KB Ylli
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KB Ylli, known as Golden Eagle Ylli for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Theranda, Kosovo. The club currently plays in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague. Its fan club is called Xhebrailat.
History
KB Ylli is one of the oldest basketball clubs in Kosovo. It was founded in 1975. The club is known for its fans who support their club in especially in home games at 13 Qërshori sports hall. Their home matches are known for the fantastic atmosphere created by "Xhebrailat". Ylli means "star" in English.
In 2008 the club decided to withdraw from Kosovo Superleague due to bad financial conditions, and didn't play until 2014 when Golden Eagle, a beverage company from Theranda, decided to be the main sponsor of the team and to pay for Wild Card which returned KB Ylli in Kosovo Superleague. The 2015–16 season was the second consecutive in the Kosovo Superleague. In the 2014–15 season, they finished fourth and played in playoff finals against Sigal Prishtina. In the 2018-19 season of Kosovo Basketball Superleague they finished second and lost the semi-finals of the play off against KB Rahoveci. In the 2019-20 season they lost the final of Kosovan Cup against KB Peja.
In 2021, Ylli won their first league title and the Liga Unike. In the following year, Ylli won the league title again.
Honours
- Kosovo Superleague: Winners (2): 2020–21, 2021–22 Runners-up (2): 1994–95, 2023–24
- Kosovo Cup: Runners-up (2): 2019–20, 2020–21
- Liga Unike: Winners (2): 2020–21, 2025-26 Runners-up(2): 2021-22, 2023–24
- Superkupa Mbarëkombëtare Winners (1): 2021
Arena
The club currently plays in the sport center Palestra 13 Qershori, in the center of Theranda, with a capacity for around 1300 spectators.
Season by Season
KB Golden Eagle Ylli (2014–2024)
| Seasons | Division | Pos. | Play Offs | Kosovo Cup | Liga Unike | Kosovo Supercup | European competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 1 | 4th | Semifinalist | Semifinalist | — | — | — |
| 2015-16 | 1 | 5th | — | QF | |||
| 2016-17 | 1 | 5th | — | QF | |||
| 2017-18 | 1 | 4th | Semifinalist | Semifinalist | |||
| 2018-19 | 1 | 2nd | Semifinalist | Semifinalist | |||
| 2019-20 | 1 | 3rd | Postponed | Runner-up | |||
| 2020-21 | 1 | 3rd | Champion | Runner-up | Champion | Semifinalist | |
| 2021-22 | 1 | 1st | Champion | Semifinalist | Runner-Up | Semifinalist | |
| 2022–23 | 1 | 3rd | Semifinalist | Semifinalist | Postponed | Semifinalist | Champions League QF1 FIBA Europe Cup RS |
| 2023–24 | 1 | 3rd | Runner-Up | Semifinalist | Runner-Up | Semifinalist | — |
| 2024–25 | 1 | 5th | Quarterfinalist | Quarterfinalist | Third place | Semifinalist | — |
| 2025-26 | 1 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Champion | Postponed | — |
Matches in European competitions
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | Champions League | QR1 | Portugal Benfica | 67–92 | |
| FIBA Europe Cup | RS | Israel Hapoel Galil Elyon | 76–93 | 73–85 | |
| Germany Brose Bamberg | 60–76 | 81–78 | |||
| Germany Niners Chemnitz | 72–101 | 60–90 |
Players
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Golden Eagle Ylli roster | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||
| Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age PG 0 United States men's national basketball team Gray, Josh 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 76 kg (168 lb) 32 – (1993-09-09)9 September 1993 C 1 Kosovo men's national basketball team Shoshi, Lis 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 102 kg (225 lb) 31 – (1994-06-29)29 June 1994 SG 2 Kosovo men's national basketball team United States men's national basketball team Bamforth, Scott 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 86 kg (190 lb) 36 – (1989-08-12)12 August 1989 G/F 3 United States men's national basketball team Conger, Demitrius 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 93 kg (205 lb) 35 – (1990-05-29)29 May 1990 PG 4 United States men's national basketball team Pass, Breon 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 79 kg (174 lb) SF 5 Kosovo men's national basketball team Gashi, Artin 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 32 – (1993-04-28)28 April 1993 F/C 6 Kosovo men's national basketball team Slovenia men's national