva, including the sites of Zahum, Cim, Ilići, Raštani. It was at the center of area, which in 1408 belonged to Radivojević. Mostar is indirectly referred to in a 1454 charter of King Alfonso V of Aragon as Pons, prior to 1444, the Nebojša fort was built on the left bank of the Neretva, which belonged to the late medieval county still known as Večenike or Večerić. ”. In 1468 the region came under Ottoman rule and the urbanization of the settlement began and it was named Köprühisar, meaning fortress at the bridge, at the centre of which was a cluster of 15 houses. Following the unwritten rule, the town was organized into two distinct areas, čaršija, the crafts and commercial centre of the settlement, and mahala or a residential area. The town was fortified between the years 1520 and 1566, and the bridge was rebuilt in stone. The stone bridge, the Old Bridge, was erected in 1566 on the orders of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent,28 metres long and 20 metres high, quickly became a wonder in its own time. In the late 16th century, Köprühisar was one of the towns of the Sanjak of Herzegovina and it is thrown from rock to rock as high as the sky. During this period, Mostar was recognized as the capital of Herzegovina. The first church in the city of Mostar, a Serbian Orthodox Church, was built in 1834 during Ottoman rule, in 1881 the town became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mostar-Duvno and in 1939, it became a part of the Banovina of Croatia. During World War II Mostar was also an important city in the fascist Independent State of Croatia, after World War II, Mostar developed a production of plastics, tobacco, bauxite, wine, aircraft and aluminium products
3.
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
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The Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the six constituent federal units forming the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It was a predecessor of the modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina state, the capital city was Sarajevo, which remained the capital following independence. The Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina was, up to 20 December 1990, in the hands of the League of Communists of Bosnia, the borders of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina were almost identical to the ones Bosnia had during the period of Austro-Hungarian rule that lasted until 1918. That year Bosnia became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and during that period the territory was divided among banovinas, during a meeting of the State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Mrkonjić Grad on 25 November 1943. In April 1945 its name was formalized as the Federal State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, FS Bosnia and Herzegovina thus became known as the Peoples Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This constitutional system lasted until the 1963 Yugoslav Constitution, on 7 April 1963, Yugoslavia was reconstituted as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and PR Bosnia and Herzegovina changed its name to the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After independence on 1 March 1992, the country was renamed to the Republic of Bosnia, following the Dayton Agreement that was in force, it became simply a federated state known as Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1997. Because of its geographic position within the Yugoslavian federation, post-war Bosnia was strategically selected as a base for the development of the military defense industry. This contributed to a concentration of arms and military personnel in Bosnia. However, Bosnias existence within Yugoslavia, for the part, was peaceful. Being one of the republics in the early 1950s it quickly recovered economically. Cultural ascendance of Bosnia and Herzegovina culminated with the selection of Sarajevo to host 1984 Winter Olympics, though considered a political backwater of the federation for much of the 50s and 60s, the 70s saw the ascension of a strong Bosnian political elite. While working within the communist system, politicians such as Džemal Bijedić, Branko Mikulić and Hamdija Pozderac reinforced and protected the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their efforts proved key during the turbulent period following Titos death in 1980, however, the republic hardly escaped the increasingly nationalistic climate of the time unscathed. Following the death of Tito in 1980, rising nationalist ideas primarily noted in Serbian academia, such trials in the communist regime were quite common and a typical practice of suppressing the right to free speech. That kind of propaganda attracted many Bosnian Muslims to their way of thinking, others were interpreting the Sarajevo process as a way of removing the political amateurs who could end up disrupting the process of Bosnian independence. After the elections, they formed a coalition government, the decision of the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on holding the referendum was taken after the majority of Bosnian Serb members had left the assembly in protest. These Bosnian Serb assembly members invited the Bosnian Serb population to boycott the referendum held on 29 February and 1 March 1992, the turnout in the referendum was 64-67% and the vote was 98% in favor of independence
4.
