View source for Predrag Danilović

{{Short description|Serbian basketball player (born 1970)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name            = Predrag Danilović
| image           = 
| image_size      = 
| caption         = 
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1970|02|26}}
| birth_place     = [[Sarajevo]], [[Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina|SR Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|SFR Yugoslavia]]
| nationality     = Serbian
| occupation      = {{hlist|Basketball player|basketball administrator}}
| office = President of the [[Basketball Federation of Serbia]] (KSS)
| term_start = 15 December 2016
| term_end = 
| predecessor = [[Dragan Đilas]]
| successor = 
| module ={{Infobox basketball biography
| embed = yes
| height_ft       = 6
| height_in       = 6
| weight_lb       = 200
| high_school     = [[Cookeville High School|Cookville]]<br>([[Cookeville, Tennessee]])
| draft_year      = 1992
| draft_round     = 2
| draft_pick      = 43
| draft_team      = [[Golden State Warriors]]
| career_number   = 5
| career_position = [[Shooting guard]]
| career_start    = 1988
| career_end      = 2000
| years1          = 1988–1992
| team1           = [[KK Partizan|Partizan]]
| years2          = 1992–1995
| team2           = [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]]
| years3          = {{nbay|1995|start}}–{{nbay|1996|end}}
| team3           = [[Miami Heat]]
| years4          = {{nbay|1996|end}}
| team4           = [[Dallas Mavericks]]
| years5          = 1997–2000
| team5           = Virtus Bologna
| highlights      = 
* [[Mr. Europa|Mister Europa Player of the Year]] (1998)
* 2× [[EuroLeague]] champion (1992, 1998)
* [[FIBA EuroLeague Final Four MVP]] (1992)
* [[FIBA EuroLeague Top Scorer]] (1995)
* 2× [[FIBA EuroStar]] (1997, 1998)
* 4× [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian League]] champion (1993–1995, 1998)
* 5× [[Lega Basket All Star Game|Italian All-Star]] (1992, 1993, 1997–1999)
* [[Lega Basket Serie A MVP|Italian League MVP]] (1998)
* [[Yugoslav Basketball League|Yugoslav League]] champion (1992)
* No. 5 Retired by [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]]
* [[50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors]] (2008)
| medal_templates = 
{{MedalCountry|{{bk|YUG}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship|European Championship for Juniors]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1988 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship|1988 Yugoslavia]]|[[Yugoslavia men's national under-18 basketball team|Under-18]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA EuroBasket]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[EuroBasket 1989|1989 Zagreb]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[EuroBasket 1991|1991 Rome]]|}}
{{MedalCountry|{{bk|SCG|name=FR Yugoslavia}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Summer Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|1996 Atlanta]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[EuroBasket]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[EuroBasket 1995|1995 Greece]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[EuroBasket 1997|1997 Spain]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[EuroBasket 1999|1999 France]]|}}
}}}}

'''Predrag "Saša" Danilović''' ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Предраг "Саша" Даниловић}}, {{IPA|sh|prêdraːɡ saːʃa danǐːloʋitɕ|pron}}; born February 26, 1970), usually referred to in English as '''Sasha Danilović''', is a Serbian professional [[basketball]] executive and former player, considered one of the best European [[shooting guard]]s of the 1990s. Danilović was the [[EuroLeague Final Four MVP]] in 1992, was voted [[Mr. Europa|Mister Europa Player of the Year]] in 1998, and was [[Lega Basket Serie A MVP|Italian League MVP]] the same year.

Beginning in 2007, Danilović served as the president of [[KK Partizan|Partizan]], the club with which he spent six years as a player during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 2015, he resigned from the position. On December 15, 2016, Danilović became the president of the [[Basketball Federation of Serbia]] (KSS).

==Early life and career==
Born in [[Sarajevo]] to a family of [[Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Herzegovinian Serbs]] (father Milan from the [[Orašje Zubci]] village near [[Trebinje]] and mother Vuka from the [[Kukričje]] village near [[Bileća]]),<ref name="mozzart-2011">{{cite news |first=Milan |last=Vuković |url=http://www.ekapija.com/website/sr/page/458051/Predrag-Danilovi%C4%87-predsednik-KK-Partizan-Hladni-car |language=sr |title=Hladni car |newspaper=Mozzart Sport |date=July 26, 2011 |access-date=April 5, 2013}}</ref> Danilović grew up in the [[Alipašino polje]] neighbourhood near the [[RTV Sarajevo]] main building.<ref>{{cite news |first=Vesna |last=Dedić-Milojević |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07sfhbqA6gI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/07sfhbqA6gI |archive-date=10 March 2023 |url-status=live |title=Balkanskom ulicom: Predrag Danilović |agency=[[Radio Television of Serbia|RTS]] |date=22 August 2010 |access-date=10 March 2023}}</ref> Many of his childhood summers and winters were spent in the villages of his father and mother, and in the town of Trebinje where he had aunts and uncles.<ref name="vesti-2016">{{cite news |first=Z. |last=Simonović |url=http://www.vesti-online.com/licnost-nedelje/88/Predrag-Sasa-Danilovic |language=sr |title=Ličnost nedelje: Predrag Saša Danilović |newspaper=Vesti |date=December 2016 |access-date=February 18, 2017}}</ref>

A tall and lanky kid, Danilović excelled at a variety of sports, including football, speed skating, and street basketball.<ref name="vesti-2016"/> Already showing promise at [[streetball]], in 1984, the fourteen-year-old began playing organized basketball in [[KK Bosna]]'s youth setup under youth coach Mladen "Makso" Ostojić. The player's talent was immediately evident and it didn't take long before he started receiving attention from bigger Yugoslav clubs such as [[KK Partizan]] whose assistant coach [[Duško Vujošević]] was alerted to the youngster's talents by the team's point guard [[Željko Obradović]] who had spotted Danilović during summer 1985 at a Yugoslav intra-[[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia#Federal units|republic]] youth basketball tournament on [[Zlatibor|Mount Zlatibor]]. Young Danilović played for a select team of players representing [[Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina|SR Bosnia-Herzegovina]] at the tournament.

By late 1985, Vujošević started courting the fifteen-year-old. Getting Danilović and his parents to agree to a move to Belgrade proved to be the easy part; the real challenge was getting his club KK Bosna to sign off on the transfer. Danilović wasn't under a professional contract with the Sarajevo club, however, according to [[Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia|Yugoslav Basketball Federation]] (KSJ) rules, being a youth system prospect, he needed his club's permission to complete the move. In Danilović's own words: "Bosna club management weren't too keen on me at all while I was there; they had even been planning to loan me out to other Sarajevo-area clubs, which I didn't want at all. But then Vujošević started sniffing around, and they suddenly wanted to keep me. Also, Bosna club president [[Mirza Delibašić]] and Partizan vice-president [[Dragan Kićanović]] were close friends going back to their playing days, so that created additional awkwardness and the whole thing dragged out for a while".<ref name="mozzart-2011"/><ref name="nin-1996">{{cite news |first=Svetlana |last=Popović |url=http://www.nin.co.rs/arhiva/2379/2379d.html |language=sr |title=Duletov dečak |newspaper=[[NIN (magazine)|NIN]] |date=August 2, 1996 |access-date=April 5, 2013}}</ref>

