Nikola Jovanović joins BC Vienna from historic French club Limoges CSP. In Vienna, the 2.11-metre Serbian big man will reunite with a familiar face in head coach Dragan Bajić, having already enjoyed a successful spell under him at KK Igokea five years ago.

The 32-year-old offers versatility in the frontcourt. He brings physicality and presence in the paint as a center, while also being capable of playing at power forward.

His career has taken him from the NCAA and NBA Summer League to the EuroLeague, the FIBA Basketball Champions League and several of Europe’s top domestic competitions. Jovanović is now looking forward to his new challenge in Vienna and his return to the AdmiralBet ABA League.

“It is a great honour and a special privilege for me to represent Austria’s best basketball club next season. We want to improve every day and achieve our goals together,” said Jovanović.

With the club’s fourth new signing, the roster for the 2026/27 season continues to take shape.

From Belgrade and the NCAA to the verge of the NBA

Jovanović grew up in Belgrade, a city where basketball is deeply rooted and which has produced players of international quality for decades.

For his final year of high school, he moved to Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Florida, where he continued his development.

Jovanović then spent three years at the University of Southern California in NCAA Division I. In his final season with the Trojans, he averaged 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds and helped the team qualify for March Madness, the prestigious NCAA tournament.

After three seasons at USC, he chose to forgo his final year of college eligibility and declared for the 2016 NBA Draft. After going undrafted, he featured in the NBA Summer League for the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers.

His time with Detroit proved particularly promising. Jovanović was part of the Pistons’ training camp roster and also featured during preseason before being released shortly before the start of the regular season.

He began his professional career with the Grand Rapids Drive, then the Pistons’ D-League affiliate, before joining the Westchester Knicks later in the season.

In July 2017, he returned to the Summer League with the Chicago Bulls but did not receive a contract.

From the EuroLeague to a successful season with Bajić

Later that same month, Jovanović returned to Belgrade and signed with KK Crvena Zvezda. During two seasons with the Serbian powerhouse, he gained EuroLeague experience and won the Serbian championship in 2018.

Loan spells followed with Aquila Basket Trento, where he competed in the Italian Serie A and EuroCup, and with Igokea. It was there that he first worked with Dragan Bajić during the 2020/21 season.

Igokea enjoyed a highly successful campaign both in the AdmiralBet ABA League and on the international stage. The team reached the regional league semifinals, won the Bosnian Cup and narrowly missed out on a place in the Basketball Champions League Final Four.

“The appointment of Dragan Bajić had a major influence on my decision,” Jovanović said of his move to the Austrian capital.

Bajić also knows exactly what his new center can bring. For the head coach, Jovanović’s value extends well beyond his qualities on the court.

“First and foremost, Nikola is an exceptional person. At the same time, he brings a great deal of international experience and has represented several renowned clubs throughout his career,” said Bajić.

Success in Belgium and further career stops

Following his successful season with Igokea, Jovanović joined Russian club Nizhny Novgorod before moving to Belgium, where he added further silverware to his career.

He won the national championship with Filou Oostende in 2023.

One year later, while playing for the Antwerp Giants, he was named the BNXT League’s Sixth Man of the Year and selected to the competition’s Dream Team.

After spells in Mexico and Italy, Jovanović joined Limoges CSP in France’s LNB Élite. It is a name that immediately stands out at BC Vienna, as club legend Stjepan Stazić also wore the colours of Les Verts around the turn of the millennium.

Jovanović was highly efficient during his time in Limoges, converting more than 60 per cent of his field-goal attempts and around 80 per cent from the free-throw line.

Now, Jovanović and Bajić will work together once again. At BC Vienna, the experienced center is expected to take on a central role as an interior finisher under his former coach.

Bajić also highlighted the qualities his former player will bring on the court.

“Nikola will give us a lot, particularly in the paint. He has a highly polished offensive game around the basket, defends the pick-and-roll at a very high level and controls the space underneath the rim. He will also be a major help to us on the boards.”