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KK Nitui
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CLUB

ONE CLUB. FOUR CONNECTED PROGRAMMES.

Nitui Basketball Club from Zagreb brings together senior 3x3 basketball, the Nitui Academy, the Basketball School and Youth Teams, and Phygital Basketball. We are building an environment in which a player’s first steps in sport can continue through regular training, age-group competitions and advanced preparation for senior competition.

Nitui players during a night 3x3 game

Our year-round training system is the foundation of our work. We combine basketball practice with strength and conditioning, individual development, specialised shooting work and game analysis. Competitions in Croatia and abroad allow players to apply what they have learned against different opponents and identify what they need to improve next.

Alongside competitive progress, we develop responsibility, work habits and respect for teammates. As a member of the Croatian Basketball Federation, Nitui continues to develop its sports programmes and coaching team. The aim is to give young male and female players high-quality coaching and opportunities to develop, with demands suited to their age, experience and readiness.

A Nitui player driving the ball in front of the crowd

FOUR AREAS OF WORK

  • Senior 3x3

    Preparation and competition in the open senior category, from domestic tournaments to international qualifiers and the FIBA Pro Circuit.

  • Nitui Academy

    An advanced development programme combining individual work, specialised 3x3 preparation, analysis and mentoring, with an emphasis on the transition towards U21, U23 and senior competition.

  • Basketball School and Youth Teams

    From discovering basketball and learning the fundamentals to regular training and first competitive experiences, with coaching suited to each child’s age and readiness.

  • Phygital Basketball

    Digital basketball and on-court play within the same competition. We also use our international experience to develop a programme designed to encourage children and young people to take up sport through their interest in gaming.

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PROFESSIONAL COACHING

PROFESSIONAL COACHING. CONTINUOUS PROGRESS.

Preparation brings together basketball training, physical readiness and an understanding of the game. In the senior 3x3 programme, players prepare for several short, intense games in a single day, with limited recovery time. Particular attention is given to strength, explosiveness, changes of direction, contact play, one-on-one defence, cooperation on offence and defence, and shooting under pressure.

Through game analysis, we track shot selection and efficiency, assists, turnovers, rebounds, defensive reactions, pick-and-roll situations and fouls. This allows us to identify where the team creates or loses an advantage and adapt training and player roles to specific game situations.

Weekly programme for the senior team

  • Three basketball practices.
  • Three gym sessions.
  • One specialised shooting session.
  • Individual programmes based on player needs.
  • Game analysis and preparation for the next competition.

Work with the Youth Teams is adapted to the children’s age and experience, with an emphasis on learning the fundamentals, gradual progress and developing the habit of regular training.

Development of the coaching team

As our programmes expand, we are also working to increase the number of coaches and support their continued education. We are developing mentoring relationships with experts from abroad and working to include current and future coaches in Croatian Basketball Federation education programmes. The aim is to bring new knowledge into daily training and provide professional support for a growing number of players and age groups.

We also want to involve experienced players who are preparing for coaching roles, enabling them to pass their competitive experience on to younger generations with the appropriate education and mentoring.

Franko Perinić

Head Coach · strength, conditioning and sports preparation of the senior 3x3 team · Nitui Academy

Franko Perinić in a blue shirt during a gym session
Franko Perinić in a blue shirt during a gym session

Franko entered basketball at the age of twelve and gradually replaced playing with a career in coaching. He holds a master’s degree in kinesiology from the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Zagreb. His coaching path began during his first year of study at the Vučići Basketball School and KK Zrinjevac, after which he shifted his focus to strength and conditioning at KK Cibona.

At KK Dubrava, he progressed from assistant to head strength and conditioning coach of the first team, working across the Croatian championship, the Cup, the Alpe Adria Cup and the ENBL. He also built experience with Croatian national teams: he helped the senior men’s 3x3 team qualify for the 2024 European Championship, coached the senior women’s 3x3 team, and won bronze at EuroBasket and promotion to Division A with the Croatian U20 women’s national team.

Alongside his work on the court, he ran a university league, took part in organising a national 3x3 tournament and the European We Care and SCfH projects, and published a scientific paper. At Nitui, he leads the senior 3x3 team across every area of strength, conditioning and sports preparation, while developing players through the Nitui Academy with the aim of preparing them for more demanding senior and international competition.

Jure Gunjina

Youth Teams Coach · Basketball School · Phygital Basketball

Jure Gunjina speaking with young academy players
Jure Gunjina speaking with young academy players

Jure’s basketball journey began in KK Zagreb’s Youth Teams, continued through Cedevita and Bosco, and in 2012 took him to the United States on a full athletic scholarship at Eastern Florida State College. By his second season, he had become team captain, won the conference and earned a place in the competition’s best five. After experience in the NCAA Division I programme at IPFW Fort Wayne, he completed a degree in sociology at Georgia Southwestern State University.

His professional career took him through Spain, England, Iceland, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Taiwan. He made a particular impact at Zabok, where he was selected for the Croatian Premier League’s best five and named the season’s best wing. With Radnik Križevci, he helped secure the club’s historic promotion to Croatia’s First Men’s League, while continuing to develop his coaching knowledge through Croatian Basketball Federation education.

He has been active on the 3x3 scene for more than a decade. As a member of Crne Guje, he won two Croatian championship titles, and as a Croatian international he took part in Croatia’s historic qualification for the 2023 European Championship. He was named the most valuable player at the qualifying tournament in Romania. At Nitui, he passes on his experience through work with the Youth Teams, the Basketball School and the basketball part of the Phygital programme. His emphasis is on developing skills, work habits, responsibility and a love of sport.