Dragons Take on Budućnost as Stožice Turns Pink

Cedevita Olimpija will host Budućnost VOLI at Stožice Arena on Saturday at 17:00 in Round 5 of the first stage of the AdmiralBet ABA League. The Ljubljana side will be seeking their third regional win of the season against the team from Podgorica. The game will also mark Pink October, raising breast cancer awareness in partnership with Europa Donna Slovenia. Tickets are already available at vstopnice.olimpija.com.

Cedevita Olimpija face their second home game in four days and another opportunity to deliver an improved performance in front of their fans. Following Wednesday’s European defeat to Le Mans, head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s team will look to respond with greater focus and determination and build on their recent success in regional competition. In their latest AdmiralBet ABA League outing, they defeated Igokea m:tel 93–81 in Laktaši, showing particularly in the second half what they can achieve through teamwork, fighting spirit and disciplined execution.

They will need the same approach against Budućnost VOLI, who arrive at Stožice following consecutive wins over Slovan Bratislava and Neptunas. Both teams hold a 2–1 record after three regional games, making Saturday’s encounter an opportunity to claim a third victory and improve their position in Group A. For the Ljubljana side, it will also be important to build on their success in Laktaši with a strong performance at Stožice, backed by their home supporters.

Captain Jaka Blažič, who did not enter the game against Le Mans, is returning to full practice. Jayce Johnson, who missed the clash with the French side after taking a knock to his knee against Igokea, injured his ankle during Friday’s practice. Cameron Houindo and Brandon Murray remain sidelined through injury.

To avoid congestion in the Stožice parking garage, we advise all spectators to use public transport and set off at least 60 minutes earlier than usual. Your game ticket entitles you to free travel on Ljubljana city buses (LPP) for three hours before the game and three hours after it ends.

If you are travelling by car, please use the car parks near Stožice (Žale I, Žale II, Žale III, Žale IV, Žale V, Kranjčeva and Gosarjeva). The parking garage next to Stožice Arena will remain open only until its limited capacity is reached.

TICKETS:

Tickets for Saturday’s game are available at vstopnice.olimpija.com, Eventim Slovenia and all Petrol service stations. As part of Pink October, tickets for women will be available at the special price of €5, while a pink Spar Slovenia receipt entitles fans to a 20% discount on tickets purchased in person.

Arrive early and join us in the fan zone from 16:00. The arena box office and doors will also open at 16:00. The NLB Fast Entrance will once again be available, allowing visitors who present an NLB bank card to enter the arena more quickly.

TV COVERAGE:

The game will be broadcast live on Arena Sport Slovenija 2. Studio coverage begins at 16:30.

GAME-DAY ACTIVITIES – PINK OCTOBER

For the fourth consecutive year, Cedevita Olimpija and Europa Donna Slovenia are joining forces to raise breast cancer awareness. This time, we will connect the campaign’s message, “Take care of your essentials,” with a reminder for our supporters: “You are the most important part of your fan kit.”

The fan zone opens at 16:00. Visit the Europa Donna Slovenia stand to learn more about their work, write words of encouragement on a dedicated message board and take a photo in pink clothing or with fan merchandise in front of the themed photo backdrop.

There will be plenty of other activities to enjoy together. Visitors can try shooting hoops and playing cornhole, while younger fans can enjoy colouring activities and making supporter banners. Spar Slovenia will host a basketball challenge, Heka will provide a children’s corner and a wheel of fortune, and Cedevita will run its “Povezuje srce” activation featuring a basketball challenge. The official club shop will also be open, while ČeWapi will serve food outside the arena.

Pink will also be a feature courtside. The Dragons will warm up in pink shirts, Oli will greet supporters in a pink jersey, and before tip-off we will present Europa Donna with a pink shirt signed by the players.

There will be plenty to enjoy during the breaks, too. Spar Slovenia will host a free-throw contest between the first and second quarters, followed by Cedevita’s “Lucky Seat” giveaway during the first timeout of the second quarter. At halftime, Triglav will challenge fans to make a half-court shot, while Petrol will organise a ball-tossing contest into barrels between the third and fourth quarters.

Tickets for women will be available at the special price of €5, while a pink Spar Slovenia receipt entitles fans to a 20% discount on tickets purchased in person.

Add a pink shirt, scarf or another accessory to your game-day outfit and help us support the evening’s message. As we cheer on the Dragons, let us also take time to care for ourselves and our loved ones.