Since Bosna didn't want to let him go, by the summer of '86 Danilović and Partizan decided to act unilaterally to move the player to Belgrade, knowing full well he'd have to sit out a year before taking part in official competitions. The move marked the beginning of a long friendship and professional association between Danilović and Vujošević, with the twenty-eight-year-old coach initially acting as a mentor to the sixteen-year-old player. By December 1986 Vujošević had moved up in the [[KK Partizan|Partizan]] club hierarchy, becoming head coach in place of the fired [[Vladislav Lučić]] while young Danilović trained by himself and with the first team. Due to the unfortunate administrative situation, Danilović could only practice with Partizan players, which he did vigorously and assiduously, up to 7 or 8 hours per day. He stated in later interviews that it wasn't until his arrival at Partizan that he started training seriously. His living arrangements were provided for by the club; they put him up in a room at the [[JNA Stadium]] that he shared with youngster teammates [[Oliver Popović]] and Popović's brother. Furthermore, in accordance with his parents' wishes, the club ensured he also pursued his full-time secondary education by getting enrolled in the streamlined [[:sr:Ваздухопловна академија Београд|Petar Drapšin Technical High School]].<ref name="vesti-2016"/> However, unable to make the classes due to frequent, lengthy practices, he soon switched to part-time education at the streamlined touristic high school.<ref name="mozzart-2011"/> Discussing his first days in Belgrade and arrival at a new club, Danilović later said: 
{{blockquote|Certain people at Partizan liked me very much, but there were also those within the club who thought I was a 'neanderthal from Sarajevo' because I was a very brazen kid and I practiced like an animal. At that moment, for me, Vujošević was both a coach and a father. He molded me into a basketball player and into a man. It was from him that I learned to devote attention to individual work. I realized that talent without work means absolutely nothing. Even with hard work, it's still not enough sometimes because you may miss out on some fortunate breaks here and there. Luckily, I got those too.<ref name="nin-1996"/>}} 
Simultaneously KK Partizan tried to obtain permission to officially register their new player while Bosna for their part launched a claim against the player with KSJ, which ruled in their favour, and young Danilović had another year added to his prohibition on playing for any age bracket within Partizan's system.

Faced with new developments over the length of his ban, in the summer of 1987, seventeen-year-old Danilović moved to [[Cookeville, Tennessee]], enrolling at [[Cookeville High School]] where he was a basketball, track, and water polo star coming in second place to Daren Matthews at the school meet. However, only seven months later, in February 1988, he went back to Belgrade.<ref name="rtvrevija-1988">{{cite news |first=Branko |last=Petković |url=http://www.yugopapir.com/2018/12/dusan-vujosevic-trener-partizana-88-ne.html |language=sr |title=Kako sačuvati nerve |newspaper=RTV revija |date=February 1988 |access-date=September 14, 2019}}</ref> Coming back to SFR Yugoslavia from the United States, Danilović resumed practicing with Partizan, though still unable to play in official games with them.<ref name="rtvrevija-1988"/> His living arrangements also changed; the club moved him to Hotel Putnik in [[New Belgrade]] for a short time before eventually putting him up in an apartment in [[Blokovi|Blok 45]] that he shared with Popović. In summer 1988, Danilović was included in the Yugoslavia under-18 national team that competed at the [[1988 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship|European Championship for Juniors]] on home soil in [[Titov Vrbas]] and [[Srbobran]]. Coached by his mentor Vujošević and playing alongside promising Yugoslav juniors [[Arijan Komazec]], [[Žan Tabak]], [[Rastko Cvetković]], etc., Danilović led the team to the gold medal.

==Club career==
===KK Partizan===
====1988–89 season: Korać Cup & Yugoslav Cup winners, losing the Yugoslav league finals====
In the summer of 1988, Danilović's two-year ban finally expired and the player was free to suit up for Partizan. Already familiar with the players he had been practicing with for more than a year, the 18-year-old joined a roster laden with talent at all positions – 21-year-old point guard [[Aleksandar Đorđević|Saša Đorđević]], 22-year-old forward [[Žarko Paspalj]] who could play both the three and four positions, 22-year-old small forward [[Ivo Nakić]], versatile 20-year-old center [[Vlade Divac]], and his 21-year-old backup [[Miroslav Pecarski]] as well as a pair of experienced 28-year-olds: backup point guard [[Željko Obradović]] and backup center [[Milenko Savović]]. Starting small forward [[Goran Grbović]] (who often also played the shooting guard position) left the club for [[CD Oximesa|Oximesa]] that summer, opening up space for the incoming Danilović. Coming off a season in which they made the [[EuroLeague Final Four]] (eliminated by Maccabi in the semi-final) and lost to emerging [[KK Jugoplastika|Jugoplastika]] in the [[1987–88 Yugoslav First Basketball League|Yugoslav League playoff final series]], the young Partizan team was looking to reclaim the domestic league title.

Young Danilović immediately got big minutes at shooting guard, registering a promising debut campaign, especially excelling at defense<ref name="exyukosarka-jan2014">{{cite news |last=Spasojević |first=Zlatko |url=https://exyukosarka.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/zar-freddo-predrag-sasa-danilovic/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423081240/https://exyukosarka.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/zar-freddo-predrag-sasa-danilovic/ |archive-date=23 April 2014 |url-status=dead |title="Zar Freddo" – Predrag Saša Danilović |agency=Ex-Yu Košarka |date=12 January 2014 |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref> while contributing a modest 5.6 points per game on offense (123 points over 21 league appearances).<ref name="stankovic-dec2013">{{cite news |last=Stanković |first=Vladimir |url=http://www.euroleague.net/features/voices/2013-2014/vladimir-stankovic/i/126343/predrag-danilovic-simply-a-champ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113171319/http://www.euroleague.net/features/voices/2013-2014/vladimir-stankovic/i/126343/predrag-danilovic-simply-a-champ |url-status=dead |title=Predrag Danilovic, simply a champ |agency=Euroleague.net |archive-date=13 January 2017 |date=December 16, 2013 |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref> Partizan finished the [[1988–89 Yugoslav First Basketball League|regular season]] in first place with a 16–6 record, the same as [[KK Jugoplastika|Jugoplastika]], but with a better point differential, meaning the Belgrade club would have home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Winning both cup competitions that season – the [[1988–89 FIBA Korać Cup|FIBA Korać Cup]] and the [[Yugoslav Basketball Cup|Yugoslav Cup]] — came as a great confidence boost for the young squad. The two trophies came in quick succession during mid-March 1989 – on Thursday, March 16, Partizan went to [[Cantù]] for the first leg of the Korać Cup final away versus [[Pallacanestro Cantù|Wiwa Vismara]], losing by 13 points with Danilović getting the starting assignment and registering 10 points,<ref name="1988–89-FIBA-Korać-Cup">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20111206202123/http://www.linguasport.com/baloncesto/internacional/clubes/c3/C3_89.htm 1988–89 FIBA Korać Cup]}}</ref> followed up immediately by a trip to [[Maribor]] to play Jugoplastika in the Yugoslav Cup final on Sunday, March 19, winning 87–74, before returning home for the return leg of the Korać Cup final at home in [[Hala sportova]] on Wednesday, March 22, and winning by 19 to undo their first-leg deficit and take the trophy. Danilović, this time coming off the bench, again contributed with 10 key points in the return leg,<ref name="1988–89-FIBA-Korać-Cup"/> getting his name on his second major trophy within three days.

Back on the domestic league front, in the playoff semi-final, Partizan easily eliminated crosstown rivals [[KK Crvena zvezda|Crvena Zvezda]], setting up the finals rematch with Jugoplastika of the [[EuroLeague]] in which they had just triumphed. The best-of-three final series started in Belgrade, but right away Partizan lost the home-court advantage by dropping the opening game 73–74. The series shifted to Split where Jugoplastika won 75–70, beating Partizan to the league championship for the second straight season.

====1989–90 season: broken leg====
A testament to his brilliant debut season, in the summer of 1989 Danilović got called up for the Yugoslav national team training camp by head coach [[Dušan Ivković]] ahead of [[EuroBasket 1989]], eventually making the final 12-man squad where he played alongside club teammates Divac and Paspalj. Coming back to Partizan later that summer, the roster went through major changes as both Divac and Paspalj left after signing NBA contracts, with the Lakers and Spurs, respectively, point guard Đorđević served out his mandatory [[Yugoslav People's Army]] (JNA) stint thus missing most of the season,<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0BIEP7nsWaTNzUwUVJwN2g4R1E/view KOS magazin, February 1990]</ref> 
and head coach Vujošević left for Spanish club [[CD Oximesa|Oximesa]] from [[Granada]], taking veteran center Savović with him. [[Borislav Ćorković|Reba Ćorković]], who had previously coached the club for two stint - during the mid-1970s and then in the early 1980s —winning two domestic league titles, in [[1975–76 Yugoslav First Basketball League|1975–76]] and [[1980–81 Yugoslav First Basketball League|1980–81]] seasons - returned as head coach.

