r/Euroleague • u/Useful-Ad9593 • 3h ago
I watched my first Eternal Derby last Thursday. It sent me down a rabbit hole into Partizan and Crvena Zvezda's history.
Hi everyone!
I'm a 19-year-old basketball writer from the North East of England. I've been getting increasingly interested in European basketball this season, and last Thursday I watched my first Eternal Derby between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda.
I was absolutely blown away.
The atmosphere was unlike anything I'd ever witnessed in basketball, and afterwards I found myself wondering how this rivalry had developed into something so extraordinary.
That curiosity turned into several days of researching the clubs' origins in post-war Belgrade, their first basketball meeting in 1946, the Grobari and Delije supporter cultures, and how the rivalry eventually became an international spectacle.
One discovery that fascinated me was that the first basketball derby took place outdoors on a clay court, ending 24–21. Quite the contrast with the arenas of today!
The result was a roughly 3,000-word feature, published through Brits Don't Jump. It's also the first instalment of a European basketball history and culture series I'm developing.
Here's the article:
The Eternal Derby: A Rivalry Born In The Aftermath Of War
I'm still relatively new to understanding the wider European basketball landscape, and writing this has been an incredible learning experience.
I'd love to hear from Partizan and Zvezda supporters. What do you think outsiders often misunderstand or overlook about your rivalry?
And for those who support neither club, what was your first introduction to the Eternal Derby, and what did you make of it?
Any thoughts, personal experiences or historical corrections would be greatly appreciated!