Nikola Popović (basketball)
![]() Popović with Boston College in 2017 | |||||||||||||||
Falco KC Szombathely | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Center | ||||||||||||||
League | Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born | Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 19 July 1997||||||||||||||
Nationality | Serbian | ||||||||||||||
Listed height | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 115 kg (254 lb) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school | Sagemont School (Weston, Florida) | ||||||||||||||
College | Boston College (2016–2020) | ||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 2020: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2020–present | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
2020–2021 | Crvena zvezda | ||||||||||||||
2020 | →FMP | ||||||||||||||
2021 | Chemidor Qom | ||||||||||||||
2021–2023 | Okapi Aalst | ||||||||||||||
2023–2024 | Lietkabelis Panevėžys | ||||||||||||||
2024–present | Falco KC Szombathely | ||||||||||||||
Medals
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Nikola Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Поповић; born 19 July 1997), also known as Nik Popovic,[1][2] is a Serbian professional basketball player for Falco KC Szombathely of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A. He played college basketball for the Boston College Eagles.
Early career
[edit]Popović was born in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was a member of the Crvena zvezda under-18 team that lost to Real Madrid in the 2014–15 Euroleague Next Generation Tournament Final.[3] Over four games in the final tournament, he averaged 5.8 points and five rebounds per game.[4]
High school career
[edit]Popović began playing high school basketball in 2015 with the Sagemont School in Weston, Florida.[5] In his senior year, he averaged 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game, earning him All-County First Team honors.[6][7]
College career
[edit]Popović posted 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a freshman at Boston College.[8][9] As a sophomore, Popović averaged 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, starting 33 games. He had 20 points against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament.[10] Popović averaged 14.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a junior at Boston College. As a senior, Popović averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. His season was marred by a back injury that forced him to miss a substantial number of games. Popović had a season-high 23 points in a 100–85 loss to Belmont.[11] He played the forward position as #21.[12]
Professional career
[edit]2020–2021 season
[edit]On 7 June 2020, Popović signed a four-year contract with Crvena zvezda. On the same day, he was loaned to FMP for the 2020–21 season.[13][14] On 24 December 2020, Popovic decided to leave FMP.[15] He played only one game for FMP in 2020. In January 2021, Popović parted ways with the FMP to sign with Chemidor Qom of the Iranian SuperLeague.[16][17] He averaged 15.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Okapi Aalst (2021–2023)
[edit]On 9 August 2021, Popović signed with the Belgian team Okapi Aalst.[18]
Lietkabelis Panevėžys (2023-2024)
[edit]On 16 January 2023, Popović signed with Lietkabelis Panevėžys of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) until the end of the season.[19]
National team career
[edit]Popović was a member of the Serbian under-17 team that won the bronze medal at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Over six tournament games, he averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.[20] Also, he was a member of the Serbian under-18 team that finished 5th at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in Volos, Greece. Over nine tournament games, he averaged 5.6 points, four rebounds, and one assist per game.[21]
Career statistics
[edit]GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016–17 | Boston College | 29 | 1 | 13.8 | .488 | .294 | .531 | 3.5 | .4 | .1 | .3 | 6.1 |
2017–18 | Boston College | 35 | 33 | 26.0 | .507 | .200 | .713 | 6.2 | 1.3 | .4 | .8 | 9.9 |
2018–19 | Boston College | 28 | 24 | 29.6 | .526 | .256 | .714 | 7.2 | 1.1 | .5 | .8 | 14.5 |
2019–20 | Boston College | 20 | 13 | 25.6 | .435 | .333 | .660 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 1.1 | .5 | 10.5 |
Career | 112 | 71 | 23.7 | .496 | .277 | .682 | 5.6 | 1.1 | .5 | .6 | 10.2 |
EuroCup
[edit]Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022–23 | Lietkabelis | 8 | 5 | 17.4 | .650 | .000 | .773 | 4.8 | .9 | .3 | .4 | 8.6 | 11.6 |
2023–24 | 14 | 11 | 19.3 | .575 | .000 | .886 | 3.9 | 1.5 | .6 | .1 | 10.3 | 11.4 | |
Career | 22 | 16 | 19.2 | .612 | .000 | .809 | 4.2 | 1.3 | .5 | .2 | 9.7 | 10.4 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Nik Popovic Out Indefinitely With Back Injury". si.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Boston College Men's Basketball Update: Nik Popovic Out Indefinitely with Back Spasms". bcinterruption.com. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "U18 Real Madrid 73 U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 70". adidasngt.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "POPOVIC, NIKOLA - 16 Forward". eurocupbasketball.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Nikola Popović Banjalučanin na putu ka NBA ligi". banjaluka.com. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "21 Nik Popovic at bceagles.com". bceagles.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Nikola Popovic Basketball Player Profile, KK Crvena Zvezda MTS Beograd, Boston Coll., News, KLS stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - eurobasket". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ Sullivan, Michael (6 November 2017). "Playing It Cool: Nik Popovic has moved past last season's mental blowups, and is finally having fun playing basketball". The Heights. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "EagleAction - Who is Nikola Popovic?". bostoncollege.rivals.com. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ "Nic Popovic a big asset for Boston College basketball". Boston Herald. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Black, A.J. (7 June 2020). "Former BC Center Nik Popovic Signs Contract in Serbia". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Nik Popovic Stats, News, Bio". ESPN. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ "Zvezda vratila svog đaka iz Amerike: "Kupujemo domaće!"". mondo.rs. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "Zvanično: Popović se iz Bostona vratio u Zvezdu". sportklub.rs. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "FMP naciljao i treće pojačanje". mozzartsport.com. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "Nikola Popovic (ex Crvena Zvezda) is a newcomer at Chemidor". eurobasket.com.
- ^ "Banjalučanin raskinuo sa Zvezdom, brzo našao novi klub". kosarka24.ba. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Nikola Popovic (ex Chemidor) agreed terms with Aalst". Eurobasket. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ ""7bet-Lietkabelis" sustiprino priekinę liniją". kklietkabelis.lt (in Lithuanian). 19 January 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "2014 Serbia #11 - Nikola Popovic". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ "2015 Serbia #11 - Nikola Popovic". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Boston College Eagles bio
- Nikola Popovic at proballers.com
- Nikola Popovic at eurobasket.com
- 1997 births
- Living people
- ABA League players
- BC Lietkabelis players
- Boston College Eagles men's basketball players
- Centers (basketball)
- KK FMP players
- KK Crvena zvezda (youth) players
- Power forwards
- Serbian expatriate basketball people in Belgium
- Serbian expatriate basketball people in Iran
- Serbian expatriate basketball people in Lithuania
- Serbian expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Serbian men's basketball players
- Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sportspeople from Banja Luka
- Iranian Basketball Super League players