Famous Croatians: Dražen Petrović

‍Greatness from Small Beginnings: ‍

Dražen Petrović was born in 1964, in a small Croatian town called Šibenik. His start can only be described as humble. Dražen hailed from a working class family, his father was a police officer and his mother was a librarian. At that time, Croatia was still part of the larger country called Yugoslavia. Šibenik was a developing town that did not have much of an industry. Still no matter the economic situation or tensions inside of the country, Croatians always had a big love for basketball. This love infected Dražen from a very early age. Basically since he could walk, he had a basketball in his hands. 

From the moment he could walk Dražen would spend hours upon hours playing basketball, sometimes with his friends but often alone. As time went on, his love for the sport grew even stronger. From just a sport kids play sometimes, basketball became a calling for Dražen. While his other classmates in school would be focused on something else, he would be alone practicing in the gym. Shot after shot, just honing his skills. At the age of 13 Dražen was already part of the primary club of the city of Šibenik, the club called Šibenka. There for the next few years he developed his basketball skills until soon enough his talent surpassed almost all his team mates as well as members of the opposing teams in the league. He became a lethal striker on the court, often scoring the most points out of everyone in the game. His average was beyond his age as well. 

A once in a generation talent:

In 1984, at the age of 20, Dražen joined one of the biggest basketball clubs in Yugoslavia at the time, the Zagreb based club called Cibona. Right from his first season in Cibona, Petrović started to prove himself a vital player to the club. In that first year Cibona won both the national Yugoslav League championship and the Yugoslav National Cup title. Dražen was constantly the top scorer and best player of the club. For the next 4 years he just broke record after record in the club. In one game he actually scored 112 points, which is a crazy number in basketball. This set a record that has yet to be broken in any European league. Cibona dominated the Yugoslav League as well as the European scene. At the end of 1988, things were changing rapidly for both Dražen and the country of Croatia. Tensions inside of the country of Yugoslavia were at a boiling point and at that moment Dražen was exploding as an international super star in basketball. He was representing Croatia as its top athlete and now everyone was interested in the young star. 

For the first time in history,  a Croatian was picked by the NBA, the best basketball league in the world, to be one of their players.  The NBA's Portland Trail Blazers wanted Dražen for their 1988 season but  as all Croatians do, Dražen went his own way. He decided to join the European basketball titan Real Madrid. But his potential was just too great to be kept to just the European continent. After just a short year, Dražen Petrović joined the NBA as part of the Portland Trail Blazers. Sadly his start at the NBA was less than ideal. While the audience knew how insanely talented Dražen was, the club owners were less than impressed by the Croatian. For almost 18 months in the club Dražen spent most of his time on the bench. His second season with the club brought Petrović's frustration to a climax. For someone who never stopped playing and was always a crucial part of his teams, this was just a waste of time.

"He is the best shooter I ever played against”:

In 1991, the course of Croatian history and Dražen’s story changed forever. The Croatian War of Independence began in 1991 and the country of Yugoslavia was no more.  While Croatian’s finally gained their independence, the entire country was under siege. Every city was under attack, Šibenik as well. The city was heavily attacked by the Yugoslav People's Army and Serbian paramilitary troops.  Although under-armed, the nascent Croatian army and the people of Šibenik managed to defend the city.

While the war raged on, Dražen joined the New Jersey Nets and very soon became an NBA superstar. Finally he was given his chance to lead a team, to truly show off his skills on the biggest basketball stage in the world. He very soon became one of the league's best scorers. Not only that but Dražen was ferocious on the court, never stopping and constantly putting pressure on the opposing team. It did not take long for Dražen Petrović to establish himself as a team leader of the Nets. Petrović led the Nets in field-goal shooting and free-throw shooting, and his field goal percentage of 51% placed him near the top of all NBA guards. More importantly, his success translated into success for the team. On a weekly basis Dražen faced off against some of the biggest titans in basketball history but nothing stopped the Croatian from giving it his all. He was awarded many accolades, one of them being MVP of the Week.

One of the biggest achievements in Croatian sport came in 1992, when Dražen Petrović led the freshly independent Croatian basketball team to a silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Croatia was absolutely a powerhouse in this  competition. The only problem was that at this point the American team was composed of the now-legendary team of just NBA stars. Sadly in the finals that team proved to be too much for Croatia. Still this defeat in the finals does not take away from the accomplishments that the 1992 Croatian basketball team achieved. This was a crucial moment for the war torn country and it solidified Dražen Petrović as a national hero, not just a sports star. 

The Fall of a Hero: 

After a fantastic season in the NBA, Petrović was now focused once more on the Croatian national team. 1993 was the year where the team was supposed to qualify for the EuroBasket competition. Dražen was also frustrated with his path in the NBA league. He was disappointed that the Nets did not sign him for a longer contract. Still there were countless clubs interested in him, in the US and Europe. For Dražen this was a crossroads in his career and his life. The war in Croatia was still very much active which created pressure for the player. His family was all still in Croatia and he felt torn between his career and his country. What was supposed to be a time of change, proved to be some of the last moments of Dražen’s life.

One faithful day, Dražen decided to skip a flight to Zagreb and instead he wanted to drive to the city with his partner. On June 7th of 1993, Dražen Petrović died in a traffic accident on his way to Zagreb. He was a passenger in a car that was cut off by a semi-truck while traveling through a German region of Bavaria. Dražen Petrović was sleeping at the time of the accident. He was in the passenger seat, not wearing a seatbelt, and the force of the impact sent him flying through the windshield, killing him. This event caused ripples all around the world but especially in Croatia. During such a difficult time, losing such a heroic figure was a devastating blow to the morale of the newly independent country and its people. Dražen Petrović was buried on June 12, 1993 in the city of Zagreb. The city of Zagreb dedicated a square in his name and soon the cities of Vuokavar and Šibenik did the same. The entire country was in mourning, which made the war even more difficult. The loss of Dražen was not just limited to Croatia, it was felt worldwide. 

The NBA held a moment of silence for Petrović during their finals. The Nets also retired his number 3 jersey on 11 November 1993. Athletes all over the world paid tribute to the Croatian basketball player, even Diego Maradona visited his grave in Zagreb and left his own jersey beside the site.

In 1995, a statue commemorating Petrović's significance to the world of sports was erected in front of the Olympic Museum in Switzerland, thus making him only the second athlete to receive this honor

Legacy:

1993 was 31 years and since then Dražen Petrović has become the stuff of legends in Croatia and in the world of basketball. Croatia is now an independent country and the people of the country are still obsessed with basketball. Many athletes in Croatia have achieved amazing results but very few are able to live up to the legacy Petrović left behind. 

His legacy is now a story told to countless young kids and for decades he has been an idol for almost all Croatian athletes. An extraordinary young man and player who changed the landscape for European players and especially Croatian athletes. A pioneer in the global sport of basketball whose legacy paved the way for other international players to compete successfully in the NBA. A symbol of determination, hard work and Croatian pride, Dražen Petrović will forever be the Mozart of Basketball.

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