Zagreb's Basketball Glory: Cibona's Creation Attributed to Party Project

Zoran Čutura, a pivotal player in the golden era of Zagreb's basketball club Cibona, has spoken out about what he describes as a collective amnesia regarding the club's true origins.

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Its father and creator is Mr. Novosel, but not only him. We must not forget that Cibona was a party project.

Čutura, who was an indispensable member of Cibona during the 1980s, winning two European championships and multiple domestic titles alongside legendary Dražen Petrović, asserted that the club's success was deeply intertwined with a city-led initiative. "Its father and creator is Mr. Novosel, but not only him. We must not forget that Cibona was a party project," Čutura stated, referring to the political party's involvement.

He elaborated that the club was a significant urban project that proved highly successful, a stark contrast to Zagreb before the late 1970s and early 1980s. Čutura recalled Zagreb as a provincial city where businesses closed early and public order patrols were common. The transformation into a more modern city, he believes, began with the Universiade, creating fertile ground for Cibona's rise.

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Zagreb was a province until 1979 or 1980. This can perhaps be best described in one sentence – the streets were lit with weak bulbs, and everything closed at nine in the evening.

Reflecting on his former teammate Dražen Petrović, Čutura described him as an "impeccable basketball machine" and a boundary-breaker. "He was a man who broke boundaries and opened paths that others, thanks to him, walked more easily," Čutura said, acknowledging Petrović's immense talent and influence.

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He was an impeccable basketball machine, a man who had his goal and pursued it. Unfortunately, he could not fully achieve it, as tragedy stopped him.

Čutura's comments shed light on the historical context of one of Zagreb's most celebrated sports institutions, emphasizing the political and urban planning factors that contributed to its creation and subsequent achievements.

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He was a man who broke boundaries and opened paths that others, thanks to him, walked more easily.