Drazen Petrovic
(1964-1993)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2002
Card Shown:
1991-92 Skybox
Position: SG
Height: 6’5″
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Drazen Petrovic was called the “Mozart of Basketball” because of his outstanding skills on the basketball court. From Yugoslavia/Croatia, Drazen was known for his boundless energy, his enthusiasm, and his elite level three-point shooting. He had a quick release on his jump shot and could also take the ball to the hole effectively. Drazen played basketball for many years in Yugoslavia and Spain before jumping to the NBA. His brief career in the league ended when Drazen died in a car accident in Germany in 1993.
Awards and Honors
- Drazen’s Yugoslavian national teams won the European Championship in 1989 in Zagreb and the World Championship in 1990 in Argentina.
- Petrovic was MVP of both the 1986 World Championship in Spain and the 1989 European Championship in Zagreb.
- Drazen played in three Olympic Games. He helped lead Yugoslavia (with Drazen Dalipagic) to the bronze medal in Los Angeles in 1984, Yugoslavia (with Vlade Divac and Dino Radja) to the silver medal in Seoul in 1988, and Croatia to the silver medal in Barcelona in 1992 against the USA Dream Team.
- Drazen was named to the All-NBA third team in 1993.
- Petrovic was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
Points of Interest
- Drazen joined the Yugoslavian National Team at 15 years of age.
- He once scored 112 points in a Croatian League game when he connected on 40 of 60 shots from the field.
- Petrovic played for Sibenka Sibenik from 1972-1984, Cibona Zagreb from 1984-1988, Real Madrid 1988-1989, the Portland Trail Blazers from 1989 through the first half of the 1990-91 season, and the New Jersey Nets from the second half of the 1990-91 season through 1993. His NBA career lasted only four years.
- Drazen was one of the early international players to enter the NBA, helping pave the way for many more that would enter the league in the years to come.
- His career NBA three-point percentage of .437 remains one of the highest in NBA history.
- Drazen’s brief (4-year) NBA career was cut short by a tragic traffic accident in Germany that took his life at the age of 28.
- The New Jersey Nets honored Drazen Petrovic by retiring his #3 jersey in 1993.
Statistics
Drazen Petrovic Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com