basketball team Morina, Gezim (C) 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 33 – (1992-12-12)12 December 1992 G/F 7 Kosovo men's national basketball team Shala, Altin 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 21 – (2004-08-14)14 August 2004 PF 8 United States men's national basketball team Thomas, Dustin 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 102 kg (225 lb) 30 – (1995-07-26)26 July 1995 SF 10 Kosovo men's national basketball team Qallaku, Arian 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 88 kg (194 lb) 33 – (1992-07-09)9 July 1992 C 12 Lithuania men's national basketball team Sabeckis, Donatas 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 33 – (1992-12-30)30 December 1992 G/F 28 Kosovo men's national basketball team Kastrati, Erjon 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 31 – (1994-12-30)30 December 1994 PF/C 55 United States men's national basketball team Smith, Tyreek 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 26 – (2000-01-21)21 January 2000 | Head coach Spain Paco Olmos Assistant coach(es) Kosovo Endrit Elshani Legend (C) Team captainInjured | ||||||
| Pos. | No. | Nat. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | |
| PG | 0 | United States men's national basketball team | Gray, Josh | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 76 kg (168 lb) | 32 – (1993-09-09)9 September 1993 | |
| C | 1 | Kosovo men's national basketball team | Shoshi, Lis | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) | 102 kg (225 lb) | 31 – (1994-06-29)29 June 1994 | |
| SG | 2 | Kosovo men's national basketball team United States men's national basketball team | Bamforth, Scott | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 36 – (1989-08-12)12 August 1989 | |
| G/F | 3 | United States men's national basketball team | Conger, Demitrius | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | 35 – (1990-05-29)29 May 1990 | |
| PG | 4 | United States men's national basketball team | Pass, Breon | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 79 kg (174 lb) | ||
| SF | 5 | Kosovo men's national basketball team | Gashi, Artin | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) | 32 – (1993-04-28)28 April 1993 | ||
| F/C | 6 | Kosovo men's national basketball team Slovenia men's national basketball team | Morina, Gezim (C) | 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | 33 – (1992-12-12)12 December 1992 | |
| G/F | 7 | Kosovo men's national basketball team | Shala, Altin | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 80 kg (176 lb) | 21 – (2004-08-14)14 August 2004 | |
| PF | 8 | United States men's national basketball team | Thomas, Dustin | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) | 102 kg (225 lb) | 30 – (1995-07-26)26 July 1995 | |
| SF | 10 | Kosovo men's national basketball team | Qallaku, Arian | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 33 – (1992-07-09)9 July 1992 | |
| C | 12 | Lithuania men's national basketball team | Sabeckis, Donatas | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 95 kg (209 lb) | 33 – (1992-12-30)30 December 1992 | |
| G/F | 28 | Kosovo men's national basketball team | Kastrati, Erjon | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) | 31 – (1994-12-30)30 December 1994 | |
| PF/C | 55 | United States men's national basketball team | Smith, Tyreek | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) | 26 – (2000-01-21)21 January 2000 |
Depth chart
| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Tyreek Smith | Lis Shoshi | |||
| PF | Dustin Thomas | Gezim Morina | Artin Gashi | ||
| SF | Erjon Kastrati | Arian Qallaku | Demitrius Conger | ||
| SG | Scott Bamforth | Breon Pass | Altin Shala | ||
| PG | Donatas Sabeckis | Josh Gray |
Notable players
- Albania Nikolla Haruni
- Albania Renaldo Kacori
- Albania Frenki Lilaj
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Ismet Sejfić
- Cameroon Alexis Wangmene
- Cape Verde Will Tavares
- Croatia Henrik Širko
- Kosovo Valon Bunjaku
- Kosovo Artin Gashi
- Kosovo Erjon Kastrati
- Kosovo Blerim Mazreku
- Kosovo Ardit Pepaj
- Kosovo Samir Zekiqi
- Kosovo Urim Zenelaj
- Kosovo Croatia Jan Palokaj
- Kosovo Slovenia Gezim Morina
- Kosovo Turkey Arber Berisha
- United States Dajuan Graf
- United States Chris Harris
- United States Kosovo Malcolm Armstead