Playing with a depleted roster, the [[1989–90 Yugoslav First Basketball League|season]] turned out to be a write-off as it quickly became clear this Partizan squad was no match for tougher Yugoslav clubs. Their deficiencies were especially evident at center as Pecarski, who in the absence of Divac was forced into playing big minutes,  was often outplayed by the opposition's big man. Partizan finished the season in 8th place with a 9–13 record, missing the playoffs – the club's worst league finish in nineteen years. They didn't fare much better in the Yugoslav Cup or [[1989–90 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup|FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup]], finishing both competitions at the quarterfinal stage. It wasn't much better for Danilović individually, either: after steadily improving performanced started the season off strongly, he suffered an season-ending broken leg after only 11 games,<ref name="exyukosarka-jan2014"/> posting 14.3ppg.<ref name="stankovic-dec2013"/> The injury also kept him out of contention for inclusion in the Yugoslavia national team roster at the [[1990 FIBA World Championship|1990 World Championship]].

====1990–91 season: return from injury, another Yugoslav league finals loss====
Using his by-now-famous work ethic, twenty-year-old Danilović focused on rehabilitating his broken leg to regain game fitness for the start of the [[1990–91 Yugoslav First Basketball League|1990–91 season]].<ref name="exyukosarka-jan2014"/> Meanwhile, the team went through significant changes with head coach Ćorković let go and eventually replaced by Danilović's mentor Vujošević who thus returned to the club after a largely unsuccessful episode in Spain. Another returnee with a sub-par season behind him was old favourite Paspalj, back after only a season with the Spurs. With Partizan's main title contender, reigning European and Yugoslav champions KK Split going through a coaching change with their head coach [[Božidar Maljković|Boža Maljković]] accepting [[FC Barcelona Bàsquet|Barça]]'s lucrative offer, in addition to center [[Dino Rađa]]'s lucrative move to Italy, the reinforced Partizan roster seemed poised to finally overtake its biggest rival of the last few years.

With fully recovered shooting guard Danilović confidently sharing Partizan's [[Glossary of basketball terms#B|backcourt]] with point guard Saša Đorđević, the team finished the regular season in second with an 18–4 record behind KK Split's 19–3. Now an integral part of the team, Danilović contributed 13.9 points per game over the course of the season.<ref name="stankovic-dec2013"/>

In late June 1992, Danilović entered the [[1992 NBA draft|NBA draft]] where he was taken in the second round by [[Golden State Warriors]] as the 43rd overall pick. He eventually decided to stay in Europe, signing with sports agent Mira Poljo, an established agent with good connections in Italy through the Interperformances sports agency. 
She soon referred him to her colleague [[Luciano Capicchioni]]. Danilović eventually signed a lucrative contract with [[Knorr Bologna]] paying him approximately $900,000 per season.

===Virtus Bologna===
Arriving in the Italian city of Bologna, with the club Virtus and with an aura of the EuroLeague champion and [[EuroLeague Final Four MVP]], big things were expected of 22-year-old Danilović. Earlier that summer, the club went through an ownership change with businessman [[:it:Alfredo Cazzola|Alfredo Cazzola]] acquiring it.

====1992–93 season: Italian champions, Euroleague struggles====
Coached by [[Ettore Messina]] and playing alongside point guard [[Roberto Brunamonti]] and a center line of [[Bill Wennington]] and [[Augusto Binelli]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060212081247/http://195.56.77.208/team/?teamid=697 1992–93 Virtus Bologna]</ref> Danilović led the team to the top of the standings in the [[:it:Serie A1 maschile FIP 1992–1993|regular season]] with a 24–6 record, ahead of former teammate [[Saša Đorđević]]'s [[Olimpia Milano|Philips Milano]] and reigning league champions [[Benetton Treviso (basketball)|Benetton Treviso]],  led by [[Toni Kukoč]], before sweeping through the playoffs without a single loss, overcoming [[Olimpia Basket Pistoia|Olimpia Pistoia]], [[Clear Cantù]], and finally Kukoč's Treviso in the playoff final series to win the [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian League]] title in impressive style. Dueling with his old Yugoslav League nemesis, Danilović got the better of Kukoč this time. Establishing himself as Virtus's undisputed leader, Danilović averaged a combined 23.7 points per game over the course of the regular season and playoffs.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001410/http://195.56.77.208/player/?id=DAN-PRE-70&year=1992&team=697 Danilović 1992–93 Italian League stats]</ref>

In contrast to the domestic league, [[EuroLeague]] success proved elusive. The [[1992–93 FIBA European Championship|campaign]] started in early October, but it was the opening [[FIBA European Championship 1992–93 Regular Season Group A|group stage]] game on October 29, 1992, that brought Danilović an uncomfortable away trip to play against [[KK Cibona|Cibona]] in [[Zagreb]]. He thus became the very first Serb to play a competitive game in the newly independent [[Croatia]] after the [[breakup of Yugoslavia]] while the [[Yugoslav Wars|wars in the former Yugoslavia]] continued. Rattled by playing in an extremely hostile atmosphere, Danilović had a poor shooting night making 5 of 15 field goals, good for only 12 points as Virtus lost by 16. Talking about the Zagreb experience, later in 1996, Danilović said: "Traveling to the game I assumed there would be issues, but I certainly didn't expect that much hate. Eight thousand people showed up just to insult a Serb. Getting through that game was not easy at all for me and you can tell from my stats. Even their player [[Franjo Arapović]] as well as their head coach [[Aleksandar Petrović (basketball, born February 1959)|Aco Petrović]] were hostile before the game even started wanting to hurl abuse at me, but I managed to put them in their place once we got out on the court. Also I think the two of them realized they had a rematch to play in Bologna in a few months so they didn't want to antagonize me too much".<ref name="nin-1996"/> In the rematch at home in January 1993, an inspired Danilović led the way with 9 of 12 field goal shooting and 23 points as Virtus jumped out to an early lead, and building on the early advantage to win by 40. Making it out of the [[FIBA European Championship 1992–93 Regular Season Group A|group stage]] in the last qualifying spot with a 6–6 record meant that in their [[FIBA European Championship 1992–93 quarterfinals#Quarterfinal 3|quarter-final best-of-three series]] Virtus would face the top-placed team from the other group – the formidable [[Real Madrid Baloncesto|Real Madrid]] squad led by [[Arvydas Sabonis]]. Virtus got blown out by Real, losing the first game at [[PalaDozza]] by 20 points with Danilović scoring 4 points, while five days later in Madrid, Real finished the job with another convincing victory, this time by 21 points.

====1993–94 season: Another league title====
In summer 1993, coach Messina left the club to take the head coaching position at the [[Italy national basketball team|Italian national team]] with returning coach Alberto Bucci coming in as his replacement at Bologna. The club got a new naming-rights sponsor, non-alcoholic [[Buckler (beer)|Buckler Beer]], as it waited to move into the new arena that was still under construction. The roster largely remained the same; the only notable player personnel changes were the loss of  Wennington, who returned to the NBA's Chicago Bulls, and the arrival of former NBA player [[Cliff Levingston]] from [[P.A.O.K. BC|PAOK]]. With Danilović's contributions to the success of Virtus, he, together with his agent Luciano Capicchioni, also began looking at the NBA as an option again,<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/23/sports/23iht-hoop_2.html The Next Kukoc Is Alive, Well and Waiting for the NBA];''The New York Times'', October 23, 1993</ref> but eventually decided to stay put with Bologna, at least for the immediate future.

