Vladimir Stepania

Number of seasons in Olimpija: 2
Position: centre
Height: 213 cm
Weight: 110 kg
Current club: retired from basketball

Although a Slovene citizen, this Georgian has never been allowed to play for the Slovene national team, was first loaned to Slovan by Olimpija and became a member of the A team in 1996/97. That year, he surprised Europe with his agility and all round play for a big man. In his first year, he averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds per game, and helped his team to a historic placement at the Final Four in Rome. Of course his basket in the dying seconds of the playoff round of the Euro league against Cibona in Zagreb will never be forgotten. After receiving a pass from McDonald, he scored with three seconds left, putting Ljubljana in the quarterfinals. The following year, he nearly averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds a game, in turn convincing American scouts that he was ready for the NBA. He was drafted 27th overall in the 1998 NBA Entry Draft by the Seattle Supersonics. After two seasons in Miami, a season in both New Jersey and Seattle, he then joined the Portland Trailblazers. NBA circumstances were not to his favour, and despite some excellent showings, and the fact that for a time he was a leader in rebound per minute ratio, he never received a real chance to prove himself. His personal record remains 19 points as a member of the Miami Heat against Charlotte and 15 rebounds against Milwaukee. Stepania retired from basketball due knee problems.