View source for Miroslav Pecarski

{{short description|Serbian former basketball player (born 1967)}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name         = Miroslav Pecarski
| image        = 
| image_size   = 
| caption      = 
| height_m     = 2.11
| weight_kg    = 116
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1967|03|21|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Kikinda]], [[Socialist Republic of Serbia|SR Serbia]], [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|SFR Yugoslavia]]
| nationality  = Serbian / Greek
| college      = [[Marist Red Foxes men's basketball|Marist]] (1984–1987; 1988–1989)
| draft_year   = 1989
| career_start = 1989
| career_end   = 2000
| career_position = [[Power forward (basketball)|Power forward]]
| career_number = 11, 14
| years1       = 1987–1988
| team1        = [[KK Partizan|Partizan]]
| years2       = 1989–1991
| team2        = [[KK Partizan|Partizan]]
| years3       = 1991–1994
| team3        = [[Aris B.C.|Aris]]
| years4       = 1994–1996
| team4        = [[Panathinaikos B.C.|Panathinaikos]]
| years5       = 1996–1997
| team5        = [[Panionios B.C.|Panionios]]
| years6       = 1997–1998
| team6        = [[Pallacanestro Cantù|Polti Cantù]]
| years7       = 1999
| team7        = [[Cholet Basket|Cholet]]
| years8       = 1999–2000
| team8        = [[Gijón Baloncesto|Gijón]]
| highlights   = 
* [[Northeast Conference|ECAC Metro]] Rookie of the Year (1985)
* [[EuroLeague]] champion ([[1995–96 FIBA European League|1996]])
* [[FIBA Saporta Cup]] champion (1993)
* [[FIBA Korać Cup]] champion (1989)
* [[Yugoslav Basketball Cup|Yugoslav Cup]] winner (1989)
* 2× [[Greek Basketball Cup|Greek Cup]] winner (1992, 1996)
* 2× Second team All-ECAC Metro (1987, 1989)
| medal_templates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{bk|YUG}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Under-19 World Championship|U19 World Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1987 FIBA Under-19 World Championship|1987 Italy]]|[[Yugoslavia men's national under-19 basketball team|Under-19]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship|European Championship for Juniors]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1986 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship|1986 Austria]]|[[Yugoslavia men's national under-18 basketball team|Under-18]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[1984 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship|1984 Sweden]]|[[Yugoslavia men's national under-18 basketball team|Under-18]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship|European Championship for Cadets]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1983 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship|1983 West Germany]]|[[Yugoslavia men's national under-16 basketball team|under-16]]}}
}}
'''Miroslav Pecarski''' ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Мирослав Пецарски}}; born 21 March 1967) is a Serbian former professional [[basketball]] player. He played professionally for [[KK Partizan|Partizan]], [[Aris B.C.|Aris]], [[Panathinaikos B.C.|Panathinaikos]], [[Panionios B.C.|Panionios]], [[Pallacanestro Cantù]], [[Cholet Basket|Cholet]] and [[Gijón Baloncesto|Cabitel Gijón]].

==Early career and college in the U.S.==
Following a [[growth spurt]] at age thirteen, teenage Pecarski began pursuing basketball in his hometown [[Kikinda]].<ref name="pecarski-mozzart-2014"/>

Marking himself out with height and strong build, the teenager received a call-up to the [[Rusmir Halilović]]-coached [[Yugoslavia men's national under-16 basketball team|Yugoslav cadet team]] during summer 1983.<ref name="pecarski-mozzart-2014"/>

===Marist College===
Teenage Pecarski left his home to go play [[college basketball]] at [[Marist College]] in [[Poughkeepsie, New York]], arriving there in summer 1984 under the newly appointed head coach [[Matthew Furjanic Jr.|Matt Furjanic]]. Considered by some to be Europe's top seventeen-year-old player—having just played a significant role on the bronze-winning [[Yugoslavia men's national under-18 basketball team|Yugoslav junior national team]] at the [[1984 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship|European Junior Championship]] in [[Sweden]] and starring on the gold-winning [[Yugoslavia men's national under-16 basketball team|Yugoslav cadet team]] at the [[1983 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship|European Cadet Championship]] in [[West Germany]] the year before—Pecarski was injured in the preseason thus opening up an opportunity at [[Center (basketball)|center]] for another newly acquired European prospect, eighteen-year-old Dutchman [[Rik Smits]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.allcoachnetwork.com/magarity/feature_smits.html | title=Rik Smits: All-Star Athlete | publisher=allcoachnetwork.com | accessdate=November 25, 2012}}</ref>

