Nikola Prkačin

Nikola "Nikša" Prkačin (born 15 November 1975) is a Croatian former professional basketball player.

Nikša Prkačin
Personal information
Born (1975-11-15) 15 November 1975
Dubrovnik, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
NationalityCroatian
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
Playing career1993–2010
PositionCenter
Career history
As player:
1993–1998Split
1998–2003Cibona
2003–2007Efes Pilsen
2007–2008Dynamo Moscow
2008Panathinaikos
2008–2009Cibona
2009–2010Zagreb
As coach:
2012–2014Croatia (assistant)
Career highlights and awards

His natural position is center, though he is also able to play as power forward. Prkačin is known for his pick and roll play, precise hookshot and half-distance shot. Although shorter in height comparing to most European centers, Prkačin compensates it with his immense strength and body balance. It is also a great rarity to see Prkačin try for a three point field goal.

Prkačin resides in Zagreb, Croatia, with his wife and three children, one of whom is Roko Prkačin, also a basketball player. In free time he enjoys fishing and playing water polo.[1]

Playing history

Prkačin started his career in his hometown Dubrovnik, playing for the local team Pomorac. Aged 18, he moved to KK Split where he played for the next five seasons. At that time Prkačin was a constant member of Croatian U-22 national team. His debut for the senior national selection came on EuroBasket 1997. At the start of season 1998–99 he moves to Croatian champions KK Cibona, where he will reside for the next five seasons. Prkačin had a successful domestic career, winning Croatian Cup five times and bringing four Croatian championships to Cibona's trophy cabinet.

After spending a decade building his career in domestic league, Prkačin finally came to signing a contract with a foreign club. This time it was Turkish first division side Efes Pilsen. Prkačin established himself well, playing on a regular basis as a club's powerful forward-center. After the end of his four-year spell at Turkey he moved two times in the following two seasons, playing for Russian side Dynamo and Greek champions Panathinaikos. After winning the A1 Ethniki title he moved back to Croatia, signing a €400,000 annual contract with Cibona,[2] ending in 2010. He is a regular first team player, also bearing a captain role for his team.

Prkačin has recently stated that he is leaving a possibility of returning to his hometown club Pomorac when his career is close to an end.[3]

Croatian national team

Besides being a club captain, Prkačin is currently bearing the role of Croatia's captain since the 2008 Summer Olympics. His first national team appearance came in EuroBasket 1997. Since then Prkačin has been part of every competition's selection for Croatia. After that he has participated in five more European championships (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007) and the already mentioned Summer Olympics.

Honours through career

Prkačin has been playing basketball professionally since the 1993 when he signed for the Croatian Cup winners KK Split. He established himself as a successor to Split's famous center Dino Rađa and with years gaining significant experience and knowledge, which after few seasons, have turned him into a key player for Split. With them he won two Krešimir Ćosić cups before moving to KK Cibona at the start of season 1998–99. Playing alongside the players like Slaven Rimac, Zoran Planinić, Josip Sesar, Dino Rađa and Chucky Atkins, he won four A1 Liga titles and four Krešimir Ćosić cups, making a total of four league titles and six cup titles in domestic league. Less mentionable is the EuroLeague Opening Tournament title won in 2001. In 2003–04 season he won the Turkish league title with Efes Pilsen and the next year the championship title was reclaimed. A cup double came in 2006–07 season, after which he moved to Moscow where he did not accomplish anything significant. Moving to Panathinaikos BC at the same season, he was a part of Panathinaikos's great season in which they brought home double by winning both the league and the national cup titles. All in all, in 16 years of an impressing career Prkačin has won as much as seven league titles, nine cup titles and one super cup title.

Season Club Domestic league Domestic cup Continental cup National team
1993–94 KK Split Krešimir Ćosić Cup winner Under 22 team
1994–95 KK Split Under 22 team
1995–96 KK Split Under 22 team
1996–97 KK Split Krešimir Ćosić Cup winner Debut for Croatia
11th place on EuroBasket 1997
1997–98 KK Split
1998–99 Cibona A1 Liga winner Krešimir Ćosić Cup winner 11th place on EuroBasket 1999
1999–00 Cibona A1 Liga winner
2000–01 Cibona A1 Liga winner Krešimir Ćosić Cup winner EuroLeague Top 16 7th place on EuroBasket 2001
2001–02 Cibona A1 Liga winner
A1 Liga MVP		 Krešimir Ćosić Cup winner Opening Tournament winner
Euroleague group stage
2002–03 Cibona Euroleague Top 16 11th place on EuroBasket 2003
2003–04 Efes Pilsen Turkish League winners Turkish Super Cup runner-up
Turkish Cup runner-up		 Euroleague Top 16
2004–05 Efes Pilsen Turkish League winners Turkish Super Cup runner-up Euroleague Quarterfinalist 7th place on EuroBasket 2005
2005–06 Efes Pilsen Turkish League runner-up Turkish Super Cup runner-up
Turkish National Cup winner		 Euroleague Quarterfinalist
2006–07 Efes Pilsen Turkish League runner-up Turkish Super Cup winner
Turkish National Cup winner		 Euroleague's Top 16 6th place on EuroBasket 2007
2007–08 Dynamo Moscow
2007–08 Panathinaikos A1 Ethniki winners Greek cup winners Euroleague Top 16 6th place on Summer Olympics
2008–09 Cibona Krešimir Ćosić Cup winners Euroleague Top 16
Adriatic League Final Four

References
  1. hoo.hr profile (in Croatian)
  2. www.24sata.hr (in Croatian)
  3. naslov.hr (in Croatian)
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