I don't have a link to this, but this was an article, translated by Sashikas, that I was able to recover from IBN 1.0
Stuart
Stuart
Drazen Petrovic. The last melody of Mozart of basketball
Croatian basketball player never thought of a farewell game. He was just 28, when on June 7th, 1993 he died on a Nurnberg-Munich highway. Along with his fiancee behind the wheel and her friend, the leader of the Croatian national team was heading to the first training camp before the European championship. It was raining, the road was slippery. Their car has crushed to a truck, who unexpectedly got to the opposite line and stopped in the middle of the road. Drazen died. Both girls got serious injuries, but survived.
That was the tragic end of the one of the brightest players in all time basketball history. A son of a serbian officer, who turned into the Croatian national hero.
“Sibenka” will always stay in my heart
Drazen was born on October 22, 1964 in Sibenka – small town on a seaside of Adriatics. Drazen was a very clever and matured child. Along with the elder brother Aleksander, young Drazen got interested with basketball. “He took ball, which was almost bigger than himself, and was rolling it over the court for hours, almost for whole day, - later Aleksander remembered. - I had to pay constant attention to him, that older guys wouldn't trample him”.
Several years have passed. Aleksander Petrovic turned to one of the most promising players in the country, went to the strongest Croatian club - “Cibona” Zagreb. Meanwhile Drazen took his first steps in the professional basketball. In the age of 13 he joined the local club “Sibenka”, and two years later was promoted to the main squad. The talent and incalculable hours of work on himself let him be called the most promissing players in former Yugoslavia, when he was 16 years old. In that period he won his first medal – bronze at the European youth championship. One year later – gold in the balkan championship.
Aleksander Petrovic: “Fifty – sixty points in the game of youth teams was like a unwritten rule for Drazen. He turned into a real leader both among his coevals and the older guys.”
Drazen became a leader of “Sibenka” at age of 17, neverminding that his partners were 10-15 years older. In 1982 Petrovic brought his club to the final of the Korac cup, where his team couldn't beat “Limoges”. One year later with “Sibenka” he won national championship and was elected as the best Yugoslav player.
This success in such young age wasn't a surprise. Drazen fanaticaly loved basketball, he trained for 7-8 hours a day. As a result of that, at the age of 18 he was superior to his opponents in dribbling, basketball inteligence, throwing. He was noticed. Many European powerhouses were dreaming to have him in their roster.He got a proposal from the famous american coach “Digger” Phelps to the university of Notre Dam. “Sibenka” turned to be too small for him.
“The first team – is like the first love. “Sibenka” will remain in my heart forever. Everything began here, and years spent in this team are impossible to forget. I remember, how I was visiting the practices of my brother, my first practice, all those hours, which I spent alone on the court, when only ball and the basket existed for me. But this is just a beginning. I hope, that “Sibenka” will understand me. To reach the things, which I want from basketball, I have to leave. I close this stage to open another one”, - these words were said before leaving his first professional club.
Showtime for four seasons
After serving one year in the army, Drazen decided to move to Cibona – the club, where his brother played. Acoording to the words of the coach of the Zagreb side of that time, Mirko Novosel, Drazen was the man, who had to help the team to turn the best team in the continent.
During four seasons “Cibona” won practicaly everything, what they could. Two Champions cups are among them. And Petrovic brothers Aleksander and Drazen were the strongest defender couple in Europe. Aleksander remembers: “Those were the easiest years in my basketball career.. What did he was creating in Zagreb! That was a real showtime for four seasons”. Drazen: “I feel that I owe to the fans. I love them. That is the reason, why I have no day-offs. I am playing for the fans, and only then for myself and the club”.
He was driving fans crazy with his phenomenal scoring. In the game of national championship in season 1985-86 vs. Olimpia Liubliana Drazen scored 112 points, what made Italian sports daily “Gazetta dello sport” call Petrovic “the Mozart of basketball”. It is impossible to forget his 62 points against finnish team “Katkan” in the Korac cup, and 8 tripples a row in the huge match against “Limoges”.
A year in Madrid
A year later Drazen was picked in the third round of NBA draft by Portland Trail Blazers, but the management of American club couldn't make him move away from Europe. After the Olympics in Seoul, where Drazen helped Yugoslavian team win silver medals, he moved to Real Madrid – a dream come true for most of the basketball players, the richiest and the most famous team in Europe. With a coming of “Petro” the Royal club became a champion in Spain and Europe at once. In the final of the National Cup he scored 42 points against “Barcelona”, and in the final of European – 62 against Snaidero Udine.
