page_title: KK Split
section_title: The road to the European Cup victories
hierarchical_section_title: KK Split / The road to the European Cup victories
caption_attribution_description: Hrvatski: Toni Kukoč i Dino Rađa
context_page_description: Košarkaški klub Split, commonly referred to as KK Split or simply Split, is a men's professional basketball club based in Split, Croatia, that competes in the ABA League and the Croatian League.
context_section_description: 1975–76 FIBA Korać Cup
   
  1976–77 FIBA Korać Cup
   
   
  
  
   
  1988–89 FIBA European Champions Cup
   
  1989–90 FIBA European Champions Cup
   
  1990–91 FIBA European Champions Cup
   
  One of the greatest dynasties in European-wide basketball club competition history, came between 1989 and 1991, when Split simply dominated the FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) like no other team had in decades. Head coach Božidar Maljković, put together arguably one of the most talented young teams ever seen anywhere: featuring Toni Kukoč, Dino Rađa, Žan Tabak, Velimir Perasović, Zoran Sretenović, and Luka Pavićević, who joined forces with veterans like Duško Ivanović. In 1989, Jugoplastika reached the Final Four, along with heavy favorites FC Barcelona and Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv and the very competitive Aris. Kukoč had 24 points and Ivanovič had 21, to lead Split past FC Barcelona, by a score of 89–77, in the semifinals. Once in the final, Jugoplastika edged Maccabi 75–69, behind 20 points from Rađa, and 18 from an unstoppable Kukoć, whose combination of size, speed, and incredible court vision, turned him into a one-of-a-kind player.
  Jugoplastika met FC Barcelona Banca Catalana again, in the 1990 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four, in Zaragoza, Spain. FC Barcelona was backed by thousands of fans, and managed to get a brief 61–59 lead, late in the second half, but Kukoć buried a couple of critical three-pointers, that sent Jugoplastika on its way to its second straight title. Kukoć finished the game with 20 points, and the EuroLeague Final Four MVP award, in his magic hands.
  In most places, one can find that the European champs in 1991, were called POP 84, but that was just the name of the sponsor under which the talented players of KK Split were playing that season. Despite being without Dino Rađa and Dusko Ivanović, the team from Split was led by a great Toni Kukoć, and a genius-like Zoran Savić, to their third consecutive title. Since the time when Rīgas ASK of the USSR League, won three straight European titles, in 1958, 1959, and 1960, no other team had won three in a row. And in the Final Four era, only two other teams besides Jugoplastika have been able to win even two consecutively (Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv in 2004 and 2005, and Olympiacos in 2012, and 2013). 
  In 1991, the competition provided some big surprises, leading up to the Final Four at Paris. English club Kingston Kings of the British Basketball League, eliminated CSKA Moscow, and what's more, with a double victory, 93–77 at home and 72–74 in Moscow. German club Bayer 04 Leverkusen of the Basketball Bundesliga, made its debut in the third round, but the other faces were well-known to everyone: FC Barcelona Banca Catalana ended first in that phase (11–3), POP 84 was second (9–5), and the other two Final Four teams would be Scavolini Pesaro and Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv, tied at 8–6. Once again, the first team of the previous round didn't get the title. In a rematch of the previous year's final – an occurrence that has not been repeated since – the team from Split won 70-65, almost identical to the 1990 score (72–67). Thanks to a great performance by Savić, who scored 27 points, Jugoplastika had an historic three–peat.
caption: Toni Kukoč with Dino Rađa, after the victorious 1990 Champions Cup final against FC Barcelona, in Zaragoza.
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