The new season, 1993–94, mostly mirrored the previous one as it quickly became clear that no club was a match for Virtus in the Italian League. Jumping to the top of the standings with five straight wins to open the season, they never relinquished first place until the end, finishing the regular season with an identical 24–6 record from the previous campaign. Well settled in Italy and deemed ''lo Zar'' (the Tzar) and ''Zar Freddo'' (the Cold Tzar)  by the Italian sports media for his prowess and cool demeanour under pressure, on the court as well as his catlike inscrutability off it, Danilović continued to lead the team. In December 1993, approximately midway through the season, Virtus moved into its newly built 8,650-seat arena [[PalaMalaguti]] (which now seats 11,000), located outside of the city centre in [[Casalecchio di Reno]].

===Miami Heat===
Despite being selected by the [[Golden State Warriors]] with the 43rd pick overall in the [[1992 NBA draft]], Danilović continued playing in Europe for three more seasons before debuting in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA). In the meantime, in November 1994, his rights were traded to the [[Miami Heat]] as part of a deal that sent 25-year-old [[Billy Owens]] to the Heat while the Warriors got 29-year-old center [[Rony Seikaly]]. In mid-June 1995, Danilović signed a four-year contract with Miami worth just over US$8&nbsp;million.<ref name="sun-sentinel-contract-jun1995">{{cite news |last=Patton |first=Robes |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1995/06/16/heat-give-up-on-miner-trade-guard-to-cavaliers/ |title=Heat Give Up On Miner, Trade Guard To Cavaliers |agency=[[Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220013119/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1995-06-16/sports/9506160216_1_predrag-danilovic-harold-miner-wohl |archive-date=20 February 2017 |url-status=live |date=16 June 1995 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> To accommodate signing Danilović, the Heat decided to trade [[Harold Miner]] to Cleveland in exchange for second-round draft picks and future considerations, thus freeing up space under NBA's [[salary cap]].<ref name="sun-sentinel-contract-jun1995"/>

Several months later, one day before the scheduled start of the regular season, Miami pulled off a blockbuster trade with the [[Charlotte Hornets]], sending the Heat's franchise player [[Glen Rice]] along with starting center [[Matt Geiger]] and point guard [[Khalid Reeves]] to the Hornets in exchange for their star player [[Alonzo Mourning]], along with reserves [[Pete Myers]] and [[LeRon Ellis]].

During his two NBA seasons ([[1995–96 NBA season|1995]]–[[1996–97 NBA season|1997]]), Danilović averaged 12.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game.

====1995–96 season: making the starting five, wrist injury layoff====
Danilović debuted for the Heat on Saturday, November 4, 1995, the opening day of the [[1995–96 Miami Heat season|season]], as a starter at the shooting guard position alongside [[Bimbo Coles]], [[Billy Owens]], [[Kevin Willis]], and [[Alonzo Mourning]]. He contributed a team-high 16 points,<ref>{{cite news |last=Nobles |first=Charlie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/05/sports/pro-basketball-heat-announces-riley-era-with-a-victory.html |title=Heat Announces Riley Era With a Victory |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526142015/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/05/sports/pro-basketball-heat-announces-riley-era-with-a-victory.html |archive-date=26 May 2015 |agency=[[The New York Times]] |date=5 November 1995 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> helping his team beat the [[1995–96 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland Cavaliers]] 85–71 before getting ejected towards the end of the game for an altercation with Cleveland's [[Chris Mills (basketball)|Chris Mills]].<ref name="sun-sentinel-nov1995">{{cite news |last=Winderman |first=Ira |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-11-06/sports/9511060045_1_sasha-danilovic-thorn-heat |title=Danilovic Faces Suspension For Melee |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219100012/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-11-06/sports/9511060045_1_sasha-danilovic-thorn-heat |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=dead |date=6 November 1995 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> The incident that saw both players thrown out of the game occurred late in fourth quarter, when Mills hit Danilović with a flying elbow to the chin as Danilović was cutting across the baseline, to which Danilović responded by elbowing Mills in the back of his head, to which Mills then reacted  with a right hook to Danilović's jaw, leaving him with a cut lip that required nine stitches outside his mouth and three more inside.<ref name="sun-sentinel-nov1995"/><ref name="sun-sentinel2-nov1995">{{cite news |last=Winderman |first=Ira |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-11-05/sports/9511050129_1_sasha-danilovic-punch-heat |title=For Danilovic, Opener Has Punch |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219113537/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-11-05/sports/9511050129_1_sasha-danilovic-punch-heat |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=dead |date=5 November 1995 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref><ref name="sun-sentinel1-nov1995">{{cite news |last=Winderman |first=Ira |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-11-07/sports/9511070050_1_sasha-danilovic-heat-thorn |title=Danilovic Suspended 1 Game, Fined For Retaliating |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219131516/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-11-07/sports/9511070050_1_sasha-danilovic-heat-thorn |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=dead |date=7 November 1995 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> After the game, Danilović said he was just getting back at Mills after being hit, while Mills claimed Danilović had been playing dirty all game long.<ref name="sun-sentinel2-nov1995"/> Both players were subsequently fined and suspended by the league – Mills received a one-game suspension and US$10,000 fine while Danilović also got suspended for one game for retaliation as well as a $3,500 fine.<ref name="sun-sentinel1-nov1995"/>

Despite receiving criticism over what some considered overly aggressive play,<ref>{{cite news |last=Reilly |first=Rick |author-link=Rick Reilly |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1995/11/13/208179/order-on-the-court-its-time-the-nba-held-coach-pat-riley-accountable-for-the-crime-of-basketball-thuggery |title=ORDER ON THE COURT IT'S TIME THE NBA HELD COACH PAT RILEY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CRIME OF BASKETBALL THUGGERY |agency=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=13 November 1995 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> the Heat opened the season with an 11–3 record playing  a starting five of Coles, Danilović, Owens, Willis, and Mourning.<ref name="sun-sentinel-surgery-jan1996">{{cite news |last=Winderman |first=Ira |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-01-03/sports/9601030048_1_sasha-danilovic-night-s-home-game-shooting |title=Surgery Sidelines Danilovic For Year |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |date=3 January 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219170521/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-01-03/sports/9601030048_1_sasha-danilovic-night-s-home-game-shooting |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=dead |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> Just as Danilović began hitting his shooting stride in December 1995, averaging 20 points per game in the four contests between December 6–12, 1995,<ref name="sun-sentinel-rusty-apr1996">{{cite news |last=Patton |first=Robes |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-04-22/sports/9604220044_1_sasha-danilovic-heat-askins |title=Rusty Danilovic Glad To Be Back From Wrist Surgery |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219170416/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-04-22/sports/9604220044_1_sasha-danilovic-heat-askins |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=dead |date=22 April 1996 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> including a season-high 30 points away at [[1995–96 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix]],<ref name="sun-sentinel-surgery-jan1996"/><ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199512090PHO.html Miami Heat at Phoenix Suns 94–92];1995–96 NBA regular season, December 9, 1995</ref> his season was disrupted by injury. On December 14, 1995, two days after appearing in the away loss at [[1995–96 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State]] during which he scored 15 points<ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199512120GSW.html Miami Heat at Golden State Warriors 80–105];1995–96 NBA regular season, December 12, 1995</ref> he fell and aggravated an injury first sustained during his time in Italy.  He was consequently placed on the team's injured list with right wrist issues that looked to be minor initially. As an injury he had played through for three years, Danilović was confident it would be overcome by treatment methods he was well-accustomed to at this point.<ref name="sun-sentinel-surgery-jan1996"/> However, when the swelling persisted while his attempts to rehabilitate his wrist through therapy failed, it became apparent that the injury was more serious this time, requiring attention of a specialist.<ref>{{cite news |last=Winderman |first=Ira |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-12-27/sports/9512270036_1_sasha-danilovic-heat-kenny-anderson |title=Danilovic Likely To See Specialist About Wrist |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219171304/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-12-27/sports/9512270036_1_sasha-danilovic-heat-kenny-anderson |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=dead |date=27 December 1995 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> Danilović's frustration at being on the sidelines with an injury that showed no signs of improving became evident on December 23, 1995. During halftime of an away game at Charlotte that he watched in street clothes from the bench, he was signing autographs near the tunnel leading to the locker rooms when an abusive fan began verbally haranguing him; Danilović reacted by confronting the fan physically and had to be restrained by Heat executive [[Randy Pfund]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Patton |first1=Robes |last2=Winderman |first2=Ira |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-12-23/sports/9512230114_1_sasha-danilovic-security-guards-heat-locker-room |title=Danilovic And Riley Targets Of Fan Abuse |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219171518/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-12-23/sports/9512230114_1_sasha-danilovic-security-guards-heat-locker-room |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=dead |date=23 December 1995 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> At South Miami Hospital on January 2, 1996, hand specialist Dr. Ann Ouelette performed surgery on Danilović's right hand to repair a non-union of the [[scaphoid bone]].<ref name="sun-sentinel-surgery-jan1996"/> The surgery was successful, but with his hand in a cast and the recovery process expected to last 3–4 months, there were doubts about whether Danilović's season was over. In early February 1996, with his plan to be back in action for the final month of the regular season, Danilović was allowed to leave the team and go back to visit his family in Italy and FR Yugoslavia.<ref>{{cite news |last=Winderman |first=Ira |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-02-05/sports/9602040187_1_all-star-game-miami-arena-sasha-danilovic |title=Injured Danilovic To Visit Family |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219171820/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-02-05/sports/9602040187_1_all-star-game-miami-arena-sasha-danilovic |archive-date=19 February 2017 |url-status=dead |date=5 February 1996 |access-date=4 May 2023}}</ref> During Danilović's layoff, the Heat completely overhauled their roster including their early-season starting lineup. On February 23, 1996, the team made three trades on the same day, bringing in [[Tim Hardaway]] and [[Chris Gatling]] from Golden State for Bimbo Coles and Kevin Willis, then getting [[Walt Williams]] and [[Tyrone Corbin]] from Sacramento for Billy Owens and Kevin Gamble, and finally acquiring [[Tony Smith (basketball)|Tony Smith]] from Phoenix for [[Terrence Rencher]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-02-23-sp-39177-story.html |title=Hardaway Heads for the Heat in Trade |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=February 23, 1996 |access-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref>