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
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Covering an area of 255,804 km², the SFRY was bordered with Italy to the west, Hungary to the north, Bulgaria and Romania to the east and Albania and Greece to the south. In addition, it included two autonomous provinces within Serbia, Kosovo and Vojvodina, the SFRY traces back to 29 June 1943 when the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia was formed during World War II. On 29 November 1945, the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed after the deposal of King Peter II thus ending the monarchy. Following the death of Tito on 4 May 1980, rising ethnic nationalism in the late 1980s led to dissidence among the multiple ethnicities within the constituent republics. This led to the federation collapsing along the borders, followed by the final downfall and breakup of the federation on 27 April 1992. The term former Yugoslavia is now commonly used retrospectively, the name Yugoslavia, an Anglicised transcription of Jugoslavija, is a composite word made-up of jug and slavija. The Serbo-Croatian, Slovene and Macedonian word jug means south, while slavija denotes a land of the Slavs, thus, a translation of Jugoslavija would be South-Slavia or Land of the South Slavs. The term is intended to denote the lands occupied by the six South Slavic nations, Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Montenegrins, Slovenes, the full official name of the federation varied significantly between 1945 and 1992. Yugoslavia was formed in 1918 under the name Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, the name deliberately left the republic-or-kingdom question open. In 1963, amid pervasive liberal constitutional reforms, the name Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was introduced, the state is most commonly referred to by the latter name, which it held for the longest period of all. The most common abbreviation is SFRY, though SFR Yugoslavia was also used in an official capacity, particularly by the media. On 6 April 1941, Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis powers led by Nazi Germany, by 17 April 1941, Yugoslav resistance was soon established in two forms, the Royal Yugoslav Army and the Yugoslav Partisans. The Partisan supreme commander was Josip Broz Tito, and under his command the movement soon began establishing liberated territories which attracted the attentions of the occupying forces. The coalition of parties, factions, and prominent individuals behind the movement was the Peoples Liberation Front. The Front formed a political body, the Anti-Fascist Council for the Peoples Liberation of Yugoslavia. The AVNOJ, which met for the first time in Partisan-liberated Bihać on 26 November 1942, during 1943, the Yugoslav Partisans began attracting serious attention from the Germans. In two major operations of Fall Weiss and Fall Schwartz, the Axis attempted to stamp-out the Yugoslav resistance once, on both occasions, despite heavy casualties, the Group succeeded in evading the trap and retreating to safety. The Partisans emerged stronger than before and now occupied a significant portion of Yugoslavia
5.
1973 NBA draft
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The 1973 NBA draft was the 27th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 24 and May 5,1973, in this draft,17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Philadelphia 76ers won the flip and were awarded the first overall pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Prior to the draft, the Baltimore Bullets relocated to Landover, Maryland, the Philadelphia 76ers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as compensation when the Seattle SuperSonics signed John Brisker. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. Before the draft,11 college underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the hardship rule and these players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier. The draft consisted of 20 rounds comprising the selection of 211 players and this was the last NBA draft to last until any number of rounds, or until teams run out of prospects, from the next years draft until the 1984 draft they were fixed to 10 rounds. Doug Collins from Illinois State University was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, Jim Brewer from the University of Minnesota was selected second by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who obtained the pick from the Blazers in a trade. Ernie DiGregorio from Providence College, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected third by the Buffalo Braves. George McGinnis, who was selected by the 76ers with the 22nd pick, is the player who was selected to both the All-NBA Team and the All-Star Game. Collins, 5th pick Kermit Washington and 50th pick Larry Kenon are the other players from this draft who were selected to an All-Star Game. Collinss achievements include four All-Star Game selections, after retiring as a player, he went on to coach the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards. Brewer won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982 and he later played basketball in Europe, where he won the Euroleague championship with the Ford Cantù in 1983. McGinnis had already played in the American Basketball Association prior to the draft and he left college after his sophomore year in 1971 to play with the Indiana Pacers for four seasons. He later played in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team drafted him
6.
Small forward
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The small forward, also known as the three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers. The small forward position is considered to be perhaps the most versatile of the five basketball positions. In the NBA, small forwards usually range from 66 to 69, the ideal position for a small forward would be between the key and three-point line. Many small forwards in professional basketball, however, are prolific scorers, therefore, accurate foul shooting is an imperative skill for small forwards, many of whom record a large portion of their points at the foul line. Small forwards who are defensive specialists are very versatile as they can often guard multiple positions using their size, speed, and strength such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George
7.