The [[Marist Red Foxes men's basketball|Red Foxes]] had a successful [[1985–86 Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team|1985–86 season]], making the 64-team [[1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA tournament]] for the first time in team's history. However, they went out at the very first hurdle in the first round of the Southeast regional bracket, losing by 15 points versus the [[1985–86 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team|Georgia Tech]] team featuring future NBA players [[Mark Price]], [[John Salley]], [[Tom Hammonds]], [[Duane Ferrell]], and [[Craig Neal]]. Pecarski averaged 10.5 [[points per game]] and 5.9 rebounds per game over the entire season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/MBB1/A/Men%27s%20Basketball_Men%27s_Division%20I_1986_386_Marist%20College.pdf|title=Final 1986 Division I Men's basketball statistics report Marist|publisher=NCAA|accessdate=April 6, 2015}}</ref>

During summer 1986, Pecarski played on the [[Svetislav Pešić]]-coached [[Yugoslavia men's national under-18 basketball team|Yugoslav junior national team]] at the [[1986 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship|European Junior Championship]] in Austria.

The [[1986–87 Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team|following season]], playing under new head coach [[Dave Magarity]], Pecarski improved his scoring average to 12.4 [[points per game]] and led the team in rebounds with 8.4 boards per game, as the Red Foxes repeated the feat of making the [[1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament|NCAA tournament]], but were again eliminated in the first round—this time by [[1986–87 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team|Pittsburgh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/MBB1/A/Men%27s%20Basketball_Men%27s_Division%20I_1987_386_Marist%20College.pdf|title=Final 1987 Division I Men's basketball statistics report Marist|publisher=NCAA|accessdate=April 6, 2015}}</ref>

===Season with KK Partizan===
Following making the [[Svetislav Pešić]]-coached gold medal-winning [[Yugoslavia men's national under-19 basketball team|Yugoslavia under-19 team]] at the [[1987 FIBA Under-19 World Championship|FIBA Under-19 World Championship]] during summer 1987 in [[Bormio]], Pecarski opted not to play for the Red Foxes in the 1987–88 season, choosing to explore his options in Europe by going back to Yugoslavia and signing a [[stipend]]-based contract with reigning [[1986–87 Yugoslav First Basketball League|Yugoslav League champions]] [[KK Partizan]] in hopes of giving himself a better shot at making the [[Yugoslavia national basketball team|Yugoslavia]] roster for the [[Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|1988 Olympics]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=White|last2=McGill Thomas Jr.|first1=Gordon|first2=Robert|date=January 30, 1989|title=Sports World Specials; Hidden Talent|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/30/sports/sports-world-specials-hidden-talent.html|newspaper=NY Times|access-date=April 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=A3E|title=Miroslav Pecarski|publisher=[[Liga ACB|ACB]]|language=es|accessdate=April 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101002206/http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=A3E|archive-date=November 1, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Pecarski's other considerations for transferring to Partizan included the fact that the club's vice-president, Yugoslav basketball legend [[Dragan Kićanović]], personally recruited and pursued the youngster.<ref name="pecarski-mozzart-2014">{{cite web|url=https://www.mozzartsport.com/kosarka/vesti/intervju-nedeljom-miroslav-pecarski-najezim-se-cim-se-setim-navijanja-u-hali-sportova/172244|title=Miroslav Pecarski: Naježim se čim se setim navijanja u Hali sportova!|publisher=MozzartSport|language=sr|date=28 December 2014|accessdate=24 July 2022}}</ref>

Coached by [[Duško Vujošević]], twenty-year-old Pecarski was mostly deployed at [[Center (basketball)|center]] as backup for nineteen-year-old [[Vlade Divac]] while the previous season's backup center [[Milenko Savović]] went away to serve his mandatory [[Yugoslav People's Army]] (JNA) service. The two young bigs, Divac and Pecarski, had already known each other well, having just spent most of the summer 1987 together with the Yugoslavia under-19 team. Other Partizan teammates that the newcomer Pecarski had already known well from his previous Yugoslavia youth national team participations were twenty-year-old [[Saša Đorđević]] and twenty-one-year-olds [[Žarko Paspalj]] and [[Ivo Nakić]]. Pecarski immediately became a crowd favourite for his spectacular behind-the-back [[Slam dunk|dunks]].<ref name="pecarski-mozzart-2014"/>

The young and talented squad—featuring future European stars Paspalj and Đorđević, in addition to young NBA prospect Divac who had already been projected to go high at the [[1989 NBA draft|next NBA draft]] as well as experienced players [[Goran Grbović]] and [[Željko Obradović]]—was competing well on three fronts: Yugoslav League, Yugoslav Cup, and European Champions Cup.