The projections of Danilović' return from injury at the beginning of April 1996 proved overly optimistic as he came bacķ a bit later -  on April 21, 1996, at home versus Atlanta, the Heat's last game of the [[1995–96 Miami Heat season|regular season]]. Very rusty after four months on the sidelines during which he missed 62 games, Danilović, who had in the meantime also lost his starting spot to [[Rex Chapman]], put up a modest 8 points during 25 minutes of action off the bench on 3 for 9 shooting from the field that included [[air ball|airballing]] his first shot back after the injury layoff and coming up well short on his first 3-point shot as Miami lost 92–104.<ref name="sun-sentinel-rusty-apr1996"/> The Heat ended the season with 42–40 record, qualifying for the [[1996 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]] as the eighth-placed team in the Eastern Conference where they would face the juggernaut [[Michael Jordan]]'s [[1995–96 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls team]] that had lost only 10 games the entire season.

Making his NBA playoff debut only five days after coming back from months-long injury layoff, Danilović started on the bench as coach Riley retained Chapman as his starting shooting guard. The Serb had another poor post-injury outing, scoring only 3 points in 22 minutes on 1 for 3 from the field as Miami got blown out 102–85 by the Bulls.<ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199604260CHI.html Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls 85–102];1996 NBA Playoffs first round game 1, April 26, 1996</ref> Two days later, game two of the series brought a much improved performance by Danilović who scored a team-high 15 points off the bench in 23 minutes; however, the Heat suffered an even worse blowout, this time by 31 points.<ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199604280CHI.html Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls 75–106];1996 NBA Playoffs first round game 2, April 28, 1996</ref> The series then shifted to Miami, and the rampant Bulls converted on their first opportunity to end the series, beating the Heat easily for the third time in a row, 112–91, as Danilović, playing reduced minutes, scored 7 points.<ref>[https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199605010MIA.html Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat 112–91];1996 NBA Playoffs first round game 3, May 1, 1996</ref>

===Return to Virtus===
In early June 1997, after getting offered a US$6&nbsp;million net income three-year contract from his old club Virtus, Danilović decided to end his time in the NBA, two years short of completing his 4-year contract, thus forfeiting $4.9&nbsp;million in NBA salary.<ref>{{cite news |last=Winderman |first=Ira |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-06-08/sports/9706070175_1_sasha-danilovic-heat-deals-jamal-mashburn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222060035/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-06-08/sports/9706070175_1_sasha-danilovic-heat-deals-jamal-mashburn |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 22, 2017 |title=Perhaps The Lure Of Lira Can Make Danilovic Happy |agency=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |date=June 8, 1997 |access-date=February 21, 2017}}</ref> On April 23, 1998, Danilović won his second [[EuroLeague]], defeating [[AEK B.C.|AEK]] in Barcelona.<ref name=EuroleagueProfile>{{cite web |url=http://www.euroleague.net/competition/teams/showteam?clubcode=VIR#!info |title=Virtus VidiVici – Club profile |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Euroleague]] |access-date=June 27, 2015}}</ref> While on May 31, Virtus took its 14th national title in five games against [[Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna|Teamsystem Bologna]]. With 20 seconds to go anad Fortitudo leading by 4, Danilović made a three-point shot while being fouled by [[Dominique Wilkins]], completing a four point play. Than Virtus went on to win the game in overtime. The 1998 final between Virtus and Fortitudo is widely considered the greatest in the history of Italian basketball, with two of the teams on the continent playing in the same city.<ref>[https://www.repubblica.it/sport/basket/2018/05/31/news/danilovic_venti_anni_tiro_da_4-197761784/ Basket, venti anni fa il tiro impossibile di Danilovic: e la Virtus beffò la Fortitudo]</ref>

The following season, Virtus won its 7th Italian Cup but lost in the EuroLeague final against [[BC Žalgiris|Žalgiris]] of [[Tyus Edney]] and was eliminated in the semi-finals for the national championship. Under Cazzola's presidency and thanks to the leadership of Danilović and coach Messina, the 1990s were considered  Virtus' "[[Golden Age]]" with four national titles, two Italian Cups, a Cup Winners' Cup and a EuroLeague, making them one of the most high-profile and successful teams in Europe. At the end of the following season, in October 2000,  Danilović surprised many by announcing his retirement from professional basketball.<ref>[https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2000/10/12/danilovic-dice-basta-il-basket-perde-la.html Danilovic dice basta, il basket perde la star]</ref>

==Career statistics==
===EuroLeague===
{{Euroleague player statistics legend}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="background:#AFE6BA; width:3em;"|†
| Denotes seasons in which Danilović won the [[EuroLeague champion|EuroLeague]]
|-
| style="background:#CFECEC; width:1em;"|
| Led the league
|}

{{Euroleague player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;"|[[1991–92 FIBA European Championship|1991–92]]†
| style="text-align:left;"|[[KK Partizan|Partizan]]
| 19 || ? || 29.8 || '''.555''' || '''.470''' || .747 || '''4.5''' || 1.6 || '''2.2''' || .0 || 19.4 || ?
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1992–93 FIBA European Championship|1992–93]]
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=3|[[Virtus Bologna]]
| 15 || ? || 33.8 || .548 || .341 || .747 || 3.6 || 1.1 || 1.7 || .0 || 18.7 || ?
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1993–94 FIBA European Championship|1993–94]]
| 14 || ? || 33.0 || .497 || .327 || .843 || 3.1 || 1.6 || 1.4 || .0 || 20.0 || ? 
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1994–95 FIBA European Championship|1994–95]]
| 17 || ? || 33.8 || .535 || .349 || .807 || 2.8 || 1.6 || 1.9 || .0 || style="background:#CFECEC;"|'''22.1''' || ?
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;"|[[1997–98 FIBA EuroLeague|1997–98]]†
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2|Virtus Bologna
| '''21''' || ? || '''36.9''' || .467 || .304 || .747 || 3.8 || '''3.2''' || 1.2 || .0 || 17.5 || ?
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1998–99 FIBA EuroLeague|1998–99]]
| 14 || ? || 35.2 || .500 || .300 || '''.845''' || 1.6 || 1.9 || 1.2 || .0 || 16.9 || ?
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 100 || ? || ? || ? || ? || ? || ? || ? || ? || ? || ? || ?
{{s-end}}

