The Dragons are back! Slask is coming to Ljubljana!

The senior team of Cedevita Olimpija is returning to the court after the competition break brought on by national team activities! On Thursday at 18:30, the Ljubljana Dragons will host Śląsk from Wroclaw in the ninth round of the BKT EuroCup regular season at the Stožice Arena. With this EuroCup matchup, the Dragon family enters Magic December, which will be highlighted during halftime by the traditional Teddy Bear Toss. Everyone who brings a stuffed toy to the arena will receive a coupon for a free ticket, while tickets for the game are available at half price at vstopnice.olimpija.com!

The senior team of Cedevita Olimpija is returning to the court after the competition break marked by national team action! On Thursday at 18:30, as part of the ninth round of the BKT EuroCup regular season, the Ljubljana Dragons will host the Polish team Śląsk from Wroclaw at the Stožice Arena.

With this EuroCup matchup, we are entering Magic December — a month of special experiences and rich events within the Dragon family. The traditional Teddy Bear Toss will warm up the arena during halftime, when we will once again cover the court with stuffed toys for a good cause.

Every fan who brings a stuffed toy will receive a coupon for a free ticket, while tickets for Thursday’s game are currently available at half price at vstopnice.olimpija.com.

After November, which the Dragons completed without a single loss in six games played in the EuroCup and the regional league, Ljubljana’s team will try to extend their winning streak to seven on Thursday. Cedevita Olimpija tops Group A with six wins in eight games, the same record held by Hapoel Jerusalem and Bahçeşehir Istanbul — Ljubljana has already beaten the former this season, while losing to the latter.

Their opponent will be Śląsk — the most decorated basketball club in Poland, boasting 18 national championship titles, and entering the continuation of the EuroCup season as one of four teams in Group A with a record of four wins and four losses. The team from Wroclaw comes into the matchup against Ljubljana with a major scalp before the break, as Śląsk defeated Bahçeşehir in the eighth round, and with two consecutive wins on the European stage.

To avoid congestion in the Stožice garage, we recommend that all visitors arrive early — at least 45 minutes earlier than usual — and use public transportation. With a game ticket, you can ride Ljubljana’s public buses for free three hours before and three hours after the game.

If you choose to come by car, please park at the parking areas near Stožice (Žale I, Žale II, Žale III, Žale IV, Žale V, Kranjčeva, and Gosarjeva). The garage next to the Stožice Arena will be open only until the limited number of spaces is filled.

TICKETS:

Tickets for the game are available at vstopnice.olimpija.com, Eventim Slovenia, and all Petrol gas stations throughout Slovenia.

The ticket office and arena doors will open at 17:30. The NLB “Fast Entrance” will also be open again, allowing faster entry to visitors who present an NLB bank card before entering the arena.

GAME ACTIVITIES:

This December, the Dragon family once again opens its doors to our charity program. Together we will show that Cedevita Olimpija is more than basketball — that together we can keep writing successful stories beyond the court.

Throughout December, we will collect non-perishable food items for families in need in the Dragon’s Nest — Stožice and Tivoli — and all collected food will be donated to Ana’s Star. Every fan who brings a non-perishable food item to the game will receive a free ticket for the game against Spartak Subotica (January 3, 2026).

At the first home game in December against Śląsk, we will begin with the throw of stuffed toys, the now traditional Teddy Bear Toss! During halftime, the Stožice court will be covered with plush toys, which we will donate to children to brighten their holidays. Everyone who brings a stuffed toy to the game will receive a coupon for a free ticket!

The ninth-round EuroCup matchup will also be dedicated to everyday heroes — police officers, firefighters, paramedics, soldiers, and others who ensure our safety. Entry will be free for all members of these services.

Before the game, the “Dvokorak” podcast will take place live in the Stožice Arena VIP area. All seats were filled extremely quickly. Fans who secured their spot can access the area through the VIP entrance starting at 16:30. The live podcast will begin at 16:50 and will last about an hour, after which the event will move to the fan zone.

Fans will also be able to view the “Heritage Under the Basket” exhibition outside the arena, prepared by our club in cooperation with the Sports Museum, the City of Ljubljana, and Šport Ljubljana.

The fan zone before the game will feature lively and diverse activities for both children and adults. The youngest fans will enjoy our kids’ corner with a basketball hoop, coloring sheets, and a special diploma for attending their first game. A3 sheets will also be available for creating banners to decorate the stands and support the team.

Visitors will be entertained by the Spar Wheel of Fortune with various prize games, and additional prizes will be offered at the Heka stand. At the Pleško Cars / Renault booth, fans will be able to try electric toy cars and their track; the stand will also host a major prize draw where visitors can win a weekend with a selected Renault vehicle (R4 or R5).

