One theory in American journalism says that it is enough to address a true sports legend by a nickname, and everyone knows who it is.
"Dule" is not a very unique nickname. And yet, everyone knows that he is referring to one of the greatest legends of Yugoslav sports, a basketball teacher, unique Duško Vujošević.
Dule left behind an irreparable void in domestic sports and culture.
Even at a young age, he fell hopelessly in love with basketball, which later, along with insulin, was a daily necessity for his life. O basketball was constantly thinking, so he sought the application of lessons from other spheres within his work.
In books, paintings and theater performances, he sought respite and escape from basketball, where "happiness lasts like a cat's husband, and defeats are lived on."
Photo: Tanjug / Vladimir ŠporčićDuško Vujošević (1959-2026)
With Partizan, ill from incurable youth
Vujošević started his coaching career very early, in his high school days, realizing that there would not be any player in the sport that he loves so much. He satisfied his passion by observing the training sessions of his senior colleagues and writing down what he heard.
He did not skip the steps, but led the younger categories with great success. He won titles in the former Yugoslavia with pioneers, cadets and juniors, before at the age of 27 he got the opportunity to lead the senior team of Partizan.
In terms of scope of work and methodology, Vujošević resembled the coaches of American universities. He gave attention, time and love to young people, and only asked for commitment.
He greatly appreciated people who were completely dedicated to what they were doing. He said that anyone, even a shoe shiner on the street, can create a work of art.
He demanded waivers from players, because he believed that was the only way for them to develop wings. He asked the most from the most gifted who have an obligation to talent.
There was no young player who deserved an opportunity without Dule pointing it out to him. He often gave a chance to a young man rather than a veteran, even in uncertain endings. Creating a winning mentality used to be more important than the outcome of one game.
Looking at what he has won and what careers his students have achieved, it is clear that he was right.
Photo: Tanjug / Vladimir ŠporčićPartizan fans' idol
A team is like the crew of a submarine – if one makes a mistake, they're all dead
The foundation of Dulet's successes - and he had most of them with Partizan - was based on work and quality training. He knew how to say that "a man who works hard is not ready to lose easily", and this maxim was largely accepted by his players.
Therefore, he paid attention to the evaluation of character in the selection, looking for individuals who are ready to bare their knees and give the last atom of strength. Those who will not disturb the most important thing - the team.
Dulet's Partizan, as he liked to say, "was not a collection of the best individuals, but individuals who function best together." He asked the players to be like the crew of a submarine where there is no margin for error and a special unit that has its own mantra and its own codes.
Dule never had the means to bring in the best players, but nowhere did it say he couldn't make them. He would hide the keys to the gym before practice.
Vujošević's curiosity brought chairs, brooms and rubber gloves among the props at Partizan's training sessions.
Each training session was carefully prepared and lasted a long time. In the end, the players had to be better than at the beginning. In order to turn sweat into gold through alchemy, as he liked to say, it took hours of kicking, running, jumping, interrupting, correcting, repeating... every day.
The empty hall was Doulet's kingdom to which only a few were granted access. The story of Jonathan Givony, an American analyst specializing in monitoring young players, is well known in basketball circles, who in the golden days of Partizan wanted to attend the training of the black and white team.
He was not welcomed with open arms, but had to "pay" for the entrance with a bunch of video material and reports on talented basketball players. The scene inside the hall caught him off guard - the quality of work was at the highest possible level, and the precision in the preparation of the upcoming game was such that he thought it was the final of the Olympic Games.
When he asked one of the assistants who the next opponent was, he received the answer that it was one of the weaker teams in the domestic league.
Photo: Nova.rs / Zoran LončarevićVujošević left a deep mark in European basketball
The greatest coach in the history of Partizan
If Dule Vujošević was right when he said that sport can be considered a form of art, then his mandates in Partizan are masterpieces.
He took 23 trophies there, won 633 games out of 916. Due to this, Dule is considered the greatest coach in the history of Partizan.
On two occasions - in 1988 and 2010 - it reached the final tournaments of the Euroleague. His dream of the European throne did not come true, but in 1989 he won the Radivoj Korac European Cup, defeating a very strong Cantu team in the final.
He started collecting domestic trophies in 1987 with the title of the champion of Yugoslavia, then the strongest league in Europe, and two years later he added the Cup of Yugoslavia to his treasury. In the 21st century, he achieved dominance in Serbian and regional basketball with Partizan - 11 championship titles, five trophies of the Adriatic League and four domestic cups.
Dulet Vujošević's favorite award was the "Aleksandar Gomeljski" trophy, which was awarded to him in 2009 as the best coach in Europe.
The creator's epithet followed him throughout his career. Dule, however, was also unique in this respect, so he managed to create both results and players. Starting with Divac, Danilović and Đorđević, through Vujanić, Krstić and Veličković, to Peković, Bogdanović and Milutinov.
In the breaks between his stay at Partizan, Vujošević worked in Spain, Italy, Russia, France and Romania. His desire to lead the senior national team of Yugoslavia did not come true, but that is why he sat on the benches of Serbia and Montenegro, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The news of his death echoed all over Europe, so the greats said their goodbyes with selected words, and the Spanish Marka, the French Lecip and the Italian Gazete delo sport also wrote about his life.
Photo: Marija Janković...
No money to you, my nephews
It would not be fair to look at Dulette's legacy through a mere list of trophies.
Only those who lived at the time of the deafening noise of Pionir and the miraculous successes of Partizan can testify to the synergy of the field and the stands, which was driven by the legendary black and white coach.
He was an inspiration, a hero, a leader, an outlaw, a General.
With him, everything was possible because "reality is not a concern that should not be ignored", and every obstacle would only prove that "the road to the stars is not strewn with roses, but with thorns".
Foreign basketball players spoke Serbian, and Partizan games were classified as tourist attractions in Belgrade. The players did their best even though salaries - or as Dule used to say, stipends - were months late, feeding on the love and gratitude of the fans.
As long as Duško Vujošević sat on the bench, supporters of the black and white team believed that everything would be fine in the end.
Dulet's words were never questioned, not even when he calls Unicaja Juventud, confuses Christmas with Easter, and renames the Spanish referee Perez Perez as Sánchez Sánchez.
His performances were closely followed and the books he recommended were religiously read. It remained that way long after he sat on the Partizan bench for the last time, and a recent anecdote speaks of that.
At the publishing house Geopoetica, employees noticed one day how the sales of their book - Uva Witstock, "February 33" - suddenly jumped. They didn't protest, but they wanted to know what the reason was. They soon got the answer - Dule Vujošević recommended this book in a show.
It showed that his words still carry a lot of weight, and confirmed that many opponents are rightly wary of his public criticism.
Photo: Wikimedai / Petar MiloševićGoodbye General
Pride is not taught in school. Pride is a luxury
Duško Vujošević refused to swim downstream, believing that "it is more important to be at peace with yourself than with the whole world."
He proved his courage and humanity again and again, so in the midst of the war he went to Zagreb for the funeral of Dražen Petrović, and defended the president of the house council, Sulja, from the wild nationalism of the neighborhood.
Perhaps, in the end, Balasevic's claim that he could have saved Yugoslavia with ten thousand Duško Vujošević is true.
He did not look up to anyone, and everyone followed him. He united the eternally quarreling fans in "hours of love", and made Partizan one of the biggest clubs in the world.
He did not manage to say goodbye with a victory, but with his "aristocratic fight for a previously lost cause" and his refusal to deviate from his views, he proved that there has never been a greater winner than him.
Real journalism costs money, and we will not be bought by tycoons and corporations. Support us with a one-time or monthly donation. The time for it is now!