On 6 February 1988, Pecarski was one of the main protagonists of the ill-tempered Yugoslav Cup semifinal contest against Jugoplastika at [[Rijeka]]'s [[Dvorana Mladosti]]. Partizan was up 40-29 in the 18th minute, largely behind Pecarski's play at both ends of the floor. Jugoplastika then went on a 30-6 run over the following 10 minutes, winning 73-75 in the end.<ref name="strategija-rijeka">{{cite news|url=http://www.strategija.org/sibanja-koja-se-pamte-saketanja-u-rijeci/|title=JUGOPLASTIKA – PARTIZAN 75:73 (35:44)|agency=Strategija.org|date=23 March 2022|access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref> Numerous scuffles occurred towards the end of the contest—involving Jugoplastika's [[Toni Kukoč]] and Partizan's Nakić getting ejecting in the 29th minute as well as, later on, Partizan's head coach Vujošević, small forward Grbović, and even club vice-president Kićanović receiving technicals after being incensed by the decisions of the two referees Zdravko Kurilić (from Tuzla) and Izstok Rems (from Ljubljana)—as the proceedings nearly degenerated into an all out brawl.<ref name="strategija-rijeka"/>

Two months later, Partizan made the [[1987–88 FIBA European Champions Cup|European Champions Cup]] [[1988 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four|Final Four]] in [[Ghent]], [[Belgium]], losing to [[Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.|Maccabi Tel Aviv]] in a closely contested semifinal with Pecarski contributing 8 points. Two days later in the third-place game, Partizan beat the Greek champion [[Aris B.C.|Aris]] with Pecarski scoring 24 points.

Domestically in the [[1987–88 First Federal Basketball League|Yugoslav league]], Partizan finished the regular season in third place, behind [[KK Jugoplastika|Jugoplastika]] and [[Dražen Petrović]]-led [[KK Cibona|Cibona]]. In the playoffs, Partizan overcame the lack of home-court advantage in its semifinal series against Cibona, winning the deciding game 3 away in Zagreb 77-83. However, the up-and-coming [[Boža Maljković]]-coached [[KK Jugoplastika|Jugoplastika]] team, featuring exceptional prospects [[Toni Kukoč]] and [[Dino Rađa]], proved too much in the final series, beating Partizan 2-games-to-1 including the deciding game 3 blowout, 88-67, in [[Split, Croatia|Split]].

===Return to Marist===
In summer 1988, Pacerski got called up for the Yugoslavia national team as part of its 1988 Olympic cycle.<ref name="koš-pecarski">{{cite news|last=Stanković|first=Vladimir|url=https://kosmagazin.com/poraz-u-seulu-1988/|title=Poraz u Seulu 1988.|agency=Koš magazin|date=1 October 2016|access-date=23 July 2022}}</ref> After participating in the successful [[FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament|qualifying tournament]] in the [[Netherlands]] in July 1988 that saw Yugoslavia clinch a spot at the Seoul Olympics, Pecarski ended up getting cut from the national team by head coach [[Dušan Ivković]] who decided to take Cibona center [[Franjo Arapović]] to the Olympics as the fourth big on the squad, behind Divac, Rađa, and [[Stojko Vranković]].<ref name="koš-pecarski"/>

Pecarski decided to return to Marist for the 1988–89 season, averaging 19.5 [[points per game]], 9.1 rebounds per game and 1.1 blocks per game, leading the school in all three categories.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/MBB1/A/Men%27s%20Basketball_Men%27s_Division%20I_1989_386_Marist%20College.pdf|title=Final 1989 Division I Men's basketball statistics report Marist|publisher=NCAA|accessdate=April 6, 2015}}</ref>

====Return to KK Partizan for the 1989 Yugoslav league finals====
After completing the 1988-89 season with Marist—in anticipation of the [[1989 NBA draft|NBA draft]] where he had been set to be picked according to most projections (including ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'''s)—Pecarski came back to KK Partizan, re-joining them in April 1989 ahead of the [[1988–89 Yugoslav First Basketball League|Yugoslav League]] playoffs final series versus Jugoplastika.<ref name="kos-pecarski-october-1989">{{cite news|last=Mrmak|first=P.|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0BIEP7nsWaTSjA2NVVsa2R4OFE/view?resourcekey=0-qBiJ1Q8Sbp0rBhuHdT4Phw|title=Čekam poziv Indijane (page 17)|agency=Koš magazin|date=October 1989|access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref> Returning to the club whose roster more-or-less stayed intact compared to the squad he had left the previous summer; the only difference being [[Goran Grbović]] replaced with young [[Predrag Danilović]] at small forward. A re-match of the previous season's Yugoslav League playoff finals, Partizan (having a home court advantage this time) ended up getting swept 0-3 in the best-of-five series after losing game one at home 73-74 then leaving the court before the end of game two in Split with Jugopplastika up 75-70. Game three was administratively awarded to Jugoplastika by the Yugoslav Basketball Federation (KSJ) as punishment for Partizan walking off the court in game two.