In one of the semifinal games in Zagreb against Cibona (this time Petrovic brothers were on the oposite sides) an interesting episode took place. Later on Aleksander remembered it: “When Drazen came on court, all the hall was congradulating him with standing ovation. At the end of the game, Drazen had to score both free throws, to win the game. This victory meant almost nothing to them, and we, Cibona players, would get bonuses, if we would beat Real. So I came to my brother, and almost begged him to miss both throws. He smiled at me and score both of them – he didn't know how to loose”.
In the same year Drazen won European championship in the squad of Yugoslavian team and was elected for MVP of the tournament.
After that he understood, that he won everything in Europe, and decided to conquer USA. In a daynight period Drazen has left Madrid. He wasn't stopped even by the necessity to pay Madrid a compensation of more than a million dollars for the contract cancelation. “Petro” was 25 years old, and he didn't want to wait anymore.
Hard path in NBA
Drazen Petrovic arguably was the first european, who managed to win a recognition in NBA. He was coming to that for four years, and that path was spinny. USA met European star far from arms wide open. His first over-atlantic club – Portland Trail Blazers did not become a next peak of success. Moreover, he didn't come along with the head coach Rick Adelman. Adelman did not trusted in Petrovic, did not believe in his basketball abilities. Drazen himself was shocked at the first time – he never met a problem with a time on court. His first season in the league he finished with average scoring of less than 8 points per game, appearing on court mostly in the end of the game, when the winner is already decided.
The second year began even worse, but in winter Drazen got him traded to New Jersey. 18 months in Portland was a hell for him: “I have to leave, so I can prove, that I have the abilities for more. I never sat on the bench for the whole game, and I am not planning to do that in Portland. If I have to leave to the weakest NBA team – I will leave, if I just get a guarantee of a playing time”. That's how the move was commented by Clyde Drexler, the main Portland star at that moment: “I am sure, that Drazen will have a perfect career in NBA. Such guys, as him, always reach for more. He wasn't successful here, but in “Nets” everything will change. He will show, that he deserved to play in the league, and, possibly will be among the stars of NBA”.
In the new team he did not become a leader at once, but in the remaining games of the season 1990-91 he significantly improved his statistical numbers. His talent revealed in the next year. He became the best in his team in many columns and hugely improved his defence. After the season he was elected the best shooting guard in the league and the most improved man. He was collecting an average 20 points per game and with 51% of his three point shots was second in the league.
In the summer he came back to the homeland – the country, which he left three years ago, existed nomore, and in the Olympics of 1992 Petrovic was defending the colours of the young independent Croatia. The rookie of the Olympics took second place. In the final Croatia lost to the american “Dream Team”, which is considering as the strongest team ever in the history of basketball.
In his fourth and the last season in NBA “Petro” again overcame Michael Jordan, and was voted for the best shooting guard in the league, also was included in the third team of the season. He was best scoring man in his team (22.3 points per game - 11th result in the league), field goal percentage (52% - the best result among the guards) and the free throws (87%). The fans fell in love with him because his emotionality and energy, the coaches were in awe of him, because he kept practicing even after the season.
But not everything was smooth. Petrovic was the only man from the top-15 scorers of the league, who wasn't invited to the All Star game. Moreover, you could constantly hear, that Petrovic is making too many shooting attempts. And these complaints were dedicated to the player with one of the highest shooting percentage in the league! After the season Drazen became a free agent, but the “Nets” management wasn't in a hurry to offer a new contract. So Petrovic decided to switch the team: at first he seriously considered the offer from one of the greek teams, and later on he got a proposal from Pat Riley to join “Knicks”.
But before the making a decision about his further career, Drazen flew to Poland to help his native Croatia in the European championship qualifiers. Shortly after a shocking news came from Germany.
“It might be, that it is hard to understand for you here in America the measure of this loss, you have many great players here, - Aleksander Petrovic told to “Daily News”. - But we are a four-million people country. With his loss our basketball went three years back”.
“In my memory he is remaining, as a happy boy, smiling, dreaming about the victories, playing basketball, a game he loved more than everything, becoming the guy he was always trying to become, as a sportsman and as a human”, - Chuck Daily, “Nets” coach of that time, said, after learning about the tragedy.
The first game of the 1993 NBA finals between Phoenix and Chicago started from a minute of silence. At the beginning of the next season at the homecourt of New Jersey a Drazen Petrovic's jersey with #3 was hang near the ceiling. Some time later near the olympic museum in Lausanne a monument to Drazen was opened, the trophy of the best player at the McDonalds tournament has a name of Drazen, and the president of International Olimpic Comitee Juan Antonio Samaranch has awarded him with an medal for the accomplishments to the Olympic movement. In the summer of 2002 Drazen was included to the museum of honour of NBA. Drazen Petrovic has made a huge effort to the development of world basketball, he opened the door to the european basketball players to NBA, he proved, that not only americans can shine in the best league in the world.
