By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After reuniting with Milenko Tepic in late May, Partizan Mozzart Bet officially welcomed back Novica Velickovic on Tuesday.
A fellow former captain of the Belgrade outfit, 38-year-old Velickovic played for Partizan NIS at the start and the end of his career, between 2004 and 2009 and from 2016 to 2021, becoming the all-time leader in appearances. The next challenge follows as a player development coach of the youth teams.
The storied club based in the Serbian capital trusting the next generation of players to team legends meets the senior team coached by legendary tactician Zeljko Obradovic battling for regional and domestic championships down the stretch of the 2024-25 journey.
Specifically, Partizan is currently in a best-of-five championship series opposite Buducnost VOLI in the AdmiralBet ABA League Playoffs and from there will enter the AdmiralBet Basketball League of Serbia Playoffs with a best-of-three semifinal series against FMP Soccerbet.
ABA Playoffs
Quarterfinals (best of three)
Buducnost VOLI – Mega Superbet 2-0 (96-80, 92-87)
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet – Igokea m:tel 2-0 (87-77, 95-90)
Partizan Mozzart Bet – Spartak Office Shoes 2-0 (100-75, 82-75)
Dubai – Cedevita Olimpija 2-1 (86-85, 89-94, 85-76)
Semifinals (best of three)
Buducnost VOLI – Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet 2-1 (104-70, 81-100, 81-78)
Partizan Mozzart Bet – Dubai 2-1 (102-72, 95-100, 114-97)
Finals (best of five)
Buducnost VOLI – Partizan Mozzart Bet 1-1 (88-94, 84-73)
AdmiralBet Basketball League of Serbia Playoffs
Quarterfinals (best of three)
Mega Superbet – FMP Soccerbet 0-2 (81-86, 73-77)
Spartak Office Shoes – Vrsac Meridianbet 2-0 (94-76, 84-83)
Semifinals (best of three)
Partizan Mozzart Bet – FMP Soccerbet
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet – Spartak Office Shoes
Finals (best of three)
Winners of Semifinals
Photo Credit: ABA-Liga.com