BELGRADE (Serbia) – Šaper, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday on December 9, dedicated his whole life to basketball and changed the game forever - in a way still felt in every game today across the world.
Šaper was a member of the so-called “Four Saints” of Yugoslavian basketball alongside Borislav Stanković, Nebojša Popović and Aleksandar Nikolić. They played for Crvena Zvezda and Partizan as well as the Yugoslavia National Team, until 1953 when they joined the Basketball Association of Yugoslavia.
The four passionate pioneers were united by a vision to elevate Yugoslavia to European and global prominence. Stanković went on to serve as FIBA Secretary General from 1976 to 2002; FIBA Hall of Famer Popović scored the first point of FIBA Basketball World Cup history; and Nikolić is considered the father of Yugoslavian basketball coaches.
Šaper, in his playing days, starred as a shooting guard. Off the court, he earned a PhD in Technical Sciences and served as a professor and Associate Dean at the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy of the University of Belgrade.
Basketball, however, was his true love.
In 1953, Šaper took over the presidency of the Yugoslavian Federation’s Technical Commission, and under his guidance, the country was awarded the right to organize the FIBA EuroBasket 1961. Yugoslavia reached the Final against the mighty Soviet Union, and the second place was the country’s first-ever international basketball medal.
From 1956, Stankovic and Saper collaborated to build OKK Belgrade, where Stanković and Nikolić acted as coaches. Led by FIBA Hall of Famer Radivoj Korać, the club captured four Yugoslavian league titles, two Yugoslav Cups, and reached the EuroLeague semifinals three times.
Šaper was elected in 1965 as President of his Federation, and during his tenure, Yugoslavia hosted the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1970 in Ljubljana, the first edition in Europe. On that occasion, the host captured the crown - the country's first of five championships in FIBA’s flagship event. Yugoslavia was becoming the basketball superpower everyone today remembers.
Šaper, for eight years, led the Federation as President and then served another eight years as Secretary General. All the while, he was working on another of his biggest passions - the rules of the game.
In 1972, he was elected as president of FIBA’s Technical Commission, where he served in that role until his death 26 years later in 1998. Over the decades in the game, Šaper authored many articles on basketball rules and travelled the globe and lectured as a top authority in the field.
He played a pivotal role in shaping the international promotion of the game’s rules, including the introduction of new and innovative rules and improvements in the quality of refereeing - the start of what we see on the courts today.
"My father believed in principles, organization, a moral and ethical code, integrity, and modesty. When it came to basketball, all of that also applied, but above it stood the passion and dedication to make this game surpass all others everywhere in the world,” expressed Srdjan Šaper, son of Radomir.
Šaper’s contributions were recognized through numerous honors. In 1999, he was posthumously awarded with the FIBA Order of Merit. FIBA, in 2001, established the Radomir Šaper Award for individuals who distinguish themselves and make exceptional contributions to the development of the basketball rules. As a final tribute to his legacy, Šaper was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
Working far from the spotlight, Radomir Šaper oversaw the game’s evolution, shaping it into the sport we all know and love today.
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About the FIBA Foundation
The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage.
FIBA’s cultural heritage is the heart of the FIBA Foundation’s cultural and historical activities. It is one of the driving forces behind the promotion and dissemination of FIBA’s values.