Naismith Trophy arrives in basketball heartland of Serbia

BELGRADE (Serbia) - If ever the name of a city was synonymous with basketball, it would have to be Belgrade with so many famous players, teams and incredible moments having taken place in its gyms and arenas over the years.

The Naismith Trophy looked right at home in the Serbian capital, where hopes are high the country will win international basketball's most prestigious award this summer when its national team plays at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in Manila.

Thanks to the Trophy Tour presented by J9, international basketball's biggest prize had photo shoots at famous locations in the city after it arrived on June 9.

The Gardos Tower (above), also known as Millennium Tower or Kula Sibinjanin Janka, was built in 1895 to celebrate a thousand years of Hungarian settlement in the Pannonian plain.

During World War II, the Old Tram Bridge (above) was the only bridge to remain intact in Belgrade - one of the few in Europe which the retreating German forces failed to demolish.

Saint Sava Orthodox Cathedral (above) is one of the main landmarks of Belgrade. It is the second largest Orthodox church in the world.

Kineza Milosa Street in downtown Belgrade

The National Theater (below), was built in 1868. It is a symbol of Serbian culture, tradition and spirituality. It is the venue where one finds opera, ballet and drama.

National Theater in Belgrade

Another famous spot in Belgrade is the National Museum (below), which houses more than 400,000 objects, including many from outside the country. 

Trophy displayed in front of the National Museum

Inside the National Museum

Trophy in the National Museum

One of the aims of the Trophy Tour is to allow fans to see the biggest prize in international basketball, so on day two, it was carried to the Rajiceva Shopping Mall where 300 fans were able to inspect it.

The trophy made an appearance on television as well. It was taken to the Sportklub studio, where former national team guard Milenko Tepic, who is now a vice president of the basketball federation, was a special guest.

Milenko Tepic and the trophy on the set at the Sportklub studio

The trophy was also taken to a 3x3 tournament at Banovci where approximately 200 fans were able to see it.

Trophy at the 3x3 tournament at Banovci

FIBA