Slavko Trninic, a former Croatian basketball coach, spoke to “Vecernji list” and provided insight into a part of his brilliant mind. He talked about working with Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja, Kresimir Cosic, and Dejan Bodiroga.
When we talk about clubs from this region and their European exploits, it’s impossible not to reminisce about the golden period of regional basketball. The ’80s and ’90s affirmed Yugoslavia as a global powerhouse, and at the club level, achievements were made that are hard to imagine in today’s time.
In 1979, BC Bosna, led by Mirza Delibasic, secured the inaugural European club title for teams from this region. In the years that followed, Croatian dominance began. Drazen Petrovic guided Cibona to two consecutive trophies in 1984 and 1985, followed by Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja leading Jugoplastika to an unprecedented three consecutive European titles (Radja participated in the first two), a feat that remains unmatched to this day.
Partizan then concluded the story for clubs from this region, and Zeljko Obradovic claimed his first coaching European title. Aleksandar Djordjevic made a three-pointer for eternity in the last second to secure the title against Joventut.
When we summarize impressions, these are all giants of European and world basketball who led their teams to titles. However, what almost no one thinks about is who the people are behind the scenes, shaping such players. People who transformed God-given talent in the shadows into gold.
One of them is “professor emeritus” Slavko Trninic, a specialist from Zadar who, as he claims, spent up to ten hours a day in the gym with Toni and Dino. Well-known and respected in Croatia, he is a man of exceptional knowledge, described by one of the greatest basketball coaches from the former Yugoslavia, Aleksandar Nikolic, as the easiest to coach a team after Slavko Trninic.
“Toni Kukoc possessed a motoric poetry on both interior and exterior positions, unpredictability in moves with a tendency to energize the entire team”
“Toni Kukoc possessed a motoric poetry on both interior and exterior positions, unpredictability in moves with a tendency to energize the entire team. Dino Radja had the mentality of an uncompromising player, showing readiness for physical play and a strong work ethic. All three were leaders in their clubs and the national team, driving both the game and the results.
I started working with Toni and Dino in 1984 when they were sixteen and seventeen years old. In demonstrative practices, I taught them skills, the basics of the game (situations 1 on 1, 2 on 2, and 3 on 3), and principles of understanding the game, opening the doors to the senior team. We worked six to ten hours a day on technical-tactical details and intricacies of the game on both exterior and interior positions. Simultaneously, we developed individuality and spontaneity in their individual and team play,” began the conversation with the Croatian expert.
“They always worked harder and longer than other players of their generation”
“We equally developed individual and team capabilities, precisely what is a prerequisite for shaping players who can achieve top-notch careers and competitive success. They consistently worked harder and longer than other players of their generation. Toni and Dino learned to understand roles in different positions and how to simplify solving situations in the game. They acquired work habits that allowed them to maintain concentration in performing tasks in the game and executing skills at a high intensity.
I taught them to ‘see’ and ‘read’ the game, to create and attack gaps in the opponent’s defense, and to be capable of outplaying both individual and team defenses. In the process, they developed a desire for dominance in the game, enthusiasm, and a strong work ethic. For them, basketball is both fun and hard work. In this regard, they learned to train with discipline, acquire skills with intense focus, and were oriented towards competing with themselves and others.”
“Both of them were capable of defeating stronger opponents with feints and execution speed, as well as technical-tactical perfection, while outplaying shorter players on interior positions”
He then elaborated:
“They used the transitional period in the annual cycle more constructively to improve individual and team performance compared to players of their generation. In doing so, they learned that their position determined their role in the game, and it was crucial to adopt knowledge related to basketball gameplay rather than a defensive and offensive system. Therefore, the selection of exercises was focused on learning basic movements, proper execution, and application of skills that would enable the development of versatility in the game.
Such training methods fostered the development of physical fitness, shooting skills, passing, meaningful play both on and off the ball, efficient play in 1 on 1, 2 on 2, and 3 on 3 situations. They knew how to set screens on the ball and off the ball at angles most challenging for defense and use screens to create open shots.
This type of training methodology prepared them to play proactively aggressive defense and create their own shot or a shot for a teammate in offense. Both were capable of outmaneuvering stronger opponents with feints and speed of execution, achieving technical-tactical perfection, and outplaying shorter players in interior positions.”
“Bodiroga possessed mental speed and basketball intelligence, much like what Doncic and Jokic have in today’s basketball”
Trninic then touched upon the period when he collaborated with the legend of Serbian basketball, Dejan Bodiroga.
“To selectively compensate for the lack of explosiveness, speed, and agility, it is essential to teach, practice, and train such a player profile to be fast at the right time during the game. Bodiroga possessed mental speed and basketball intelligence, much like what Doncic and Jokic have in today’s basketball.
These are player profiles with pronounced perceptual speed, allowing them to quickly notice and ‘punish’ mistakes in the opponent’s position and reaction. Therefore, in training with such players whose profile is based on the speed of information processing, it is necessary to repeat technical-tactical and psychological skills that enable them to achieve speed in finding selective solutions in situations, precise timing, the development of tactical thinking, speed in recognizing and predicting situations, and creativity in the game,” explained Trninic.
“He trained seven hours a day, focusing in the morning on tall players and separately on guards, in addition to team training”
“Bodiroga worked individually more on understanding and accepting the importance of ‘small’ details and that skill is the key to the game at every position, compensating for certain deficits in abilities that determine the intensity of the game. In this regard, he developed the ability to change speed in execution, a strategy of waiting for mistakes in the opponent’s position and reaction, and the enjoyment of outplaying the defense. Thanks to persistence, he developed skills in changing speed in 1 on 1 and 2 on 2 situations and dealing with double-teams.
He knew how to stop and change the rhythm of the game as an atypical player who had ‘countless’ repetitions in demonstrative training with both interior and exterior players. He trained seven hours a day, focusing in the morning on tall players and separately on guards, in addition to team training.
This allowed him to gain automation in execution, reducing his reaction time in the game. For these reasons, he could compensate for the lack of explosiveness and play on all five positions and roles in the game. I would like to mention that in working with Kukoc, Radja, and Bodiroga, assistant coach Josip Grdovic also made contributions and provided assistance.”
The period with Kresimir Cosic
The interview was extensive and as such, very interesting. We highlighted a section that discussed the legendary Kresimir Cosic.
“As a close collaborator and friend of the player and coaching visionary who saw beyond, more, and farther than the basketball environment, I could, through personal contacts, gain valuable information, high standards of values, and impressive ideas in the game that were inaccessible to most coaches at that time. Throughout our lives, we had creative and productive conversations about different domains of life and the game.”
There are indeed fewer and fewer of such experts who literally lock themselves in the gym and work tirelessly until they finish honing basketball diamonds. Slavko Trninic is definitely one of them, a true representative of the old school.
