{{short description|Kosovan basketball player}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Jan Palokaj | image = | image_size = | caption = | position = Shooting guard | height_m = 1.88 | weight_kg = | league = | team = Cibona | number = 0 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|11|05|df=y}} | birth_place = Zagreb, Croatia | nationality = Kosovan / Croatian | high_school = | college = | draft = | draft_year = | draft_team = | career_start = 2016 | career_end = | years1 = 2016–2018 | team1 = Zagreb | years2 = 2018–2019 | team2 = Bosco | years3 = 2019–2021 | team3 = Zadar | years4 = 2021–2023 | team4 = Prishtina | years5 = 2023–2025 | team5 = Ylli | years6 = 2025 | team6 = Bashkimi | years7 = 2025–present | team7 = Cibona | highlights = * Kosovo Supercup winner (2022) *Croatian League champion (2021) *2× Croatian Cup winner (2020, 2021) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's basketball}} {{MedalCountry|{{CRO}}}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA U18 European Championship}} {{MedalGold|2017 Estonia (Division B)|Under-18}} }} '''Jan Palokaj''' (born 5 November 2000) is a Kosovan professional basketball player who currently plays for Cibona.
==Professional career== ===Ylli (2023–2025)=== On September 9, 2023, Palokaj signed for Golden Eagle Ylli of the Kosovo Superleague and Liga Unike.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://teve1.info/ylli-prezanton-jan-palokajn/|title=Ylli prezanton Jan Palokajn|language=sq|website=teve1.info|date=9 September 2024}}</ref>
===Bashkimi (2025)=== On August 29, 2025, he signed for Bashkimi of the Kosovo Superleague.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://asistionline.com/2025/08/29/jan-palokaj-transferohet-te-bashkimi-perforcimi-i-pare-vendor-per-sezonin-e-ri/|title=Jan Palokaj transferohet te Bashkimi, përforcimi i parë vendor për sezonin e ri|work=asistionline.com|date=29 August 2025}}</ref>
===Cibona (2025–present)=== In November, 2025, Palokaj signed for Cibona of the Premijer liga.
==International career== From 2016, until 2019, Palokaj has been part of Croatia at youth international level, respectively has been part of the U16, U18 and U20 teams. He also played in the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship, 2017 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B and 2018 FIBA U18 European Championship.
On 25 January 2022, Prishtina announced that Palokaj and his teammate Jetmir Zeqiri have been provided with a Kosovo passport and have the right to play for the Kosovo national team.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://topsporti.com/artikulli/natyralizohen-dy-basketbollistet-e-prishtines/fbk-superliga|title=Natyralizohen dy basketbollistët e Prishtinës|trans-title=The two basketballers of Prishtina are naturalized|language=Albanian|website=TopSporti|date=25 January 2022}}</ref>
He received his first call-up for the Kosovo national team in February 2024 but was unable to play due to an injury.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://teve1.info/267317-2/|title=Hadar publikon listën e gjërë të Kosovës në basketboll|language=sq|website=teve1.info|date=5 February 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Palokaj was born in Zagreb to an ethnic Albanian father from Gjurakoc.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.koha.net/de/sport/pas-karrieres-me-te-rinjte-e-kroacise-palokaj-i-gatshem-te-jape-kontributin-per-kosoven|title=Nach seiner Karriere in der kroatischen Jugend ist Palokaj bereit, im Kosovo seinen Beitrag zu leisten|work=Koha}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.aba-liga.com/player.php?id=3395 Jan Palokaj Basketball Player Profile] on ABAliga.com * [https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Jan-Palokaj/KK-Zadar/401949 Jan Palokaj Basketball Player Profile] on Eurobasket.com * [https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Jan-Palokaj/Summary/108712 Jan Palokaj Basketball Player Profile] on RealGM.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palokaj, Jan}} Category:2000 births Category:Living people Category:Basketball players from Zagreb Category:Kosovan men's basketball players Category:Croatian men's basketball players Category:Croatian expatriate basketball people in Kosovo Category:Kosovan expatriate basketball people in Croatia Category:Naturalised citizens of Kosovo Category:Shooting guards Category:KK Zagreb players Category:KK Zadar players Category:KB Prishtina players Category:KB Ylli players Category:KB Bashkimi players Category:Kosovo Basketball Superleague players Category:Liga Unike players Category:Croatian people of Albanian descent Category:KK Bosco players Category:21st-century Croatian sportsmen Category:KK Cibona players
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