KB Prishtina

KB Prishtina
KB Prishtina
Leagues	Kosovo Superleague; Kosovo Cup; BIBL; Liga Unike
Founded	1970; 54 years ago
History	KB Prishtina; 1970–present
Arena	Palace of Youth and Sports
Capacity	760
Location	Pristina, Kosovo
Team colors	Blue, White
President	Blerand Stavileci
Team manager	N/A
Head coach	Murat Bilge
Team captain	Fisnik Rugova
2022–23 position	Kosovo Basketball Superleague, Semifinalist (3rd)
Championships	15 Kosovo Cup; 14 Kosovo Superleague; 3 Balkan League; 8 Kosovo Supercups
Website	Official website

Klubi i Basketbollit Prishtina (English: Basketball Club Prishtina), officially known as Sigal Prishtina due to sponsorship reasons, is a Kosovar professional basketball club based in Pristina.

The team currently competes in the Kosovo Superleague, Balkan International Basketball League (BIBL) and the FIBA Europe Cup. They are the most successful club in Kosovo, having won 14 national championships, 15 national cups and 7 supercups in the last 14 years. Since 2013 the club has competed in the Balkan International Basketball League (BIBL), and they became the first Kosovar side to win the competition first in 2014–15 after defeating Bulgarian side BC Rilski Sportist in the finals. They would win the same competition the following season in 2015–16 in which they would beat Montenegrin side Mornar Bar in the final, to win this competition back to back as the only Kosovan Basketball club in the history at this competition. In 2015, Prishtina joined the newly formed European second tier competition, the FIBA Europe Cup. They became the first Kosovar Basketball club to reach the round of 16 in the FIBA Europe Cup in the 2018–19 season, winning six matches in their 14 match long campaign. Prishtina has won 15 games in European basketball competitions so far.

History

The club was founded in 1970. By 2004, the club had racked up huge debt, which led to the original club being forced to fold and a new club under the name OJQ KB Prishtina was formed in its place. The debts were then inherited by the new club and they were not dealt with, which led to the club folding once again on 22 September 2011 and a new club was once again formed in its place.^[1]

In the 2015–16 season, Prishtina made its debut in the FIBA Europe Cup and became the first Kosovo team to play in a European club competition. Since then, Prishtina competed in every season of the FIBA Europe Cup.

European competitions

In the 2013–14 season, Prishtina played its first season in Europe in Balkan International Basketball League (BIBL). In the first season KB Prishtina took the 2nd place during the Regular Season with 11 wins and 5 losses, qualifying for the Final Four. They were organizers of the Final Four 2013–14 of BIBL, but they lost to Galil Gilboa 74–86 in the semifinal, and to Balkan (BUL) 73–79 in the 3rd place game.

In the BIBL Season 2014–15, KB Prishtina won the Trophy of the for the first time Balkan International Basketball League, KB Prishtina faced in the Quarterfinals SCM Craiova they won first away in Romania 73−77 and then at home in Prishtina 70−98 to progress in the Semifinals off this Tournament. In the Semifinals KB Prishtina faced KK Kožuv from Macedonia yet again in this Tournament. At home Prishtina surprised Kožuv and beat them deservedly 85–61 at home in Pristina especially Edin Bavčić scored 25 points in this Match and Dardan Berisha with six assist points helped Prishtina massively at this stage. Away in Kožuv they lost 86-80 but it was enough to qualify for their first ever Finals in the Balkan International Basketball League. In the finals they meet BC Rilski Sportist they won both matches against BC Rilski Sportist first in Prishtina 74–72, and second in Bulgaria 80–71, to win the Trophy in this Campaign. Being the only Basketball Club from Kosovo to achieve this feet so far. In 20 matches KB Prishtina achieved 13 wins and only seven losses in the process.^[2] But in the next BIBL season 2015–16, KB Prishtina would compete again in the Balkan International Basketball League where they faced in the first round KK Kožuv KK Mornar Bar and BC Beroe. In this round KB Prishtina won 4 Matches and progressed deservedly in the next Round.

In the 2015–16 season, KB Prishtina played in FIBA Europe Cup for the first time. They failed to qualify for the next round with two wins and sour losses in the Group Stage.

In the FIBA Europe Cup 2016–17 KB Prishtina faced in the first round Enisey BC Rilski Sportist and Demir İnşaat Büyükçekmece. KB Prishtina did improve in their performances, especially at home. Their only win was a 87–80 at home against Enisey—not enough for KB Prishtina to progress in the next round.

Sponsorship naming

The club has had several denominations through the years due to its sponsorship:

MEB Prishtina (2002–2003)
BpB Prishtina (2003–2004)
Sigal Prishtina (2004–2011, 2012–2018, 2019-2024)
Z-Mobile Prishtina (2018–2019)
Sigal Prishtina Mercure (2024)
Sigal Prishtina (2024-present)

