Shortly after this club's founding, its basketball section went independent and became what is today's KK Zadar.

The 1949, KK Zadar entered Yugoslavia's first basketball division, remaining there until the country's break-up in 1990.

Also in 1966, Zadar played in the Euroleague final four; they were beaten in the semi-finals and ended the tournament in third place.

In 1969 Krešo Ćosić left for the United States to play college basketball at Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1973.

In this time of crisis, Krešo Ćosić returned to the club and with 36-year-old Giuseppe "Pino" Giergia Zadar once again became Yugoslav Champions, only to repeat this success two years later.

In 1976 Giuseppe Pino Giergia retired and Krešo Ćosić left the club to fulfill his obligations toward the Yugoslav Army (At this time, conscription was mandatory).

While he was the coach of Bresto he played basketball games for KK Zadar and once again saved the club from relegation.

Arijan Komazec made his debut for Zadar in 1986, and he, along with Stojko Vranković, would play a crucial role in the years to follow.

In 1996 with a new coach at the helm, Danijel Jusup, Zadar reached the playoffs of the national championship, where they lost to Cibona.

They repeated this success the following year with Emilio Kovačić as Zadar's key player, yet Cibona won the title once again.

In the summer of the 1999 Arijan Komazec returned to Zadar from Olympiacos, and the club had also signed Dino Rađa from Panathinaikos.

In the seasons of 2000–01, 2001–02 Zadar played in the playoffs of national championship twice and once in Krešimir Ćosić Cup, yet they did not win any of the possible three titles.

During that season, with Marko Popović as a lead player, Zadar won its third Krešimir Ćosić Cup, as well as the newly established regional ABA League, founded on the ashes of the Yugoslav league and containing the best teams from the former Yugoslav republics.