Pallacanestro Cantù is pleased to announce the two-year signing of the Italian-trained Serbian winger, born in 1997, Stefan Nikolic, 203 centimeters by 95 kilos. 24 years old, a native of Belgrade, Nikolic grew up in his homeland in the youth sector of the Red Star, only to move soon to Italy to the court of Virtus Bologna, with which he won two championships: a more recent one, last June in the final against Milan; and the other with the U17 bianconera, in 2014. With the “Vu Nere”, moreover, he made his debut in the EuroCup, collecting nine appearances in all.
The board
A player with strong athletic abilities, Nikolic is a flexible element who loves to play at high rhythms and at high intensity. Thanks to his physical skills and his knowledge of the game, he can indifferently cover both wing spots and guarantee a good contribution to rebound.
The carreer
After a brilliant career in the youth teams of Virtus Bologna – which he dragged from MVP to the conquest of the U17 tricolor thanks to 26 points in the final – he moved to the nursery of the Stella Azzurra Roma, subsequently making his debut in the First Team in the Serie B championship. following he signs with Orlandina, who however turns him on loan to Naples to allow the player to complete the four years useful to obtain the Italian training. With 13 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists on average in the regular season and more than 15 points and 6 rebounds per game in the playoffs, Nikolic is among the main protagonists of the promotion from B to A2 of the Campania team, with which he also wins an Italian Cup category, being named MVP of the tournament. At the end of 2016-’17, moreover, he also won the award as “Best U21” of Serie B. Under Vesuvius, Nikolic remains on loan for another season, managing to keep the double figures in points despite the jump in the category ( 10.7 on average in about 28 ‘of use per game). He concludes the 2017-’18 vintage at the Poderosa Montegranaro, which hires him as a reinforcement in view of the playoffs. In the summer of 2018 he remains in A2 but changes his tank top again, arriving in Udine. With the Friulians he travels at 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds on average in 17 ‘per game, in the regular season; in the playoffs, however, he goes wild, doubling almost all his stats. His return to Virtus is therefore deserved in the following summer: in Segafredo’s jersey he lives an important two-year period, culminating in the victory of the Scudetto, in which he has the opportunity to gain further experience and to share the dressing room with great champions.
«Stefan is a formidable athlete – commented Fabrizio Frates, technical director of Pallacanestro Cantù – who, after two years of development at Virtus Bologna, wants to look for his definitive dimension in terms of role and responsibility; and in Cantù, an ambitious team, he can find all this ».
«Cantù is a historic square – added Nikolic – and I am really proud to be part of this project. It was the phone call I had with coach Sodini that convinced me of the seriousness of the project and the real ambition of the club. My personal long-term goals and values match those of the company and this sharing of ambitions has certainly been instrumental. An ambition that, personally, I believe will make our journey motivating and functional ».
