KK Zlatorog Laško
KK Zlatorog Laško logo
LeaguesSlovenian Second League
Founded1969 (1969)
(as KK Laško)
ArenaTri Lilije Hall
Capacity2,500
LocationLaško, Slovenia
Team colorsWhite, Green
   
Main sponsorLaško Brewery
PresidentBojan Špiler
Championships1 Slovenian Cup
1 Alpe Adria Cup
WebsiteOfficial website

Košarkarski klub Zlatorog Laško (English: Zlatorog Laško Basketball Club), commonly referred to as KK Zlatorog or simply Zlatorog, is a Slovenian basketball club based in Laško that competes in the Slovenian Second League, the second tier of Slovenian basketball. The team play their home games at the Tri Lilije Hall.

History

The club was established in 1969.[1] During the initial years the club was competing under the name KK Laško. In 1972 they renamed as KK Zlatorog Laško, and in 1994 as KK Pivovarna Laško. A year before that, the town of Laško started the construction of a new modern sports hall which prompted rapid expansion of basketball in the town. The management also renewed the playing potential of the club, and in the 1995–96 season, after two years of competing in the 1B Division, the club qualified for the Slovenian top division. Aleš Pipan replaced the former coach Andrej Žagar, and on the other hand, the players headed by Matjaž Tovornik were joined by new reinforcements, among them Mileta Lisica.

In the first season in the top division, the club finished in third place, and also qualified for the European Cup for the next season. At the beginning of the season the club acquired Ervin Dragšič and Miljan Goljović. In the 1997–98 season, the club once again finished third in the national league, and also reached the Slovenian Basketball Cup final, which they lost against Union Olimpija.[2] In the European Cup, Zlatorog competed in the group with Fenerbahçe Ülker, Le Mans, Rīgas ASK, Idea Śląsk Wrocław and ICEC, and finished the qualification games in the 1/16 finals, when the team was defeated by Tofaş.

The 1998–99 season was one of the most successful in the club's history. On the domestic scene, the club completely matched the potential of the leading domestic club who was already well-established in the European competitions, and qualified for both the playoffs and the cup finals. After the victory over AEK Athens, the club defeated the Polish champions Śląsk Wrocław and the French club Cholet Basket. This took them to the quarter-finals of the Saporta Cup, where they lost to Aris.

The 1999–2000 season was difficult for the club, but it also meant the final establishment of the club on the European scene. In the EuroLeague, the club competed in the group with the Italian champions Benetton Treviso, Maccabi Tel Aviv, ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, Olympiacos Piraeus and Ülker. They defeated Olympiacos and Ülker. In the second round, they played against Cibona Zagreb, Fortitudo Bologna and Efes Pilsen. In the domestic league, the club ended the regular season in first place. However, in the last game before the playoffs, the injuries of three key players, Mileta Lisica, Gregor Hafnar and Boštjan Nachbar, abruptly terminated the dreams about the national title. The team lost the playoff finals against Krka.[3] In the cup final, the club once again played against Olimpija, and lost.[2] After the season, the club underwent sizeable changes. The head coach Aleš Pipan was replaced by Boris Zrinski, who was also the head coach of the national team.[4] Several players left the club, among them Miljan Goljović, Gregor Hafnar, Aleš Kunc, Vid Žarković and Boštjan Nachbar.

Honours

League

Runners-up: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2015–16

Cup

Winners: 2004
Runners-up: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015
Runners-up: 2004, 2005
Winners: 2017–18
Runners-up: 2015–16

Season-by-season records

Season Tier Division Pos. Postseason National cup International competitions
1991–92 3 2 .SKL – East 3 First round
1992–93 3 2 .SKL – East 4 Quarterfinals
1993–94 3 2. SKL 1 Promoted Third round
1994–95 2 2. A SKL 3 Second round
1995–96 2 2. A SKL 2 Promoted Fourth round
1996–97 1 1. SKL 3 Semifinals Fourth round
1997–98 1 1. SKL 3 Semifinals Runners-up EuroCup round of 32
1998–99 1 1. SKL 2 Runners-up Runners-up Saporta Cup quarterfinals
1999–00 1 1. SKL 1 Runners-up Runners-up Euroleague group stage
2000–01 1 1. SKL 4 Semifinals Quarterfinals Saporta Cup group stage
2001–02 1 1. SKL 3 Semifinals Semifinals Korać Cup semifinals
Adriatic League semifinals
2002–03 1 1. SKL 3 Semifinals Semifinals ULEB Cup round of 16
Adriatic League 8th
2003–04 1 1. SKL 2 Runners-up Winners Adriatic League 6th
2004–05 1 1. SKL 2 Semifinals Runners-up ULEB Cup group stage
Adriatic League 9th
2005–06 1 1. SKL 5 Runners-up Adriatic League 14th
2006–07 1 1. SKL 4 Semifinals Fifth round
2007–08 1 1. SKL 4 Semifinals Quarterfinals EuroCup elimination round 2
2008–09 1 1. SKL 4 Semifinals Quarterfinals EuroChallenge 1QR
2009–10 1 1. SKL 7 Runners-up
2010–11 1 1. SKL 4 Semifinals Semifinals
2011–12 1 1. SKL 4 Semifinals Semifinals Adriatic League 14th
2012–13 1 Liga Telemach 4 Semifinals Fourth round
2013–14 1 Liga Telemach 5 Quarterfinals Fifth round
2014–15 1 Liga Telemach 4 Quarterfinals Runners-up
2015–16 1 Liga Telemach 2 Runners-up Semifinals FIBA Europe Cup group stage
Alpe Adria Cup runners-up
2016–17 1 Liga Nova KBM 4 Semifinals Semifinals Alpe Adria Cup semifinals
2017–18 1 Liga Nova KBM 10 Promotion/relegation playoff Quarterfinals Alpe Adria Cup winners
2018–19 1 Liga Nova KBM 8 Quarterfinals Fourth round

References

  1. "V Laškem praznujejo 50 let od ustanovitve košarkarskega kluba". Ekipa24.si (in Slovenian). 3 October 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Zgodovina Pokala Spar (KZS)". kzs.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  3. "Krka poskrbela za jubilejni deseti veliki finalni derbi". Sportklub (in Slovenian). 19 May 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  4. "Boris Zrinski podpisal za dve leti". sta.si (in Slovenian). 23 May 2000. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
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