==Professional career==
===KK Partizan===
After not getting [[1989 NBA draft|drafted]] and also seeing his subsequent attempts at joining the [[1989–90 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana Pacers]] as an undrafted player not come to fruition, Pecarski stayed with Partizan for the following 1989-90 season.<ref name="kos-pecarski-october-1989"/> With head coach Vujošević gone (replaced by [[Borislav Ćorković|Reba Ćorković]]), along with main squad players gone as well—either transferred out (Divac and Paspalj to the NBA, Đorđević and Obradović away serving their mandatory Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) stints) or unavailable through injury (Danilović broke his leg 11 games into the season)—Partizan had an exceptionally [[1989–90 Yugoslav First Basketball League|subpar season]], at one point fighting for mere league survival.

As a member of Partizan, Pecarski played at the [[1988 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four]] (1988 EuroLeague Final Four) in [[Ghent]]. He also won the [[FIBA Korać Cup]] in 1989, and the [[Yugoslav Basketball Cup|Yugoslav Cup]] in 1989.

Pecarski obtained a Greek passport in order to obtain playing eligibility as a native in Greece. He won the [[Greek Basketball Cup|Greek Cup]] in 1992, and the [[FIBA Saporta Cup|FIBA European Cup]] (FIBA Saporta Cup) in 1993, with [[Aris B.C.|Sato Aris]]. With Panathinaikos, Pecarski won the [[EuroLeague|FIBA European League]] (EuroLeague) and the [[Greek Basketball Cup|Greek Cup]] in 1996. He also played at the [[1995 FIBA European League Final Four]] (1995 EuroLeague Final Four), in [[Zaragoza]].

== Personal life ==
In addition to his native Serbia, Pecarski also holds [[Greek citizenship]] — obtained for practical reasons of playing without EU administrative restrictions while in the country between 1991 and 1997. All throughout his Greek stint, Pecarski competed under the name '''Miroslav Mylonas''' ({{langx|el|Μίροσλαβ Μυλωνάς}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.contra.gr/super-story/oi-ksenoi-poy-eginan-ellhnes-kai-ta-onomata-toys.3005121.html|script-title=el:Οι ξένοι που έγιναν Έλληνες και τα ονόματά τους.|publisher=Contra.gr|language=el|accessdate=April 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_GSf9wrCdHBkDZZk9UQoqE3.season_1998.roundID_2530.playerID_2645.teamID_1465.html MIROSLAV MYLONAS (PETSARSKI) Nationality GRE.]</ref>

His son [[Marko Pecarski|Marko]] (born 2000) is also a basketball player.

Pecarski and [[Slaviša Koprivica]] played together on the [[Yugoslavia men's national under-19 basketball team|Yugoslavia national under-19 basketball team]], winning gold at the [[1987 FIBA Under-19 World Championship]]. Thirty years later, their sons Marko Pecarski and [[Balša Koprivica]], respectively, played together on the [[Serbia men's national under-18 basketball team|Serbia national under-18 basketball team]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kosmagazin.com/koprivica-pecarski-30-godina-kasnije/|title=Koprivica-Pecarski, 30 godina kasnije|publisher=kosmagazin.com|language=sr|accessdate=August 12, 2015}}</ref> winning gold at the [[2017 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship]].

==See also==
*[[List of European basketball players in the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015419/https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/Miroslav%20Pecarski/pid//_//players.html FIBA Profile]
* [http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_GSf9wrCdHBkDZZk9UQoqE3.season_1998.roundID_2530.playerID_2645.teamID_1465.html FIBA Europe Profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141101002206/http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=A3E Spanish League Archive Profile] {{in lang|es}}
* [http://web.legabasket.it/player/?id=PEC-MIR Italian League Profile] {{in lang|it}}

{{KK Partizan 1988–89 FIBA Korać Cup champions}}
{{Aris BC 1992–93 FIBA European Cup Winners}}
{{Panathinaikos B.C. 1995–96 Euroleague champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pecarski, Miroslav}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Aris B.C. players]]
[[Category:Centers (basketball)]]
[[Category:Cholet Basket players]]
[[Category:Gijón Baloncesto players]]
[[Category:Greek expatriate basketball people in Serbia]]
[[Category:Greek men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Greek people of Serbian descent]]
[[Category:KK Partizan players]]
[[Category:Liga ACB players]]
[[Category:Marist Red Foxes men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Greece]]
[[Category:Pallacanestro Cantù players]]
[[Category:Panathinaikos B.C. players]]
[[Category:Panionios B.C. players]]
[[Category:Serbian men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in France]]
[[Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in Greece]]
[[Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in Italy]]
[[Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in Spain]]
[[Category:Serbian expatriate basketball people in the United States]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Kikinda]]
[[Category:Yugoslav men's basketball players]]
[[Category:20th-century Greek sportsmen]]