KK Partizan
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KK Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club based in Belgrade. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan, the club competes in the KLS and Adriatic League. Since 1945, Partizan has won around 45 trophies, and is the holder of the 21 national champion titles and they have also won 14 national basketball cups and 6 Adriatic championships, and notably the European Champion trophy at the Final Four of the Euroleague in Istanbul in 1992. Same year club took national championship and cup, and won Triple Crown, KK Partizan was not allowed to defend the Euroleague title in the 1992–93 season, because of UN sanctions. They also won 3 Korać Cups in 1978,1979 and 1989, in September 2009, KK Partizan became the first Serbian team to play an official game against NBA teams. The club was founded on 4 October 1945, as a section of the Sports Association of the Central House of the Yugoslav Army. KK Partizan officially ceased to be a club of the Army in 1953, since the sports society became independent. Although with a roster, including players who played for the national team of Yugoslavia. In the early 1970s, when players started to run the club. He made a selection of young players led by Dražen Dalipagić. He gathered around him other young professionals, and in late 1970s and this period in the clubs history included a few trophies. The first of these was the title of Yugoslav champion in 1975–76 season, after a calm period due to a change of generations, by the end of the 1980s under the leadership of new club director, Dragan Kićanović involved young experts, such as Duško Vujošević. After losing in the semifinals to Maccabi Tel Aviv, Partizan won over Aris, in 1989, enforced by young Predrag Danilović, Partizan won the FIBA Korać Cup for the third time, triumphing over Wiwa Vismara Cantù. After losing the first game in Italy, Partizan celebrated the return leg in Belgrade with 101–82 and that same season, Partizan won the Yugoslav Cup over new European champions Jugoplastika. Vlade Divac and Žarko Paspalj in late 1989, along with Dražen Petrović from Cibona became the first players from the territory of Yugoslavia who pursued their careers in the NBA league. For the new coach, management chose a team captain and former team player with almost no coaching experience. His professional counselor became former Partizan coach and player, top European basketball expert, FIBA decided not to allow teams from the former Yugoslavia to play their home games at their home venues, because of open hostilities in the region. Belgrades Black and Whites have opted to be hosts in the Madrid suburb of Fuenlabrada, obradovićs team began a long season of European and domestic matches, often traveling thousands of kilometers in just a few days, with performance gradually improving
8.
Reyer Venezia Mestre
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Reyer Venezia Mestre, or Reyer Venice Mestre, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Venice, Veneto. It operates both mens and womens teams, both playing in their respective first divisions as of the 2016-17 season. Founded in 1872, as gymnastics club Società Sportiva Costantino Reyer, it started sponsoring basketball in 1907, the mens team won the LBA in 1942 and 1943. The team was founded in 1872, by the gymnastics teacher Peter Gallo in Venice, in the 1941–42 and 1942–43 season, Reyer won back-to-back Italian league titles. In 1944, the also won the Italian championship. In 2006–07, Reyer was the champion of Italy. In the 2010–11 season, the team promoted back to the Lega Basket Serie A
9.