PRE-GAME QUOTES:

“We have a very demanding game ahead of us. Budućnost have a quality, experienced team. Their key players have been there for years and know each other well, and they have added several excellent players to the roster. We already experienced their strength in our preseason game in Kranjska Gora, where they beat us convincingly. We are going through a very difficult period, and we have to get through it with the players available to us. We will try to adjust our game and make use of our speed and shooting, although our shots have not been falling so far. We also hope our backcourt players, particularly Gainey, can regain their rhythm, as he has missed quite a few practices and games. We will give everything we have and try to perform beyond our current capabilities. We are still dealing with injuries at the centre position. Johnson, who had returned from a knee injury, sprained his ankle in Friday’s practice. Houindo tried to practise on Thursday, but he is still unable to train. We will therefore have to play with the roster currently available to us,” head coach Zvezdan Mitrović said ahead of Saturday’s encounter.

“We have a tough game ahead against an excellent team playing in a good rhythm. Now it is up to us. We need to find a way out of our current difficulties, fight and believe in ourselves. We need a win that we can build on. Winning will help our confidence grow. We respect Budućnost, but we will not give them anything easy on the court. It should be a good game, and we will do everything we can to get the win,” Rihards Lomažs said ahead of Saturday’s game.

GAME PREVIEW:

Budućnost VOLI arrive in Ljubljana following two consecutive home wins. Slovenian head coach Andrej Žakelj’s team defeated Slovan Bratislava 82–70 in regional competition on Sunday before beating Neptunas Klaipėda 104–89 in Round 4 of the BKT EuroCup on Tuesday.

Against the Lithuanian side, the Podgorica team scored 31 points in the opening quarter and built a 56–42 halftime lead. Former Cedevita Olimpija player Yogi Ferrell led the scoring with 21 points, while Justin Smith and Juwan Morgan added 18 apiece. Budućnost improved their European record to 2–2 after losing their previous two games to Napoli, 75–93, and Tofaş, 85–90.

The Montenegrin champions have also played three games in the AdmiralBet ABA League. They defeated Krka 77–72 in Novo mesto, lost 91–101 away to Crvena zvezda Meridianbet and then beat Slovan. Against the competition newcomers, they held a commanding 49–25 halftime lead. Fletcher Magee contributed 16 points, while Oleksandr Kovliar dished out ten assists. Across their opening three regional games, Budućnost have averaged 83.3 points and 39 rebounds, including 14 offensive boards.

The Podgorica side also won both regional meetings with Cedevita Olimpija last season: 88–71 at Morača and 83–72 at Stožice in January. The teams also met during preparations for the 2026/27 season, with Budućnost winning 91–65 in Kranjska Gora.

Cedevita Olimpija opened their regional campaign with an 89–76 home win over Cibona before losing 69–70 away to Široki TT Kabeli and returning to winning ways in Laktaši. In that latest victory, Anthony Cowan Jr. recorded 21 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Jordan Gainey contributed 16 points, five assists and four rebounds.

In the BKT EuroCup, the Ljubljana side are still waiting for their first victory after four games. Following defeats to Burgos, Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem and Riga Zelli, they lost 66–84 to Le Mans at Stožice on Wednesday. After falling behind 2–14 early on, the Dragons briefly took the lead in the second quarter, but the visitors regained control after halftime. They created the decisive gap in the third quarter, which they won 28–14. Matthew Hurt finished with 12 points, Gainey scored 11, and Noah Kirkwood and David Škara added ten apiece.

ADMIRALBET ABA LEAGUE – GROUP A, FIRST STAGE, ROUND 5

Stožice Arena (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Saturday, 24 October, at 17:00:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – BUDUĆNOST VOLI (buy tickets; live on Arena Sport Slovenija 2)

GROUP A STANDINGS:

LOOKING AHEAD:

Following Saturday’s game, the Ljubljana side will resume their European campaign on Wednesday at 18:30 Slovenian time, away to Aris Thessaloniki Betsson. They will return to Stožice on Saturday, 31 October, when they host FMP at 17:00 in Round 6 of the first stage of the AdmiralBet ABA League. That will be the first of two consecutive home games, with Italian side Baglietto Derthona Tortona visiting Stožice on Wednesday, 4 November, in Round 6 of the EuroCup regular season.