For a flawless look, Sole Cleanic will clean visitors’ shoes for free, and the fun will continue with the popular Score or Not activation. At a special spot marked with the “Dragon’s Smile” campaign, fans can donate non-perishable food items for charity, and volunteers will distribute coupons for a free ticket to the game against Spartak in early January.

During the game, the arena will be full of fan games and surprises. Between the first and second quarter, Heka will take the court with its prize game for a signed jersey. During the first-minute timeout of the second quarter, the popular Triglav Half-Court Shot will follow, always bringing excitement and loud support from the stands.

Halftime will feature two attractive activities: the traditional Teddy Bear Toss and the Score or Not competition. During the first-minute timeout of the third quarter, the Spar Free-Throw Contest will take place, and between the third and fourth quarter, the Petrol Ball-in-the-Barrel throw will warm up the crowd, delivering plenty of fun and laughter.

The entire event will ensure that attending the game is a true sports and family experience, full of activities, prizes, and genuine fan energy.

TV BROADCAST:

The TV broadcast of the eighth round of the BKT EuroCup against Śląsk will be available on Šport TV 1. The studio show begins at 17:45.

PRE-GAME QUOTES:

“On Wednesday, after the competition break, we met for the first time with almost the entire roster. We have just one day to prepare for Thursday’s game — this is not the same Śląsk we saw at the beginning of the season, as our opponents are showing their teeth and have proven they can beat anyone. Among other things, they beat Bahçeşehir before the break. They are an offensively very strong team at all positions. We will see what this break brought us; we certainly know this ‘pause’ was not good, as many of our players were with their national teams, and our young players were with the ABA U19 team, which made our work more difficult. The game is extremely important for us, but we are certainly not 100% prepared. We will see in what condition the players will step onto the court on Thursday,” said the Dragons’ head coach Zvezdan Mitrović.

“Another big and important game is ahead of us. Our main goal is to continue our winning streak. To extend it, we will have to give everything we have. I was out for six weeks due to injury, but now I’m back and feeling much better. I feel like I’m returning to the form I had before the injury. The team has been playing very well since the beginning of the season. You can see how competitive we are, especially on our home court, where we are hard to beat. Our excellent chemistry helps a lot, as all the guys are great,” said Nikos Chougkaz ahead of Thursday’s game.

GAME PREVIEW:

Cedevita Olimpija enters the matchup against Śląsk following a competition break, which the team mostly used for rest, recovery, and preparation for the continuation of the season. During this period, Miha Cerkvenik, Rok Radović, David Škara, Thomas Kennedy, and the newest addition to the Dragon family, Ognjen Jaramaz, were active with their national teams. Maks Ciperle and Cameron Houindo were part of the youth team during the group stage of the ABA U19 League, though Houindo missed the last two games due to a wrist injury; he returned to training this week.

Jaramaz rejoined the team with a calf injury suffered during national team duty. He arrived in Ljubljana on Monday morning and completed all medical tests, which confirmed he will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. Luka Brajković, who battled a cold in recent days, and William McNair Jr. both returned to full training.

Śląsk holds a 4–4 record after eight EuroCup regular season games and has won five of eight in the Polish national championship. Since November 2, Śląsk has played seven games across both competitions, winning five, and arrives in Stožice with a streak of four consecutive victories in the EuroCup and national league.

Śląsk’s most efficient player in the EuroCup is Jakub Nizioł, averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Their top scorer is Kadre Gray, averaging 15.2 points along with 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds. The team also features a former Dragon — Issuf Sanon — who has played six games so far, averaging 11.5 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 21.0 minutes.

It is worth noting that Śląsk is the second-best rebounding team in the EuroCup this season — averaging 38.3 rebounds per game — trailing only Bahçeşehir.

BKT EUROCUP, REGULAR SEASON, ROUND 9

Stožice Arena (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Thursday, December 4, 18:30:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – ŚLASK WROCLAW (TV broadcast on Šport TV 1)

STANDINGS

LOOKING AHEAD:

Of the next five games, Cedevita Olimpija will play four on their home courts — Stožice and Tivoli. After Thursday’s game against Śląsk, the Dragons will host Perspektiva Ilirija on Sunday at 19:30 in Stožice; tickets for the Ljubljana regional league matchup are already available at vstopnice.olimpija.com. Then comes a trip to Manresa, where the team of head coach Zvezdan Mitrović will play next Wednesday, followed by a return to Ljubljana, where the Slovenian champions will host Bosna on Saturday, December 13, in Tivoli, and then Hapoel Jerusalem on Tuesday, December 16, in Stožice.