Aleksandar Đorđević

Aleksandar "Saša" Đorđević or Sale Đorđević (Anglicized: Sasha Djordjevic; Александар Саша Ђорђевић, ; born 26 August 1967) is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player.

He currently serves as a head coach for the senior China.

During his playing career, he was listed as a 1.88 m (6'2") 90 kg (198 lb.) point guard.

Born in 1967 into a sporting family, both of Aleksandar's parents—retired basketball player father Bratislav a.k.a. Bata and mother Milijana—worked as primary school physical education teachers.

His father simultaneously pursued basketball coaching, an activity that would eventually turn into a notable professional career after the summer 1971 marquee appointment as KK Crvena zvezda's head coach and immediate success leading the team to the Yugoslav League title, won in a dramatic neutral-venue, single-game playoff versus Jugoplastika Split that went into overtime.

The family lived in New Belgrade where young Aleksandar a.k.a. Saša was immersed in basketball from an early age.

Following in young Saša's footsteps, his younger brother Miloš would also end up pursuing basketball, getting as far as youth categories within the KK Partizan system.

Following his father's advice, sixteen-year-old Đorđević joined Partizan Belgrade during the summer of 1983.

Arriving at the club coached by Bora Džaković with a roster featuring Nebojša Zorkić, Milenko Savović, Goran Grbović, Danko Cvjetićanin, Boban Petrović, Arsenije Pešić, and Miško Marić, the youngster got sporadic minutes at point guard during the league season as Partizan finished in the seventh spot, good for a play-in single-game showdown against lower-tier club Sloga Kraljevo for a chance to qualify for the playoffs quarterfinal.

Partizan managed to defeat Sloga but then got swept by eternal rivals Red Star Belgrade in the best-of-three playoff quarterfinal series.

Ahead of the next season, 1984-85, Partizan underwent a front-office shakeup that saw freshly-retired Yugoslav and club legend Dragan Kićanović appointed to the club vice-president post.

The club also hired another Yugoslav basketball legend Moka Slavnić to be the new head coach thus giving him a chance to coach right after ending his illustrious playing career.

He also won two Yugoslav First Federal League championships (1986–87 and 1991–92), and two Yugoslav Cups (1989 and 1992) while with the club.

In summer 1990, after being away from competitive basketball for a year due to serving his mandatory Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) stint, twenty-three-year-old Đorđević spent four months at the Boston Celtics' free agent training camp, competing for a spot on the 1990–91 Celtics roster against some thirty other point guards.

Đorđević joined the camp on recommendation from the Celtics' scout Nedjeljko Oštarčević, making it to the very end of the selection process before getting cut shortly before the season began due to Brian Shaw's return to the club from Virtus Roma.

As a player, he won gold medals at the 1991 EuroBasket, the 1995 EuroBasket, the 1997 EuroBasket, where he was named the Most Valuable Player, and the 1998 FIBA World Championship.

Đorđević's pro club career is most remembered for his game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer, in the 1991–92 FIBA European League (EuroLeague)'s 1992 Final, which he hit in the game against the Spanish club Montigalà Joventut.

During his pro club playing career, Đorđević, along with his teammate Sasha Danilović, helped to lead Partizan Belgrade to its first EuroLeague title in 1992, while he earned an All-Final Four Team selection in the process.

He hit the game-winning shot of the 1992 EuroLeague Final, and the game-winning shot of the 1997 EuroBasket game between FR Yugoslavia and Croatia.

He is the only person that has won medals at the Summer Olympic Games, the FIBA World Cup, and the FIBA EuroBasket, as both a player and as a head coach.

He was named to the 1992 EuroLeague All-Final Four Team.

In addition to winning Europe's most prestigious club title, the EuroLeague championship, with Partizan Belgrade in 1992, Đorđević also won Europe's third most important competition at that time, the FIBA Korać Cup title, in the 1988–89 season.

Đorđević moved from Partizan Belgrade to Olimpia Milano, which competed in the top level Italian League, in 1992.

He stayed at the club for two seasons, from 1992–93 to 1993–94.

With Olimpia Milano, he won the FIBA Korać Cup championship, which was Europe's third most significant competition at that time, in the 1992–93 season.

He was the top scorer of the finals.

He was twice named the Mister Europa Player of the Year, in both 1994 and 1995.

He also played in a total of 108 games, while representing the senior national teams of SFR Yugoslavia, and later FR Yugoslavia.

Đorđević moved to the Italian League club Fortitudo Bologna, in 1994.

He played with the club during the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons.

In 1995, Đorđević received the Golden Badge award for the Best Athlete of FR Yugoslavia, and the Yugoslav Olympic Committee declared him the Sportsman of the Year.

After the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Đorđević had a stint with the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), during the 1996–97 season.

He made his NBA debut on November 29, 1996, recording 2 points and a rebound, in a 119–93 win over the Golden State Warriors.

His last NBA game was on December 15.

Unhappy with lack of playing time, he was placed on waivers in end of December 1996 after appearing in 8 games where he averaged 3.1 points per game.

After his NBA stint with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996, Đorđević signed with FC Barcelona of Spain's premier competition, the Liga ACB.

He stayed with the club for three seasons (1996–97, 1997–98, and 1998–99).

With Barcelona, he won the European-wide third-tier level FIBA Korać Cup championship of the 1998–99 season, and he was the final's top scorer.

In 2008, Đorđević was named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.

Đorđević is most well-known for two famous game-winning shots that he hit during his playing career.