Akademski košarkarski klub Branik Maribor, commonly referred to as AKK Branik Maribor or simply Branik, is a basketball team based in Maribor, Slovenia. The club was originally formed in 1948 as a basketball section of SŠD Polet. It was also named Satex, Pošta Maribor and ZM Maribor due to sponsorship reasons. Branik folded in 2005 because of financial difficulties. A new club called ŠD Primorac was founded in 2001 and joined the Branik Sports Association in 2008. The club regard themselves as the spiritual continuation of the 2005 dissolved team. AKK Branik is currently playing in the Slovenian Second League, the second-tier league of Slovenian basketball.
History
1948–2005
The club was formed in 1948 as a basketball section of SŠD Polet. It was renamed to Branik Maribor in 1950 and won its first Slovenian title in the next year. The club left the Branik SportsAssociation in 1966, renamed to KK Maribor 66 and changed colours to purple and white. Under that name they played in the Yugoslav First Federal Basketball League in the 1969–70 season. The club then renamed to KK Marles, while Branik Sports association formed its own team to compete in lower ranks. After Marles' three relegations, both teams merged back in 1975 under the name Branik. In 1987, the club merged with fierce city rival ŽKK Maribor to form KK Maribor 87 as a new city team. The latter played in the Yugoslav 1. B League, but after the independence of Slovenia it disintegrated back to ŽKK and Branik. Branik took Maribor 87's place in Premier A Slovenian Basketball League and played there until 2000. All Maribor-based clubs, including Branik, folded in 2005.
2008–present
ŠD Primorac Basketball School, formed in 2001, joined the Branik Sports Association in 2008 and renamed to AKK Branik in 2011. The team has qualified for the Slovenian Second League in the 2007–08 season. The team was relegated back to the third division after finishing in the last, 13th position in the 2012–13 season. After KK Maribor went bankrupt in 2015 and Branik became the only remaining basketball team in the city, the Basketball Federation of Slovenia gave them a wild card to compete in the Slovenian Second League for the 2015–16 season.
