Zeljko Obradovic - winner of Alexander Gomelskiy trophy

Zeljko Obradovic (photo: euroleague.net)

21-06-2007 15:06 | euroleague.net

One of the most successful coaches ever to sit on a basketball bench, Zeljko Obradovic of Panathinaikos, has been voted the winner of the Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year Trophy for the 2006-07 season.

Obradovic, still just 47 years old, added to his legend in early May by guiding Panathinaikos to the Euroleague title with another coaching masterpiece on his team's home court in Athens. It marked the sixth time that Obradovic has lifted the trophy, two more than any other head coach in the 50-year history of pan-European championships. In just 16 seasons as a head coach, Obradovic has won the European crown with four different clubs from three different countries. He now owns three such titles with Panathinaikos, following those of 2000 and 2003. Obradovic won the award by a vote of his peers, the head coaches who finished the 2006-07 Euroleague season for each of the 24 clubs.

Obradovic is the third coach, following Ettore Messina of CSKA Moscow in 2006 and Pini Gershon of Maccabi in 2005, to win the Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year Trophy.