“Mozart of basketball” hasn't played a lot of melodies. His life stopped on a tragic tune...
Croatian basketball player never thought of a farewell game. He was just 28, when on June 7th, 1993 he died on a Nurnberg-Munich highway. Along with his fiancee behind the wheel and her friend, the leader of the Croatian national team was heading to the first training camp before the European championship. It was raining, the road was slippery. Their car has crushed to a truck, who unexpectedly got to the opposite line and stopped in the middle of the road. Drazen died. Both girls got serious injuries, but survived.
That was the tragic end of the one of the brightest players in all time basketball history. A son of a serbian officer, who turned into the Croatian national hero.
“Sibenka” will always stay in my heart
Drazen was born on October 22, 1964 in Sibenka – small town on a seaside of Adriatics. Drazen was a very clever and matured child. Along with the elder brother Aleksander, young Drazen got interested with basketball. “He took ball, which was almost bigger than himself, and was rolling it over the court for hours, almost for whole day, - later Aleksander remembered. - I had to pay constant attention to him, that older guys wouldn't trample him”.
Several years have passed. Aleksander Petrovic turned to one of the most promising players in the country, went to the strongest Croatian club - “Cibona” Zagreb. Meanwhile Drazen took his first steps in the professional basketball. In the age of 13 he joined the local club “Sibenka”, and two years later was promoted to the main squad. The talent and incalculable hours of work on himself let him be called the most promissing players in former Yugoslavia, when he was 16 years old. In that period he won his first medal – bronze at the European youth championship. One year later – gold in the balkan championship.
Aleksander Petrovic: “Fifty – sixty points in the game of youth teams was like a unwritten rule for Drazen. He turned into a real leader both among his coevals and the older guys.”
Drazen became a leader of “Sibenka” at age of 17, neverminding that his partners were 10-15 years older. In 1982 Petrovic brought his club to the final of the Korac cup, where his team couldn't beat “Limoges”. One year later with “Sibenka” he won national championship and was elected as the best Yugoslav player.
This success in such young age wasn't a surprise. Drazen fanaticaly loved basketball, he trained for 7-8 hours a day. As a result of that, at the age of 18 he was superior to his opponents in dribbling, basketball inteligence, throwing. He was noticed. Many European powerhouses were dreaming to have him in their roster.He got a proposal from the famous american coach “Digger” Phelps to the university of Notre Dam. “Sibenka” turned to be too small for him.
“The first team – is like the first love. “Sibenka” will remain in my heart forever. Everything began here, and years spent in this team are impossible to forget. I remember, how I was visiting the practices of my brother, my first practice, all those hours, which I spent alone on the court, when only ball and the basket existed for me. But this is just a beginning. I hope, that “Sibenka” will understand me. To reach the things, which I want from basketball, I have to leave. I close this stage to open another one”, - these words were said before leaving his first professional club.
Showtime for four seasons
After serving one year in the army, Drazen decided to move to Cibona – the club, where his brother played. Acoording to the words of the coach of the Zagreb side of that time, Mirko Novosel, Drazen was the man, who had to help the team to turn the best team in the continent.
During four seasons “Cibona” won practicaly everything, what they could. Two Champions cups are among them. And Petrovic brothers Aleksander and Drazen were the strongest defender couple in Europe. Aleksander remembers: “Those were the easiest years in my basketball career.. What did he was creating in Zagreb! That was a real showtime for four seasons”. Drazen: “I feel that I owe to the fans. I love them. That is the reason, why I have no day-offs. I am playing for the fans, and only then for myself and the club”.
He was driving fans crazy with his phenomenal scoring. In the game of national championship in season 1985-86 vs. Olimpia Liubliana Drazen scored 112 points, what made Italian sports daily “Gazetta dello sport” call Petrovic “the Mozart of basketball”. It is impossible to forget his 62 points against finnish team “Katkan” in the Korac cup, and 8 tripples a row in the huge match against “Limoges”.
A year in Madrid
A year later Drazen was picked in the third round of NBA draft by Portland Trail Blazers, but the management of American club couldn't make him move away from Europe. After the Olympics in Seoul, where Drazen helped Yugoslavian team win silver medals, he moved to Real Madrid – a dream come true for most of the basketball players, the richiest and the most famous team in Europe. With a coming of “Petro” the Royal club became a champion in Spain and Europe at once. In the final of the National Cup he scored 42 points against “Barcelona”, and in the final of European – 62 against Snaidero Udine.
In one of the semifinal games in Zagreb against Cibona (this time Petrovic brothers were on the oposite sides) an interesting episode took place. Later on Aleksander remembered it: “When Drazen came on court, all the hall was congradulating him with standing ovation. At the end of the game, Drazen had to score both free throws, to win the game. This victory meant almost nothing to them, and we, Cibona players, would get bonuses, if we would beat Real. So I came to my brother, and almost begged him to miss both throws. He smiled at me and score both of them – he didn't know how to loose”.
