Luka Božić (born April 29, 1996) is a Croatian professional basketball player for Força Lleida of the Liga ACB on a loan from Valencia. Standing at 2.00 m, he plays at the small forward position.
.jpg) Božić in March 2023 | |
| No. 8 – Força Lleida | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Liga ACB |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 29, 1996 Bjelovar, Croatia |
| Listed height | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Listed weight | 105 kg (231 lb) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2017: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2011–present |
| Career history | |
| 2012–2014 | Bjelovar |
| 2014 | Pula 1981 |
| 2014–2017 | Zagreb |
| 2017–2019 | Zadar |
| 2019–2020 | Budućnost |
| 2021–2022 | Široki |
| 2022–2024 | Zadar |
| 2024–present | Valencia |
| 2024–present | → Força Lleida |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Medals | |
Playing career
editEarly years
editA native of Bjelovar, Croatia, Božić played in the second tier of Croatian basketball for KK Bjelovar until he was picked up by KK Zagreb, a member of the country's top-flight A-1 Liga, in 2014.[1] He immediately established himself as a scoring threat, averaging 15.1 points a game in the 2014-15 campaign. In the 2015–16 season, Božić increased his scoring output to 17.3 points per contest, draining 48.4 percent of his shots taken (177-366) including 38.4 percent (61-159) from three-point range. In 2016–17, he emerged as the second-leading scorer of the A1 league, compiling averages of 22.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 24 A1 contests, shooting 57.6 percent from inside the arc and 31.5 percent from three-point territory.
In April 2017, Božić entered his name for the 2017 NBA draft. At the end of the June 12 NBA Draft deadline, he would be only one of 10 international underclassmen to officially hold his name for the NBA Draft that year. However, he was not drafted.[2]
Zadar (2017–19)
editIn September 2017, he signed a two-year contract with Zadar.[3] Playing for Zadar, Božić was the rebounding leader in consecutive ABA League seasons (2017–18 and 2018–19 season), averaging 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 rebounds per game, respectively.
Budućnost (2019–20)
editFor 2019–20 season, he signed with the Montenegrin club Budućnost. He had limited role in the club, averaging only 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds over 15 games. He missed the entire 2020–21 season without a club.
Široki (2021–22)
editIn July 2021, after one-year absence, he signed with the Bosnian-Herzegovian club Široki.[4] Playing for Široki, Božić averaged 21.5 points and 7 rebounds over 13 ABA League Second Division games.
Second stint with Zadar (2022–present)
editIn August 2022, Božić returned to Zadar signing a short-term contract with a possibility of renewal.[5] Over 2022–23 season, Božić averaged 22 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists over 25 ABA League regular season games. For his performances, he was named the ABA League MVP.[6]
National team career
editHe was part of the Croatia youth selections at the 2012 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, at the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship taking the bronze medal, at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship taking the silver, the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship and the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Luka Bozic Basketball Player Profile, KK Zagreb, News, A1 stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - eurobasket.com". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
- ^ Pascoe, Bruce. "Controversial trade takes the spotlight away from Arizona's Lauri Markkanen". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
- ^ "Luka Božić potpisao za Zadar". basketball.hr (in Croatian). 2017-09-19. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
- ^ "Bivši igrač Budućnosti potpisao za Široki". bhbasket.ba. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "Na žeton: Božić potpisao za Zadar do Božića uz mogućnost produženja do kraja sezone". basketball.hr (in Croatian). 20 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Đ., D. (27 April 2023). "Bolji od Kampaca i Lesora – Luka Božić MVP ABA lige". b92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Luka Bozic player profile". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
External links
edit- Luka Božić at aba-liga.com
- Luka Božić[dead link] at fiba.com