Real Madrid Baloncesto
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Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team that was founded in 1931, as a division of the Real Madrid C. F. multi sports club. They play domestically in the Liga ACB, and internationally in the EuroLeague, as successful as the Real Madrid athletic associations football club, the basketball team has been the most successful of its peers in both Spain and Europe. The Real Madrid squads have won a record 33 Spanish League championships and they have also won a record 27 Spanish Cup titles, a record 9 EuroLeague Championships, and a record 4 Saporta Cups. Madrid has also won a record 5 Intercontinental Cups, and they have also won 3 Triple Crowns. Some of the star players over the years have included, Arvydas Sabonis, Dražen Petrović, Dražen Dalipagić, Mirza Delibašić, Juan Antonio Corbalán, Fernando Martín. Real Madrid also has a basketball team that plays in the amateur level Spanish 4th-tier Liga EBA. Its early dominance in Spain has resulted in another cache of 33 domestic league and 27 cup trophies. Madrid downed Milano the 1984 Cup Winners Cup on free throws by Brian Jackson, Madrid added a 1988 Korać Cup title against Cibona, and a 1992 Saporta Cup trophy against PAOK on a buzzer-beating jumper by Rickey Brown. It was not until Sabonis arrived in Madrid when Real won its last Euroleague title in 1995, Madrid still won the 1997 Saporta Cup title against Verona, but no more European trophies came in the next decade. Madrid still found success at home, winning Spanish League titles in 2000 and 2005 and it all changed in 2007 when Joan Plaza was promoted to head coach. Moreover, Madrid won the Spanish regular season and stayed strong in Palacio Vistalegre to lift its 30th league trophy, in Pablo Lasos era Real Madrid Baloncesto still found the success. New Spanish top tier players like Sergio Rodríguez and Rudy Fernández were acquired, also ACB Rising Star winner Nikola Mirotić mixed with Sergio Llull and Felipe Reyes, to give Real Madrid a strong home grown core. The team gave Real Madrid Baloncesto 5 Copa del Reys,3 Spanish Super Cups,3 Liga ACBs,1 EuroLeague, on May 17,2015, after waiting 20 years to win another EuroLeague championship, Real Madrid won the 2015 Euroleague against Olympiacos. Madrids Andrés Nocioni was named the Final Four MVP and this title was called La Novena. Following the EuroLeague title, the 2014–15 ACB season was also won, because Real also won the Cup and Supercup that season, it won its first Quadruble crown. On September 27,2015,34 years after their last FIBA Intercontinental Cup title, Real Madrid won their fifth FIBA Intercontinental Cup trophy, Sergio Llull was named MVP of this tournament. Fronton Fiesta Alegre, before the team played in not domed courts, colegio Maravillas, used for home games during the construction of the new pavilion. 3 Trofeo Teresa Herrera,1987,1989,1991,2 Trofeos Open de París, 1961/62, 1962/63
10.
Scaligera Basket Verona
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Scaligera Basket Verona is an Italian professional basketball club based in Verona, Veneto. It comptes in the second division Serie A2 as of the 2015-16 season, in the 1990s, the club reached the first division Serie A, staying that for ten years. They won the Italian Cup in 1991, the Italian SuperCup in 1997, in 2002, the club went bankrupt. A new organisation born in 2010 retook the Scaligera name. com Team Profile
11.
KK Crvena zvezda
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KK Crvena zvezda is a professional basketball club based in Belgrade, the major part of the Red Star multi-sports club. Crvena zvezda is a part of the Adriatic Basketball Association and compete in the ABA League, EuroLeague, the team play domestic home matches in the Hall Aleksandar Nikolić, and the EuroLeague home matches in Kombank Arena. Zvezdas supporters are known as Delije, by winning the first of ten consecutive championship titles after the Second World War, the golden age of Red Star began. Their style was unique, they made popular in Serbia and achieved first international results for former Yugoslavia. The greatness of this team cannot be disputed and they were pioneers of Yugoslavian basketball who achieved amazing results, entertaining the audience with their game style, just as with their squad harmony both on and off the court. After a decade filled with nothing but success, game started to decline, generation shift arrived. That long-awaited eleventh title was won in the 1968–69 season, when Red Star won all six games against Jugoplastika, Zadar and Partizan, at that time, they were the youngest championship winning team in Yugoslavian basketball. The twelfth title was won in the 1971–72 season, after which Red Stars league success deteriorated gradually, in the 70s the club won the national cup three times, and most of the work in those years was done by Slavnić, Simonović, Kapičić, Vučinić and Živković. Crvena Zvezda also had significant international success, having played in five cup finals so far. They lost the first Cup Winners Cup finals to Italian powerhouse Simmenthal Milano in 1972 by a score of 70–74, then, in 1974, they defeated Jbrojovka Brno from Czechoslovakia by a score of 86–75. This teams third finals in the Cup Winners Cup were lost to Spartak Leningrad by a score of 62–63 in 1975, in the clubs first Korać Cup finals, in Paris in 1984, the French Orthez won by a 73–67 score. In the Korać Cup second finals in 1998 Zvezda played two matches with Rielo Mash Jeans Verona from Italy and they triumphed in the away match with 74–68 score, but lost the home match by 64–73. With the total score being 138–141, the precious trophy wasnt won, in a twist of fate, Red Star was led that season by the legendary Partizan coach Duško Vujošević. Though they lost the series, the young Crveno-beli team showed plenty of promise. The thirteenth championship title was won after a gap of no less than 21 years, in the fifth match of the playoff finals Red Star beat fierce rivals and Pionir Hall co-tenants Partizan. In the next season Red Star won its national championship title literally without any problems. In the playoff finals Partizan was beaten by 4–1 overall, Red Star won the championship for the fifteenth time in 1998. The main star of that team was without any doubt Yugoslavian national team power forward Milenko Topić, in the early part of 2002, the club got a complete new management
12.
