New Jersey Nets retired the jersey of one of the best Europeans in NBA history, after a tragedy that put an end to a career that could have been even greater
On November 11, 1993, the New Jersey Nets retired the jersey of one of the best Europeans the NBA has ever seen: Drazen Petrovic, a basketball legend from the Old Continent. He played for the Yugoslavia national team and later for Croatia.
Drazen made history playing for the Croatian KK Cibona and by Real Madrid, from Spain, winning two Euro League titles, in addition to four national championships. He was considered the Mr. Europe on two occasions. For national team basketball, they won silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games and gold and bronze at the World Cup.
Dražen Petrović returns to Madrid. That’s right, he didn’t play with the Whites until after Seoul 88.
📸 ‘Historia viva del Real Madrid’ by ABC. pic.twitter.com/NL0VPuoeEB— Rancoma (@Rancoma_) November 7, 2023
The point guard was selected in pick number 60 by the Portland Trail Blazers, in 1986, joining the NBA three years later. In his first season he shared the frame with the idol of the Oregon team, Clyde Draxler. Drazen had a shy year as a reserve, playing just 12 minutes per game and recording an average of 7.6 points.
Petrovic’s start in the North American league was very different from his seasons in Europe, where he averaged 20.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists. In the 1990/91 season, the Blazers traded their point guard to the Nets.
In his first season in New Jersey, he practically doubled his points per game. Drazen soon became a fundamental piece for the East Coast team. The team, which had had troubled years since leaving the ABA for the NBA, seemed to have finally found itself.
In his second season, Petrovic led the team to a sixth place finish in their conference, returning to their European basketball days. The team returned to the playoffs after seven years. Despite the defeat to Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, the squad looked promising.
On the way back from a @EuroCupWomen game in Dubrovnik, @REYER1872 Women team went to visit the Drazen #Petrovic Museum in Zagreb. A great opportunity to show our respect to the legendary “Mozart of Basketball” pic.twitter.com/ymt41ejZ63
— Pietro Scibetta (@pietroscibetta) November 2, 2023
The 1992/93 season was similar to the last: in sixth place and defeated in the playoffs in the first round by the same Cavaliers. What seemed like another off-season calmly, she was soon taken by the news that Drazen Petrovic was the victim of a car accident in Germany, around 5pm on June 7th, at the age of 29.
The death of the Croatian star destabilized the team that went through the longest years without performing well in the NBA. The Nets retired jersey #3 at the start of the 1993/94 season in his honor. In Europe, Drazen also received honors from the teams he played for.
Source: sportbuzz
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