Ivan Paunić


Ivan Paunić is a Serbian professional basketball player who played for Mega Bemax of the Basketball League of Serbia. He also represented the Serbian national basketball team internationally.

Professional career

Paunić began playing basketball at a professional level in the Adriatic League when he was a teenager, beginning with Serbian club Partizan in the 2004–05 season. He spent next season on loan at Mega Ishrana and Mornar. In 2006 he was sent to Vojvodina Srbijagas as part of transfer in exchange for Milenko Tepić. He spent two seasons in Vojvodina, and then in 2008 went to Oostende. In December 2009 he goes to Greece and signed with Aris Thessaloniki.
In August 2010, Paunić signed with the Russian team Nizhny Novgorod where he stayed till April 2012, when he moved to Italy and signed with Virtus Bolgna for the rest of the season.
In July 2012, Paunić signed with the Ukrainian side Azovmash. He left them in December 2012. Couple days later he signed with Lagun Aro GBC till the end of the season. On September 25, 2013, he signed a one-year deal with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada.
On October 30, 2014, he signed with Astana in Kazakhstan. On December 18, 2014, he left Astana and signed with Budućnost Podgorica for the rest of the season. On August 25, 2015, he returned to Baloncesto Fuenlabrada. On August 1, 2016, he re-signed with Fuenlabrada for one more season.
On September 25, 2017, he signed a two-month contract with Turkish club Tofaş.
On April 5, 2019, he has signed with Chemidor Tehran of the Iranian Super League.
On February 13, 2020, he has signed with Mega Bemax of the Basketball League of Serbia.

Serbian national team

Paunić was a member of the Serbian national team that competed at the EuroBasket 2009 in Poland and won the silver medal. He played at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey where Serbia was fourth, and at the EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania where Serbia finished eight of 24 teams.