24 years without Delibasic
A league and Intercontinental Cup winner with our club, the Real Madrid legend passed away on 8th December 2001.
On 8 December 2001, Real Madrid said goodbye to Mirza Delibasic. The European basketball legend died at the age of 47, a victim of cancer. He played for our club for two seasons and demonstrated his enormous talent and elegance on the court. An excellent shooter and playmaker, he won a League and an Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid.
Delibasic was born in Tuzla (Bosnia-Herzegovina) on 9 January 1954 and during his career, he won the most prestigious titles in club and national team basketball. In 1979, he lifted the European Cup with Bosna Sarajevo, and his record with Yugoslavia is spectacular, with gold medals at the 1980 Olympic Games, the 1978 World Cup and the 1975 and 1977 European Championships.
Hall of Fame
After his premature retirement due to a brain haemorrhage, Delibasic became a coach and went on to coach Bosnia in the 1993 European Championships. Among the accolades for his career are his induction into the FIBA Hall of Fame, the Olympic Order award and his selection as the best Bosnian athlete of the 20th century.