Presenting famous people from Šibenik who contribute the world like it is today- Part#5 - DRAZEN PETROVIC - (Šibenik 1964 - 1993) - Croatian basketball player

Dražen Petrovic or Mozart of basketball was the largest Croatian player and one of the world's biggest basketball players in general. Among the 50 people who contributed most to Euroliga. It is considered as the leader of a European basketball players in the NBA.

my photo
Croatian basketball legend Drazen Petrovic was born in Sibenik on October 22, 1964.His parents are Biserka and Jole, and olther brother Aleksandar who was his role model and trained basketball, so Drazen started to playing.

Drazen's monument front of Šibenka hall, my photo

Drazen started playing for his first club, Šibenka in 1976 as a 12-year-old, at that time, the club played in the Yugoslav second division. Drazen was playing at levels: cadet, junior and senior. When he started playing in the Šibenka cadets, his training timing was extensively extended until late hours. Before school he came to the empty hall and trained, and the afternoon training left him last.

int. source

Drazen’s first coaches recognized this quality and saw in him a top player. They trusted him enough to let him play in the first division when he was only 15 years old, this time Šibenka was just starting nobody expected success. Šibenka played in the finals of the Radivoj Korać Cup for two consecutive years, 1982 and 1983, both times they lose against Limoges. Drazen did not like to lose, he showed his emotions on the court. When he played against his brother, in a game between Šibenka and Cibona, Dražen left notes all around the house: “No entrance for Cibona players”, “No chance, forget taking points”.

In 1983 still not 18 years old, Drazen was Šibenka’s leading player and the key player in the finals of the national championship, the famous game between Šibenka and Bosnia.
In 1983 Dražen Petrović practically agreed with Bosnia.
It was just waiting to finish Yugoslavia's final between Drazen's Šibenka and Bosnia and Petrovic had to go to Sarajevo, to start a new chapter in his career, then in Bosnia.

my photo

In order to prove his thoughts seriously, Bosnia Stjepan Grubnić's boss sent him the white TAS's Golf Unit and was ready for his move to Sarajevo.

int. source

In the last two seconds of the game Bosnia led 82-81. The referee called a foul and Drazen awarded two free throws. Drazen scored that two free throws including 40 point ( without 3 points that have not existed yet ) Šibenka celebrated 83:82 against Bosnia and won the championship title and the big feast could begin.

But Bosnia complained that the last offense, from which Drazen scored free throws, was awarded after the time of. The alliance annulled the game and ordered it to play a new game in Novi Sad, for which Šibenka did not agree and the game has never played.
The title was assigned to Bosnia for a green table and Dražen, after such an injustice, simply could not go to Bosnia.Drazen's father Jole went to Sarajevo to pay for Golf.

Like many times before, and later, basketball came before anything else for Drazen, that evening for this game he missed his prom night but he won the national championship with Šibenka. Many people remember this game remains even today.

int. source

An incredible talent and unusual workmanship for such a young boy could not be missed by top experts.

Although many clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Crvena Zvezda, Partizan and Bosna) fought for the upcoming. Drazen signed for Cibona Zagreb, the club where his brother played. He took Cibona two times to Europe tron and in two seasons he was the best European player. Then he moved to Spain's Real Madrid team, where teammates and fans respected him, as the team also held trophies.

In 1990 when Drazen became a member of Portland Trail Blazers. After playing mostly off the bench that year, Petrovic experienced a breakthrough following a deal with New Jersey Nets. While starting for the Nets, soon became the main player and one of the best shooting guards in the league and was in charge of being the best shooter ever.

Except in the clubs, he had excellent results and in the national team. At the Olympics Games 1984 in L. A he won the bronze medal, and 1988 in Seoul silver with Yugoslavia and 1992 in Barcelona he won a silver medal with Croatia. He has won medals at world championships, bronze 1986 in Madrid (Yug), gold 1990 in Buenos Aires (Yug) and European championships bronze 1987 in Atena (Yug) and gold 1989 in Zagreb (Yug).

Four times he was declared the best basketball player in Europe 1986, 1989, 1992 and 1993.
During the war in the Republic of Croatia, Dražen quietly protested in front of the United Nations building seeking international recognition of the Republic of Croatia.

Drazen lost his life in June 7, 1993, Denkendorf, Germany, in a car accident the age of 29, at the top of his career.

The driver was Drazen's girlfriend, German model of Hungarian origin Klara Szalantzy, and in the car was also Turkish basketball player Hilal Edebal, which ended with severe brain injuries only Drazen was killed, he drove out through the windshield.

int. source

At the beginning of the NBA season 1993/94. Drazen Nets number 3 was retired and raised under the roof of New Jersey Nets hall.

In 1995 Olympic Committee in Lausanne raised the monument to Dražen Petrović. The work of Vasko Lipovc sculptor was set in a park in front of the Olympic Centre in Lausanne.

int. source Lausanne

In 2006, the museum and memorial center "Dražen Petrović" was inaugurated in Zagreb, next to the basketball hall which also carries its name. The Dražen Petrović Award was established by the Croatian Olympic Committee in 2006, intended exclusively for young athletes, athletes, and male and female teams for outstanding sports results and sports development

int. source Zagreb

A worker, a fanatic ... basketball addict ... though, he was. And you know why? Not because he spent seven, eight hours a day in the hall, but because he did not miss a single day without training.

• Aleksandar Petrovic

"In the NBA league I proved all I wanted to prove" Drazen Petrovic in the last US interview (spring 1993).
Since 2002 Drazen was a member of The Naismith Basketball House of Fame.

In 2013, he was voted the best European basketball player in history by players at the 2013 FIBA EuroBasket.

Drazen Petrovic Square in Šibenik, my photos

Thank you !