==National team career==
With the senior [[Yugoslav national basketball team]], Danilović won the gold medal at both the [[1989 EuroBasket]] and the [[1991 EuroBasket]]. With the senior [[FR Yugoslav national basketball team]], he won the gold medal at both the [[1995 EuroBasket]] and the [[1997 EuroBasket]]. He was also a member of the silver medal-winning FR Yugoslav team at the [[Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220217145953/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/predrag%20danilovic/pid//_//players.html Predrag DANILOVIC.]</ref><ref>{{cite Sports-Reference|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Titles==
* {{flagicon|EU}} '''[[EuroLeague]]''': '''2''' (with [[KK Partizan|Partizan]]: [[1991–92 FIBA European League|1991–92]] and [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]]: [[1997–98 FIBA EuroLeague|1997–98]])
* {{flagicon|EU}} '''[[FIBA Korać Cup|Korać Cup]]''': '''1''' (with [[KK Partizan|Partizan]]: 1988–89)
* {{flagicon|YUG}} '''[[Yugoslav Basketball Cup|Yugoslav Cup]]''': '''1''' (with [[KK Partizan|Partizan]]: 1988–89, 1991–92)
* {{flagicon|FR Yugoslavia}} '''[[Yugoslav Basketball League|Yugoslav League]]''': '''1''' (with [[KK Partizan|Partizan]]: 1991–92)
* {{flagicon|FR Yugoslavia}} '''[[Yugoslav Basketball Cup|Yugoslav Cup]]''': '''1''' (with [[KK Partizan|Partizan]]: 1991–92)
* {{flagicon|ITA}} '''[[Italian Basketball League|Italian League]]''': '''4''' (with [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]]: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98)
* {{flagicon|ITA}} '''[[Italian Basketball Cup|Italian Cup]]''': '''1''' (with [[Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna|Virtus Bologna]]: 1998–99)

==Administrative career==
===Partizan vice-president (2000–2004)===
In October 2000, shortly after retiring from playing professionally, Danilović became co-vice president of his old club [[KK Partizan]] alongside [[Žarko Paspalj]], [[Dražen Dalipagić]], and Ivica Divac, working under the also newly named club president [[Vlade Divac]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2000&mm=10&dd=10&nav_category=1&nav_id=13577 |title=KK PARTIZAN SMENIO IVICU DACICA, NOVI PREDSEDNIK KLUBA DIVAC |agency=[[B92]].net |date=October 10, 2000 |access-date=August 30, 2015}}</ref> The appointment came about on initiative by the club's about to be deposed president [[Ivica Dačić]] during the time of political upheaval in Serbia in the wake of the [[overthrow of Slobodan Milošević|Slobodan Milošević overthrow]]. Seeing that various state-owned companies and community property were being taken over in a dubious manner during the power vacuum that resulted from régime change, Dačić (the club's outgoing president and, more importantly, a suddenly marginalized politician who, due to his association with Milošević, was forced to leave his post at the club) saw it prudent to bring the club's two former greats as a safeguard against the same happening to KK Partizan.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jevtić |first=Ž. |url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Politika/61059/Divac-savetuje-Dacica |title=Divac savetuje Dačića |agency=[[Blic]] |date=October 16, 2008 |access-date=August 30, 2015}}</ref>

Since club president Divac was at the time still an active player in the NBA with [[Sacramento Kings]], while nominal co-vice presidents Paspalj, Dalipagić, and Ivica Divac exhibited little interest in being involved in the club's day-to-day business, Danilović essentially became the main decision-maker at KK Partizan.

Inheriting a head coach, [[Darko Russo]], Danilović let him finish out the season before hiring old mentor and friend [[Duško Vujošević]] during summer 2001. Vujošević immediately started producing results, winning the league title in 2001–02, ending [[KK Budućnost]]'s three-year league championship run. It was the first of nine consecutive league trophies under his command. Though continually cash-strapped, under the command of Danilović, Divac, and sporting director [[Dragan Todorić]], the club instituted a model of bringing up domestic young players from its own youth setup or smaller clubs in [[Serbia and Montenegro]] rather than relying on foreign imports. It proved a winner both on the court and business-wise as Partizan sold its best player in regular intervals (usually every summer) and then re-invested that money into the youth system or acquiring talented youngsters from smaller clubs while making sure that squad can function with other players stepping up. Under this model, in summer 2003 [[Miloš Vujanić]] was sold to [[Fortitudo Bologna]] while the following summer 2004 [[Nenad Krstić]] got sold to [[New Jersey Nets]]. The club managed to win the domestic league FR Yugoslavia/Serbia-Montenegro league year after year, ensuring a [[EuroLeague]] spot, which was essential for its bottom line.

Simultaneously, Danilović was very much against his club joining the regional [[Adriatic League]]. However, by 2004, Partizan was essentially forced into the regional competition because its Euroleague spot now depended on competing regionally rather than domestically. This also brought about change in the club's business model as in the summer of 2004 they brought in already established national team players 27-year-old [[Dejan Milojević]] from [[KK Budućnost]] and 29-year-old [[Milan Gurović]] from [[KK Vojvodina Srbijagas|KK Vojvodina]] to bolster the squad ahead of the start of [[2004–05 ABA Goodyear League|competition]] in Adriatic League. It would prove to be one of Danilović's last orders of business at the club as he soon left KK Partizan.

===Partizan president (2007–2015)===
In 2007 Danilović returned to KK Partizan, this time as president.

In late May 2007, following a [[2006–07 Basketball League of Serbia|Serbian Basketball League]] game from the SuperLeague phase, between [[KK Hemofarm]] and Partizan at [[Vršac]]'s [[Millennium Centar]], Danilović assaulted the referee Marko Juras. Dissatisfied over Juras' calls in the game that Partizan lost, thirty-seven-year-old KK Partizan president reportedly followed the twenty-nine-year-old referee into the referees' dressing room and proceeded to knock him to the floor, landing several punches.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ekipa „Blica" |title=Danilović tukao sudiju Jurasa! |url=http://sport.blic.rs/Kosarka/Domaca-kosarka-i-ABA/4802/Danilovic-tukao-sudiju-Jurasa |access-date=August 29, 2015 |work=[[Blic]] |date=May 31, 2007 |language=sr}}</ref> Juras filed a criminal complaint against Danilović<ref>{{cite news |author=Beta |title=KS:Sudija Juras prijavio Danilovića |url=http://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2007&mm=05&dd=31&nav_id=249291 |access-date=August 29, 2015 |work=[[B92]].net |date=May 31, 2007 |language=sr}}</ref> as did the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bužić |first=Đ. |title=Krivična prijava protiv Danilovića |url=http://sport.blic.rs/Kosarka/Domaca-kosarka-i-ABA/4854/Krivicna-prijava-protiv-Danilovica |access-date=August 29, 2015 |work=[[Blic]] |date=June 1, 2007 |language=sr}}</ref> In July 2007, Danilović got suspended by the Serbian Basketball Federation (KSS) from all basketball-related activity for two years,<ref>{{cite news |author=Beta |title=Danilović suspendovan dve godine iz srpske košarke |url=http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Sport/t33649.lt.html |access-date=August 29, 2015 |work=[[Politika]] |date=July 6, 2007 |language=sr}}</ref> but two months later the punishment was reduced to a probationary period.<ref>[http://www.b92.net/sport/vesti.php?yyyy=2007&mm=09&dd=18&nav_id=264040 Daniloviću smanjena kazna za Vršac]</ref>

