Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrović (Croatian pronunciation: [drǎʒen pětroʋitɕ]; 22 October 1964 – 7 June 1993) was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s with Cibona and Real Madrid before joining the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1989.
Petrović with the New Jersey Nets in 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 22 October 1964 Šibenik, Croatia, Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 7 June 1993 (aged 28) Denkendorf, Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Croatian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1986: 3rd round, 60th overall pick | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1979–1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Shooting guard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 4, 9, 10, 5, 44, 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1983 | Šibenka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1988 | Cibona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Portland Trail Blazers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | New Jersey Nets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 4,461 (15.4 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 669 (2.3 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 701 (2.4 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at NBA.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIBA Hall of Fame as player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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A star on multiple international basketball stages, Petrović earned two silver medals (1988, 1992) and one bronze (1984) at the Summer Olympic Games, a gold (1990) and a bronze (1986) at the FIBA World Cup, and a gold (1989) and a bronze (1987) at the FIBA EuroBasket. He was the FIBA World Championship MVP in 1986 and the FIBA EuroBasket MVP in 1989. With Cibona Zagreb, Petrović also won two consecutive EuroLeague championships in 1985 and 1986. He first represented Yugoslavia's senior national team and later Croatia's senior national team. He earned four Euroscars and was named Mr. Europa twice. In 1985, he received the Golden Badge award for the best athlete of Yugoslavia.
Seeking a bigger arena after his career start in Europe, Petrović joined the NBA in 1989, as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. After playing mostly off the bench that year, Petrović experienced a breakthrough following a trade to the New Jersey Nets. While starting for the Nets, he became one of the league's best shooting guards. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. On 7 June 1993, Petrović's career and life were cut short after he died in a car accident at the age of 28.
In 1993, Petrović's jersey number 3 was retired by the Nets, and the Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall was named after him in his honor. He also received the Olympic Order in 1993. In 2002, he was posthumously enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2006, the Dražen Petrović Award was created in his honor. In 2007, he was posthumously inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. He was named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008. In 2013, he was voted the best European Basketball player in history, by players at the 2013 FIBA EuroBasket.
Petrović is considered a crucial part of the vanguard to the present-day mass influx of European players into the NBA, and to this day he is viewed as a national hero in Croatia.