Matches in European competitions

Season	Competition	Round	Opponent	Home	Away
2015–16	FIBA Europe Cup	RS	Energia Târgu Jiu	66–62	87–72
			AEK Larnaca	70–83	101–84
			Astana	75–73	82–78
2016–17	FIBA Europe Cup	RS	Enisey	87–80	102–101
			Rilski Sportist	100–104	100–98
			Demir İnşaat Büyükçekmece	71–81	100–58
2017–18	Champions League	QR1	Tsmoki-Minsk	50–57	89–74
	FIBA Europe Cup	RS	Khimik	76–65	59–78
			Belfius Mons-Hainaut	69–75	72–74
			Demir İnşaat Büyükçekmece	66–84	86–59
2018–19	Champions League	QR1	Donar	84–64	80–55
	FIBA Europe Cup	RS	Bakken Bears	77–100	108–84
			Cherkaski Mavpy	92–82	73–92
			Steaua București	74–69	81–87
		2R	s.Oliver Würzburg	78–91	95–77
			Szolnoki Olaj	81–76	89–76
			Pınar Karşıyaka	82–78	107–85
		R16	Varese	77–80	100–84
2019–20	Champions League	QR1	Legia	79–81	85–83
	FIBA Europe Cup	RS	APOEL	93–74	80–107
			medi Bayreuth	68–93	97–89
			Ventspils	72–122	104–84
2022–23	FIBA Europe Cup	QR2	Kalev	N/A	61-98
	ENBL	GS	Budivelnyk	N/A	85-62
			Kalev	50-61	N/A
			Stelmet Zielona Gora	N/A	89-76
			Start Lublin	69-89	N/A
			Šiauliai	N/A	67-91
			Tal Tech	73-91	N/A
		QF	King Szczecin	64-64	78-85

Arena

The club play their home games at the smaller of the two arenas in the Pallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve (Palace of Youth and Sports) which has a capacity of 2,800. The larger arena in the building had a capacity of around 8,000 but it was damaged by a fire on 25 February 2000 and has never been restored fully since.

Honours and titles

Domestic competitions

Kosovo Basketball Superleague

Winners (14): 1991, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
Runners-up (6): 1997, 2001, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2018

Kosovo Cup

Winners (15): 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021,
Runners-up (4): 2011, 2015, 2023, 2024

Kosovo Supercup

Winners (8): 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022

European and regional competitions

Balkan League

Winners (3): 2015, 2016, 2024

European North Basketball League

- Quarter Finals (1): 2022–23 European North Basketball League

FIBA Europe Cup

- Round of 16 (1): 2018-19

FIBA Champions League

- First qualifying round (3): 2017–18 Basketball Champions League, 2018–19 Basketball Champions League, and in the 2019-20 Basketball Champions League

Players

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

KB Prishtina roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Age
PG		Moore, Jalen	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)	77 kg (170 lb)	25 – (1999-08-07)7 August 1999
PG		Peci, Eliot (U20)	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)	80 kg (176 lb)	20 – (2004-04-27)27 April 2004
PG	22	Sylejmani, Renat (U20)	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)	80 kg (176 lb)	16 – (2008-10-03)3 October 2008
CG		Shatri, Orges (U20)	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)	80 kg (176 lb)	19 – (2005-05-24)24 May 2005
SG		Williams, Rashad	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)	84 kg (185 lb)	24 – (2000-01-17)17 January 2000
G/F	3	Ismajli, Jon (U20)	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)	80 kg (176 lb)	18 – (2005-12-23)23 December 2005
G/F	13	Lekndreaj, Daniel	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)	86 kg (190 lb)	27 – (1997-11-16)16 November 1997
F		Burns, Damiree	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)	100 kg (220 lb)	23 – (2001-05-16)16 May 2001
PF	34	Istrefi, Bardh (U20)	2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)	90 kg (198 lb)	20 – (2004-01-25)25 January 2004
PF	23	Janjeva, Muhamedali	2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)	90 kg (198 lb)	25 – (1998-12-28)28 December 1998
PF	31	Širko, Henrik	2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)	94 kg (207 lb)	31 – (1993-01-23)23 January 1993
PF/C	7	Rugova, Fisnik (C)	2.09 m (6 ft 10 in)	102 kg (225 lb)	35 – (1989-08-26)26 August 1989
C		Ibishi, Adrian (U20)	2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)	90 kg (198 lb)	20 – (2004-10-24)24 October 2004

Head coach

Murat Bilge

Assistant coach(es)

Albert Sylejmani

Physiotherapist(s)

Kujtim Shala

Legend

(C) Team captain
(TW) – Two-way contract
(U20) – Obligatory Under 20 years old player
Injured

Roster

Updated: June 23, 2023

Depth chart

Pos.	Starting 5	Bench 1	Bench 2
C	Fisnik Rugova	Adrian Ibishi
PF	Henrik Širko	Bardh Istrefi
SF	Damiree Burns	Muhamedali Janjeva
SG	Daniel Lekndreaj	Jon Ismajli	Orges Shatri
PG	Jalen Moore	Rashad Williams	Eliot Peci

Head coaches

Coach	Years active
Ibrahim Karabegu	1999–2000
Bujar Shehu	2000–2001
Čedomir Perinčić	2001–2002
Enver Sllamniku	2002–2003
Josip Gjergja	2003–2004
Ekrem Memnun	2004–2005
Vëllaznim Perani	2005
Arben Krasniqi	2005–2013
Ahmet Kandemir	2013
Ceyhun Cabadak	2013
Marin Dokuzovski	2014
Marjan Ilievski	2015
Antonis Constantinides	2015–2016
Audrius Prakuraitis	2016–2017
Ahmet Kandemir	2017
Andin Rashica	2018
Matthias Zollner	2018
Damir Mulaomerović	2018–2019
Bujar Loci	2019
Teo Hojc	2020
Andin Rashica	2020
Ante Nazor	2021–2022
Ekrem Memnun	2022
Murat Bilge	2022
Ahmet Kandemir	2022–2023
Žydrūnas Urbonas	2023–2024
Jakša Vulić	2024
Albert Sylejmani	2024
Murat Bilge	2024–present

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria
To appear in this section a player must have either: Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time Played at least one official NBA match at any time.