Dejan Koturovià(Serbian Cyrillic: ÃÂõÃÂðý ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂþòøÃÂ; born 31 March 1972) is a retired Serbian professional basketball player.
During his professional career, Koturoviàplayed for Spartak Subotica, Partizan, PSG Racing, ÃÂlkerspor, Alba Berlin, Virtus Bologna and Tau Cerámica.
After winning gold at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, Koturoviàreceived interest from the Boston Celtics but they ended up signing Rubén Wolkowyski instead. Koturoviàthen turned down an offer from the Toronto Raptors and signed for Virtus Bologna.
On 8 October 2003, KoturoviÃÂ signed a free-agent contract with the Phoenix Suns. He was planned as a temporary replacement for the injured Scott Williams. KoturoviÃÂ was waived on 24 October 2003 after Williams started healing faster than expected.
KoturoviÃÂ played for the national team of FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro in three major tournaments: winning the gold medal at the 1995 FIBA European Championship and the 2002 FIBA World Championship and also featuring at the 2003 FIBA European Championship.
As a young player on a team coached by Duà ¡an IvkoviÃÂ, twenty-three-year-old Koturoviàhad limited playing time at the 1995 FIBA European Championship where Yugoslavia went on to win gold.
Koturoviàdid not feature in any major international tournaments for seven years until the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Under coach Svetislav Peà ¡iÃÂ, Koturoviàfeatured in the starting lineup, shining in the semifinals against New Zealand where he led the team in scoring with 18 points. Yugoslavia went on to beat Argentina in the final with Koturoviàaveraging 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in the tournament.
One year after winning the World Championship in Indianapolis, KoturoviÃÂ again answered the national team call-up, this time under the new Serbia and Montenegro banner at the 2003 FIBA European Championship in Sweden.
In mid August 2003, during the national team training camp weeks before the tournament's start, following an exhibition game against Greece, coach Duà ¡ko Vujoà ¡eviàexpelled Koturoviàfrom the teamâÂÂreportedly for showing insubordination during the Greece gameâÂÂand called up ÃÂuro Ostojiàas replacement. The action resulted in a public row between Koturoviàand Vujoà ¡eviÃÂ.
The two soon made up publicly with Koturoviàbeing reinstated in the team and eventually even making the final 12-man roster Vujoà ¡eviàtook to the tournament. After losing to Russia, then beating outsiders Sweden, and losing to Spain in its 4-team preliminary round robin group, Serbia and Montenegro barely beat Turkey to make the quarterfinals where they lost to Lithuania. The team eventually placed sixth in the tournament, a result seen as disappointing in the country after two straight major tournament winsâÂÂEuroBasket 2001 and 2002 FIBA World Championship. The mending of fences between Vujoà ¡eviàand Koturoviàwould prove only nominal as, right after the tournament ended, Koturoviàpublicly blasted Vujoà ¡eviàfor the team's disappointing result.
In September 2014, Koturoviàwas arrested at the GreeceâÂÂMacedonia border trying to enter Macedonia with a used Honda CR-V vehicle he had purchased without awareness that it was stolen. In early October 2014, he was sentenced to three months in prison which he served in Macedonia.
KoturoviÃÂ holds an Italian passport. In recent years, he has been a shamanic practitioner.