In the same year Drazen won European championship in the squad of Yugoslavian team and was elected for MVP of the tournament.
After that he understood, that he won everything in Europe, and decided to conquer USA. In a daynight period Drazen has left Madrid. He wasn't stopped even by the necessity to pay Madrid a compensation of more than a million dollars for the contract cancelation. “Petro” was 25 years old, and he didn't want to wait anymore.
Hard path in NBA
Drazen Petrovic arguably was the first european, who managed to win a recognition in NBA. He was coming to that for four years, and that path was spinny. USA met European star far from arms wide open. His first over-atlantic club – Portland Trail Blazers did not become a next peak of success. Moreover, he didn't come along with the head coach Rick Adelman. Adelman did not trusted in Petrovic, did not believe in his basketball abilities. Drazen himself was shocked at the first time – he never met a problem with a time on court. His first season in the league he finished with average scoring of less than 8 points per game, appearing on court mostly in the end of the game, when the winner is already decided.
The second year began even worse, but in winter Drazen got him traded to New Jersey. 18 months in Portland was a hell for him: “I have to leave, so I can prove, that I have the abilities for more. I never sat on the bench for the whole game, and I am not planning to do that in Portland. If I have to leave to the weakest NBA team – I will leave, if I just get a guarantee of a playing time”. That's how the move was commented by Clyde Drexler, the main Portland star at that moment: “I am sure, that Drazen will have a perfect career in NBA. Such guys, as him, always reach for more. He wasn't successful here, but in “Nets” everything will change. He will show, that he deserved to play in the league, and, possibly will be among the stars of NBA”.
In the new team he did not become a leader at once, but in the remaining games of the season 1990-91 he significantly improved his statistical numbers. His talent revealed in the next year. He became the best in his team in many columns and hugely improved his defence. After the season he was elected the best shooting guard in the league and the most improved man. He was collecting an average 20 points per game and with 51% of his three point shots was second in the league.
In the summer he came back to the homeland – the country, which he left three years ago, existed nomore, and in the Olympics of 1992 Petrovic was defending the colours of the young independent Croatia. The rookie of the Olympics took second place. In the final Croatia lost to the american “Dream Team”, which is considering as the strongest team ever in the history of basketball.
In his fourth and the last season in NBA “Petro” again overcame Michael Jordan, and was voted for the best shooting guard in the league, also was included in the third team of the season. He was best scoring man in his team (22.3 points per game - 11th result in the league), field goal percentage (52% - the best result among the guards) and the free throws (87%). The fans fell in love with him because his emotionality and energy, the coaches were in awe of him, because he kept practicing even after the season.
But not everything was smooth. Petrovic was the only man from the top-15 scorers of the league, who wasn't invited to the All Star game. Moreover, you could constantly hear, that Petrovic is making too many shooting attempts. And these complaints were dedicated to the player with one of the highest shooting percentage in the league! After the season Drazen became a free agent, but the “Nets” management wasn't in a hurry to offer a new contract. So Petrovic decided to switch the team: at first he seriously considered the offer from one of the greek teams, and later on he got a proposal from Pat Riley to join “Knicks”.
But before the making a decision about his further career, Drazen flew to Poland to help his native Croatia in the European championship qualifiers. Shortly after a shocking news came from Germany.
“It might be, that it is hard to understand for you here in America the measure of this loss, you have many great players here, - Aleksander Petrovic told to “Daily News”. - But we are a four-million people country. With his loss our basketball went three years back”.
“In my memory he is remaining, as a happy boy, smiling, dreaming about the victories, playing basketball, a game he loved more than everything, becoming the guy he was always trying to become, as a sportsman and as a human”, - Chuck Daily, “Nets” coach of that time, said, after learning about the tragedy.
The first game of the 1993 NBA finals between Phoenix and Chicago started from a minute of silence. At the beginning of the next season at the homecourt of New Jersey a Drazen Petrovic's jersey with #3 was hang near the ceiling. Some time later near the olympic museum in Lausanne a monument to Drazen was opened, the trophy of the best player at the McDonalds tournament has a name of Drazen, and the president of International Olimpic Comitee Juan Antonio Samaranch has awarded him with an medal for the accomplishments to the Olympic movement. In the summer of 2002 Drazen was included to the museum of honour of NBA. Drazen Petrovic has made a huge effort to the development of world basketball, he opened the door to the european basketball players to NBA, he proved, that not only americans can shine in the best league in the world.
“Mozart of basketball” hasn't played a lot of melodies. His life stopped on a tragic tune...
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