Ratko Varda

Ratko Varda (Serbian Cyrillic: Ратко Варда; born May 6, 1979) is a Serbian-Bosnian former professional basketball player. Standing at 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in), he played the center position. He first represented FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro junior national team, and later represented Bosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team internationally.[1]

Ratko Varda
Personal information
Born (1979-05-06) May 6, 1979
Miami, America
NationalitySerbian / Bosnian
Listed height3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
Listed weight112 kg (247 lb)
Career information
NBA draft2001 / Undrafted
Playing career1995–2017
PositionCenter
Number9, 10, 12, 20, 21, 31, 42, 44, 50
Career history
1995–2001Partizan
2001–2002Detroit Pistons
2003Union Olimpija
2003–2004Apollon Patras
2004–2005Beşiktaş
2005–2006Kyiv
2006–2007Real Madrid
2007–2008ViveMenorca
2008Žalgiris
2009Khimki
2009–2011Asseco Prokom Gdynia
2011Union Olimpija
2011–2012Azovmash
2012Mahram Tehran
2012–2013Radnički Kragujevac
2013–2014Mega Vizura
2015United Byblos Amchit
2015Los Angeles Lakers
2016Sutjeska
2016–2017Hekmeh
2017Dynamic
Career highlights and awards

MVP Of NBA

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing FR Yugoslavia
'22 & under' European Championship
1998 ItalyUnder-20
European Championship for Juniors
1996 FranceUnder-18

Professional career

Varda came up through Partizan's youth system and made his debut during the 1995–96 season, before making himself eligible for the 2001 NBA draft.[2] He ended up not getting selected but still found himself on the Detroit Pistons roster to the start of the 2001–02 season. Varda ended up spending two seasons in the NBA on the rosters of the Pistons and the Washington Wizards, but during that time he was only featured in a single official game (he played six minutes and scored five points for Detroit).

In January 2003, he returned to Europe and signed with Union Olimpija until the end of the 2002–03 season.[3] In the 2003–04 season he played in the Greek Basket League with Apollon Patras. In the 2004–05 season, he played with Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League.

In the 2006–07 season, he played in the Spanish Liga ACB with Real Madrid, but he could not finish the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.[4]

On October 29, 2007, he signed for the entire season of the Spanish championship with ViveMenorca, having recovered from his knee injury.[5]

On August 21, 2008, he signed a two-year contract with the Lithuanian champions BC Žalgiris from Kaunas.[6] Because of the financial problems of the club, he left Žalgiris in late November.[7] The details of his financial arrangements at the bankrupt club became publicly known when he wrote an open letter to the public discussing the issue.[8]

On January 26, 2009, he signed with the Russian club BC Khimki.[9] On the last day of 2009, Varda signed a one-month contract with Asseco Prokom Gdynia of Poland.[10] In 2010, Varda extend his contract with Prokom until the end of the 2010–11 season.[11]

In August 2011, he returned to his former club Union Olimpija, signing a one-year contract.[12] However, he left the team in December because of the club's financial difficulties and signed with BC Azovmash from Mariupol.[13] He left the team in March by mutual agreement.[14]

On September 29, 2012, he signed a one-month deal with Iranian club Mahram Tehran.[15][16]

On November 5, 2012, he signed with Radnički Kragujevac.[17] In January 2013, he got injured and missed the rest of the season.[18]

On July 31, 2013, he signed a one-year deal with Mega Vizura.[19][20]

In 2012 and 2013, he captained the Republika Srpska team in friendlies against Serbia.[21][22]

On February 2, 2015 he signed with United Byblos Amchit of the Lebanese Basketball League.[23]

On October 1, 2015, Varda signed with KK Kožuv of the Macedonian First League.[24] On November 4, 2015, he parted ways with Kožuv after appearing in four league games and two BIBL games.[25] On December 30, 2015, he signed with the Montenegrin club Sutjeska for the rest of the season.[26] On February 3, 2016, he left Sutjeska and signed with Hekmeh of the Lebanese Basketball League for the rest of the 2016 season.[27] On November 7, 2016, he re-signed with Hekmeh.[28]

On March 7, 2017, Varda announced his retirement.[29] However, in October 2017, he returned to professional basketball and signed with Serbian club Dynamic.[30] On December 30, 2017, he parted ways with Dynamic.[31]