On August 24, 2015, he resigned from the president's position, after few years of financial troubles the club was going through.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matić |first1=Đ. |title=Danilović podneo ostavku: Ne mogu više da pomognem |url=http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/sport.295.html:563983-Danilovic-podneo-neopozivu-ostavku-Potrosio-sam-svoje-kredite-ljudski-je-da-se-povucem |access-date=August 25, 2015 |work=novosti.rs |date=August 24, 2015 |language=sr}}</ref>

===Basketball Federation of Serbia president (2016–present)===
On December 15, 2016, Danilović became the president of the [[Basketball Federation of Serbia]] (KSS).<ref>{{cite news |title=Предраг Даниловић нови председник КСС! |url=https://kss.rs/predrag-danilovic-novi-predsednik-kss/ |access-date=August 15, 2020 |work=kss.rs |date=December 15, 2016 |language=sr}}</ref> On December 14, 2020, he was re-elected.<ref>{{cite web |title=Daniloviću novi mandat, Krstić potpredsednik |url=https://www.b92.net/sport/kosarka/vesti.php?yyyy=2020&mm=12&dd=14&nav_id=1780659 |website=b92.net}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Danilović is married to Svetlana Danilović, an [[Radio Television of Serbia|RTS]] sports reporter. The couple have three children, including [[Olga Danilovic|Olga]], a professional tennis player.

He was also involved with Group Seven, a charity organization founded by seven Serbian basketball players.

On February 11, 2009, Danilović filed a lawsuit against Worldwide Associates<ref>[http://dockets.justia.com/docket/indiana/insdce/1:2009cv00151/22154/ DANILOVIC v. WORLDWIDE ASSOCIATES, LLC et al]</ref> (a limited-liability company based in [[Carmel, Indiana]] and represented by [[Rick Suder]] and George Grkinich) alleging investment fraud connected to $4&nbsp;million he gave the company to manage.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schnitzler |first=Peter |url=http://www.ibj.com/former-pro-basketball-players-accuse-firm-of-investment-fraud/PARAMS/article/19376 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423123019/http://www.ibj.com/former-pro-basketball-players-accuse-firm-of-investment-fraud/PARAMS/article/19376 |agency=[[Indianapolis Business Journal]] |archive-date=23 April 2010 |url-status= |title=Former basketball players accuse firm of investment fraud |date=16 April 2010 |access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref> Previously, Grkinich had also been involved with Group Seven.<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-herald/2005-07-16/page-155?tag=george+grkinich&rtserp=people/g/grjigian-grobleck/grkinich/george-grkinich NBA Stars Play a Round for the Kids];''[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]]'', July 16, 2005</ref>

===Stabbing incident===
In the early morning hours of Saturday, May 18, 2013, forty-three-year-old Danilović was stabbed during a bar brawl in Belgrade, sustaining injuries to his [[Human head|head]], [[arm]]s, and [[abdomen]], for which he underwent surgery at Belgrade's [[Clinical Centre of Serbia|Urgentni centar]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/sports/basketball/predrag-danilovic-stabbed-in-brawl.html?_r=0 Former N.B.A. Player Stabbed in Brawl];''The New York Times'', May 18, 2013</ref>

From the press reports, [[KK Partizan]] club president Danilović had been drinking and eating at the Kafanica bar, a [[kafana]]-type hospitality establishment in the [[Košutnjak]] neighbourhood,<ref>[http://www.blic.rs/naslovna-stampano-izdanje/732/izdanje-za-20-05-2013 Prijatelji su, ali i nezgodni kad popiju] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607172811/http://www.blic.rs/naslovna-stampano-izdanje/732/izdanje-za-20-05-2013 |date=June 7, 2013 }};''Blic'', May 20, 2013</ref> together with a party of friends including the bar's owner—Danilović's close friend, Branko "Fido" Filipović<ref>[http://www.blic.rs/naslovna-stampano-izdanje/733/izdanje-za-21-05-2013 Od grljenja do noža u stomak za pet minuta] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607172816/http://www.blic.rs/naslovna-stampano-izdanje/733/izdanje-za-21-05-2013 |date=June 7, 2013 }};''Blic'', May 21, 2013</ref>—before an altercation broke out around 2:20&nbsp;am between Filipović and Danilović. Filipović reportedly [[Strike (attack)|struck]] Danilović in the head with an [[ashtray]]<ref>[http://www.mondo.rs/s290469/Info/Info/Hronika_i_Drustvo/Danilovic_izboden_u_svadji_medju_prijateljima.html Danilović izboden "u svađi među prijateljima"];MTS Mondo, May 18, 2013</ref> prompting someone from the bar to call an ambulance, which Danilović refused upon their arrival, sending them away.<ref>[http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2013&mm=05&dd=18&nav_category=16&nav_id=714914 Predrag Danilović izboden nožem];B92, May 18, 2013</ref> The fight between the two continued with Filipović now stabbing Danilović in the [[abdomen]], and injured Danilović driving by himself to the hospital.<ref>[http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/hronika/aktuelno.291.html:434418-Predrag-Danilovic-ranjen-u-kafanskoj-svadji Predrag Danilović ranjen u kafanskoj svađi];''Vecernje novosti'', May 18, 2013</ref> Due to the nature of his injuries, considered "life-threatening",<ref>[http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2013&mm=05&dd=18&nav_category=16&nav_id=714982 MUP:Istražujemo napad na Danilovića];B92, May 18, 2013</ref> Danilović underwent emergency surgery before being placed in [[intensive care unit|intensive care]] in stable condition.<ref>[http://sport.blic.rs/Kosarka/Domaca-kosarka-i-ABA/233330/KK-Partizan-Predsednik-Danilovic-je-operisan-u-stabilnom-je-stanju-zelimo-mu-brz-oporavak KK Partizan: Predsednik Danilović je operisan, u stabilnom je stanju, želimo mu brz oporavak];''Blic'', May 18, 2013</ref> During the day Danilović was visited at the hospital by the [[Prime Minister of Serbia|Serbian prime minister]] [[Ivica Dačić]] (incidentally Danilović's personal friend and predecessor at the KK Partizan club president post), [[Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia|deputy prime minister]] [[Aleksandar Vučić]] and [[Ministry of Sports (Serbia)|sports minister]] [[Alisa Marić]]. Talking to the press afterwards, prime minister Dačić jokingly described the circumstances of Danilović's stabbing as "traditional Serbian quarrel between friends".<ref>[http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/383188/Dacic-Danilovic-je-povredjen-u-tradicionalnoj-srpskoj-svadji-medju-prijateljima Dačić: Danilović je povređen u tradicionalnoj srpskoj svađi među prijateljima];''Blic'', May 18, 2013</ref>