Nuova Pallacanestro Gorizia
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Nuova Pallacanestro Gorizia was an Italian professional basketball club based in Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It ceased activities in 2010 due to financial problems, union Ginnastica Goriziana was founded in 1868, with the basketball section officially established in 1934. The team would reach the first division Serie A in 1952, Goriziana played five Serie A seasons in the 1960s without gaining a foothold in the league. It yoyoed between the top tier and the second tier Serie A2 from 1975 to 1984, following which it stayed in the Serie A2 until 1998, the team started again from the third division Serie B1 as Nuova Pallacanestro Gorizia. However, it continued struggling on and off the court and was in the Serie C dilettanti when it withdrew from the league in September 2010 due to the owner refusing to fund the club on his own. The club did not take part in league and stopped functioning that year. Throughout the years, due to sponsorship deals, it has also known as
13.
KK MZT Skopje
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KK MZT Skopje Aerodrom is a basketball club based in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. The club competes in the Macedonian First League and Adriatic League, the clubs home ground is Jane Sandanski Arena, but due to small capacity the matches in the Adriatic League and Eurocup from 2012-2014 were played in Boris Trajkovski Arena. From the season 2014/2015 the new home is the renewed Jane Sandanski Arena, in its history, MZT Skopje has won the Macedonian First League 11 times also won the Macedonian Cup 8 times and Macedonian Super Cup 3 times. KK Skopje was formed in 1966 by a group of enthusiasts led by the first president of the club Mile Melovski, the interest in basketball was high, and even though there were four clubs in Skopje, there was still need for more clubs. That is why the appearance of KK Skopje was welcome, and numbers of people joined the club. The first team consisted of Trpezanovski, Atanasovski, Strezovski, Lazarevski and Domlevski. In two years the club became a member of the Macedonian league, many people expected KK Skopje to get relegated, but the team fought hard and became a standard member in the league. In 1971 Uroš Maljković was chosen to be the new president of the club, after the reorganization of the leagues in Yugoslavia, KK Skopje gained the right to play in the Second league – South. In the first season of this league KK Skopje finished 7th, the second season the team reached the First league qualifications. The first try failed and due to leaving the field in Ivangrad KK Skopje received a penalty of 8 points for the next season, KK Skopje got relegated again to the regional league and Taki Dzikov was selected to be the head coach. In 1979 the team finished first in the Macedonian league and managed to qualify for the Second league yet again, with this success the factory Metalski Zavod Tito or MZT started investing in KK Skopje. Slobodan Mucunski, one of the people of MZT became the president of KK Skopje. In 1984 MZT completely took the club under their wing, building the new arena Jane Sandanski in Aerodrom, in 1986 KK Skopje, under the new name MZT Skopje and the leadership of Lazar Lečić, reached the Yugoslav First Basketball League where they competed for two seasons. The debut team in the Yugoslav First Basketball League, MZT Skopje, has made a pleasant surprise in the season 1986/1987, after many years of domination by Rabotnički, the MZT team climbed to the top of the Macedonian basketball – and they kept it so far. It is interesting that from the bench they were led by the legend of the city rival Lazar Lečić. With two victories in the local derby they secured their existence, and they left Rabotnički with a lower ranking. At that period, the most prominent individuals were Vlatko Vladičevski with an average of 16,4 points, Vojislav Zivčević with 15,6 points, there was also significant contribution by the former players of Partizan - Milan Medić and of Crvena zvezda - Aleksandar Milivojša. In the fourth final of the play-off, as expected, Cibona had the least problems, after the independence of Macedonia, MZT Skopje immediately became one of the leading basketball clubs in the country