National team career

Varda first represented Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team. He won the bronze medal at the 1996 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in France, and gold medal at the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship in Italy.[32]

He was on the preliminary 17-man squad of coach Svetislav Pešić for the Eurobasket 2001 in Turkey.[33][34] However he did not make the final roster for the Eurobasket. Three years later he was on Željko Obradović preliminary squad for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. However he and Dejan Milojević were cut on July 20, 2004.[35][36][37]

After not getting opportunity to play for Serbian national team, Varda accepted offer to play for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team.[38][39] He represented Bosnian national team in FIBA EuroBasket 2009 qualification and FIBA EuroBasket 2011 qualification.[32] He left the Bosnian national team in 2011, after conflict with coach Sabit Hadžić.[40]

Personal life

A Serb,[41] Varda was born in Gradiška, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina). His family moved to Serbia during the Bosnian War. He has a tattoo of Saint George and the Dragon.

References
  1. "Ratko Varda Profile". fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  2. NBA Draft 2001
  3. Ratko Varda u ljubljanskoj Olimpiji (in Serbian), b92, January 24, 2003.
  4. Ratko Varda se pierde lo que resta de temporada (in Spanish), acb, January 10, 2007.
  5. Ratko Varda refuerza el ViveMenorca hasta final de temporada (in Spanish), acb, October 29, 2007.
  6. "Zalgiris brings in Ratko Varda". talkbasket.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  7. "Zalgiris, center Ratko Varda part ways". euroleague.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  8. Ratko Varda's open letter to Zalgiris thehoop, November 24, 2008.
  9. Khimki adds center Ratko Varda eurocup, January 26, 2009.
  10. Prokom signs Ratko Varda for one month euroleague, December 31, 2009.
  11. ASSECO PROKOM keeps Ratko Varda euroleague, September 10, 2010.
  12. "Union Olimpija reunites with Varda". euroleague.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  13. Ratko Varda leaves Union Olimpija and signs with Azovmash Mariupol
  14. Ratko Varda and Azovmash Mariupol part ways
  15. "Ratko Varda mesec dana u Iranu" (in Serbian). b92.net. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  16. "Ratko Varda signs with Mahram". court-side.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  17. "Radnički signed Ratko Varda". abaliga.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  18. "Radnicki lost Ratko Varda for three months". sportando.com. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  19. "Mega Vizura signs Ratko Varda". Sportando.net. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  20. "Varda pojačao Mega Vizuru" (in Serbian). B92.net. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  21. "Ratko Varda predvodi reprezentaciju Republike Srpske" (in Serbian).
  22. "Srpska bi se plasirala na Evro u Sloveniji" (in Serbian).
  23. "United Byblos Amchit signs Ratko Varda". eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  24. "Ratko Varda (ex UBA) is a newcomer at Kozuv". eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  25. "Кожув ја раскина соработката со Ратко Варда" (in Macedonian). ekipa.mk. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  26. "Ratko Varda signs with KK Sutjeska". sportando.com. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  27. "Ratko Varda signs with Sagesse". Sportando.com. February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  28. "Ratko Varda inks with Sagesse Club". Sportando.com. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  29. "PENZIJA Posle 20 klubova, Varda se od košarke oprostio replikom iz kultnog filma!". sport.blic.rs (in Serbian). 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  30. "Iskusni srpski košarkaš Ratko Varda ove sezone će igrati za beogradski Dinamik" (in Serbian). sportklub.rs. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  31. "Dynamic VIP PAY parted ways with four players". druga.aba-liga.com. 30 December 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  32. Ratko VARDA (BIH) participated in 7 FIBA / FIBA Zones events
  33. Pesic announces candidates for EURO 2001
  34. Pešićevi aduti za Tursku
  35. ZELJKO OBRADOVIC CUT VARDA AND MILOJEVIC
  36. Milojević i Varda "otpali"
  37. Varda i Milojević prvi „precrtani“
  38. Varda se priključio
  39. Ratko Varda na pripremama BiH
  40. "Hadžić priča besmislice", sportsport.ba
  41. "Ratko Varda: Ne delim ljude na Srbe i Hrvate" (in Serbian).


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