On May 20, 2013, after unsuccessfully trying to summon Branko Filipović for questioning, Serbian police issued a warrant for his arrest.<ref>[http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2013&mm=05&dd=20&nav_category=206&nav_id=715528 Poternica za prijateljem Danilovića];B92, May 20, 2013</ref> Danilović was released from the hospital on May 26, 2013<ref>[http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/384633/Predrag-Danilovic-izasao-iz-bolnice-a-Fidi-jos-uvek-u-bekstvu Predrag Danilović izašao iz bolnice, a Fidi još uvek u bekstvu];''Blic'', May 26, 2013</ref> and was then seen in public at the [[Belgrade Airport]] awaiting the arrival of [[Jovica Stanišić]] and [[Franko Simatović]], who had been acquitted at the [[ICTY|Hague Tribunal]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Zlojutro |first=D. |url=http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/728579-sacekao-ih-predrag-danilovic-stanisic-i-frenki-posle-10-godina-u-srbiji |title=MOŠA: Novinari i Predrag Danilović čekali Stanišića i Frenkija na aerodromu, dočekali Željka Mitrovića! |agency=Telegraf.rs |date=May 31, 2013 |access-date=January 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ilić |first=M. |url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/385636/Danilovic-uzalud-cekao-Stanisica-i-Simatovica |title=Danilović uzalud čekao Stanišića i Simatovića |agency=[[Blic]] |date=June 1, 2013 |access-date=January 11, 2017}}</ref> After being on the run for more than two weeks, Filipović was arrested in Belgrade on June 2, 2013.<ref>[http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/385821/Uhapsen-Branko-Filipovic-Fido-zbog-napada-na-Predraga-Danilovica Uhapšen Branko Filipović Fido zbog napada na Predraga Danilovića] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607163812/http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/385821/Uhapsen-Branko-Filipovic-Fido-zbog-napada-na-Predraga-Danilovica |date=June 7, 2013 }};''Blic'', June 2, 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.mondo.rs/s292356/Info/Hronika_i_Drustvo/Uhapsen_napadac_na_Predraga_Danilovica.html Uhapšen napadač na Predraga Danilovića];mondo.rs, 2 June 3013</ref> Though initially [[Criminal charge|charging]] Filipović with "causing severe bodily harm with life-threatening injuries", the Serbian public prosecutor's office later upgraded his charge to "[[attempted murder]]".<ref>[http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/385821/Tuzilac-promenio-krivicno-delo-Filipovicu-preti-i-do-40-godina-zatvora-za-napad-na-Danilovica Tužilac promenio krivično delo: Filipoviću preti i do 40 godina zatvora za napad na Danilovića];''Blic'', June 2, 2013</ref>

During the trial, the role of Filipović's fiancée Sanja Ševović (who had been present at the bar the night of the stabbing) came under scrutiny,<ref>{{cite news |last=Milićević |first=Ivan |url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/430505/Svedocila-misteriozna-verenica-Branko-nije-ranio-Danilovica-zbog-mene |title=Svedočila misteriozna verenica: Branko nije ranio Danilovića zbog mene |agency=[[Blic]] |date=December 27, 2013 |access-date=August 29, 2015}}</ref> particularly the exact time she claimed to have left the bar.<ref>{{cite news |last=Milićević |first=Ivan |url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/435188/Sudjenje-za-pokusaj-ubistva-Danilovica-Fido-gadjao-i-bivsu-devojku |title=Suđenje za pokušaj ubistva Danilovića: Fido gađao i bivšu devojku |agency=[[Blic]] |date=January 17, 2014 |access-date=August 29, 2015}}</ref> In February 2014, Filipović was sentenced in the Belgrade Higher Court to {{frac|4|1|2}} years in prison for the attempted murder of Danilović.<ref name="blic-feb2014">{{cite news |last=Milićević |first=Ivan |url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/442705/Fido-iz-pritvora-otisao-na-slavlje |title=Napadač na Predraga Danilovića dobio četiri i po godine zatvora: Fido iz pritvora otišao na slavlje |agency=[[Blic]] |date=February 14, 2014 |access-date=August 29, 2015}}</ref> Having already spent nine months in prison detention, Filipović was released on the same occasion thus awaiting the sentence becoming legally-binding upon the completion of the appeals process for him to commence his jail time.<ref name="blic-feb2014"/>

The case was appealed and, in May 2015, the Court of Appeals annulled the lower court sentence, ordering a re-trial.<ref>{{cite news |last=Milićević |first=Ivan |url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Hronika/556286/NOVO-SUDjENJE-Ukinuta-presuda-Danilovicevom-kumu |title=NOVO SUĐENJE Ukinuta presuda Danilovićevom kumu |agency=[[Blic]] |date=May 5, 2015 |access-date=August 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=[[Tanjug]] |url=http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2015&mm=05&dd=05&nav_id=988392 |title=Slučaj Danilović – novo suđenje |agency=[[B92]].net |date=May 5, 2015 |access-date=August 29, 2015}}</ref> Initially set for late August 2015,<ref name="blic-aug2015">{{cite news |last=Milićević |first=I. |url=https://www.blic.rs/vesti/hronika/novo-odlaganje-danilovicev-kum-pred-sudom-tek-19-oktobra/3h17npn |title=Danilovićev kum pred sudom tek 19. oktobra |agency=[[Blic]] |date=August 31, 2015 |access-date=May 19, 2018}}</ref> the re-trial began in mid-October 2015. Following court dates throughout 2016,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.blic.rs/vesti/hronika/odlozeno-sudenje-kumu-predraga-danilovica-zakazano-za-29-novembar/7rxp6sq |title=Suđenje kumu Predraga Danilovića zakazano za 29. novembar |agency=[[Blic]] |date=September 17, 2016 |access-date=May 19, 2018}}</ref> 2017, and 2018,<ref>{{cite news |first=J. |last=D. Lj. |url=http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/hronika/aktuelno.291.html:713927-Sudjenje-za-napad-na-Danilovica-Niko-iz-Kafanice-nije-video-noz |title=Suđenje za napad na Danilovića: Niko iz "Kafanice" nije video nož |agency=[[Večernje novosti]] |date=February 26, 2018 |access-date=May 19, 2018}}</ref> in early May 2018 Filipović and the Serbian public prosecutor office reportedly reached an [[admission (law)|admission of guilt]] agreement awaiting the Higher Court confirmation.<ref>{{cite news |last=P. |first=J. |url=https://www.blic.rs/vesti/hronika/fido-nakon-pet-godina-priznao-izbo-sam-svog-kuma-predraga-danilovica/pyb64mx |title="Izbo sam svog kuma Predraga Danilovića" |agency=[[Blic]] |date=May 9, 2018 |access-date=May 19, 2018}}</ref> Several weeks later, in late May 2018, the Higher Court confirmed the agreement, sentencing Filipović to {{frac|1|1|2}} years in prison in addition to a four-year [[conditional sentence]].<ref>{{cite news |first=J. |last=D. Lj. |url=http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/hronika/aktuelno.291.html:730001-Prihvacen-sporazum-Fido-osudjen-uslovno |title=Prihvaćen sporazum: Fido osuđen uslovno |agency=[[Večernje novosti]] |date=May 29, 2018 |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Serbian NBA players]]
* [[EuroBasket Records]]

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20181105212700/http://sashadanilovic.com/ Official website]
* [http://stats.nba.com/playerProfile.html?PlayerID=390 NBA.com Profile]
* [http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_KNce8jInH7Qj1EsyH5rjn2.playerID_5682.compID_,Uz02qBnJiADOq5VntEf53.season_1999.roundID_2570.teamID_1315.html FIBA EuroLeague Profile]
* [https://archive.today/20130629044457/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/q/Predrag%20DANILOVIC/pid/5682/_//players.html Predrag Danilovic FIBA]
* [http://web.legabasket.it/player/?id=DAN-PRE-70 Italian League Profile] {{in lang|it}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|predrag-danilovic}}

{{navboxes
|list=
{{S-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Dragan Đilas]]
| title  = President of the [[Basketball Federation of Serbia]]
| years  = 2016–present
| after  = Incumbent
}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Dušan Pavlović (basketball)|Dušan Pavlović]]
| title  = President of [[KK Partizan]]
| years  = 2007–2015
| after  = [[Nikola Peković]]
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Yugoslavia Squad EuroBasket 1989}}
{{Yugoslavia Squad EuroBasket 1991}}
{{Yugoslavia Squad EuroBasket 1995}}
{{Footer 1996 Olympic Silver Medalists Basketball Men}}
{{Yugoslavia Squad EuroBasket 1997}}
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{{KK Partizan 1988–89 FIBA Korać Cup Champions}}
{{KK Partizan 1991–92 Euroleague champions}}
{{Virtus Bologna 1997–98 Euroleague champions}}
{{1992 NBA draft}}
{{Euroleague Alphonso Ford Trophy}}
{{Euroleague Finals Top Scorer}}
{{Euroleague Final Four MVP Award}}
{{Lega Basket Serie A MVP}}
{{FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer}}
{{Mr. Europa|state=collapsed}}
{{Euroleague50}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Danilovic, Predrag}}
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