I actually knew Dražen personally as a kid. My grandpa had a vacation house at the seacoast and Dražen's family had his/their house, few houses down the street, so all of us kids played with him and swam in the Adriatic sea with him, hung out. We were much younger. He was already a b-ball star in Croatia, well, back then it was still Yugoslavia. But he always found time for us kids, even used to buy us ice cream etc. Regular modest and humble guy. I lived in the capital and when I told my classmates from my elementary school that I know him, I got ridiculed and laughed at, called a liar. Funny thing, my school was right across the Cibona basketball club, and I literally ran there during our big recess, as an 8 year old kid (2nd grade I think it was, perhaps 3rd), crashed his training and kinda "complained" that no one believes me that I know him. And I kid you not, he took me by my hand, all sweaty from the training session, still in his jersey and went with me to my class and like : "My good friend Ivan told me you guys want to meet me". He never said anything bad or scolded them for calling me a liar. But I was never called a liar in school again. I could have told them all my father was a NASA astronaut and the would probably believe me, lol. When he died in the car wreck I cried like rain.
@@oxydo9936 sadašnji Tin Ujević u Koturaškoj,nekad se zvao Hasan Kikić u bivšoj Jugi. Drito na spajanju Savske i Koturaške. Tehnički muzej je s druge strane više na Sjever na samoj Savskoj,i nasuprot tiskare novca. Btw. ako je ovo nekakav pokušaj nekome indirektno reći da laže,jako je neuspio i zapravo jadan pokušaj. Sve se moglo preko čiče Googleta provjeriti.
@@headbangercamaro A sad znam na koju skolu mislite, ispricavam se ako sam ostavio takav dojam kao da vas napadam ili optuzujem. Inace super prica, volio bih da sam covjeka mogel upoznat. Ovako samo mogu gledat video i citat tekstove o njemu. Pozdrav iz gajnica 😃
Won’t forget coming to watch the Nets as always 2-3 hours before game started and Petrovic was shooting for one hour by himself. He saw me standing alone watching him and invited me to shoot some hoops with him. It was amazing.
Ja mnogo volim malog Luku, fantastičan je igrač, ali smešno mi je kad čujem ove mlađe da pričaju kako je već nadmašio Dražena zato što ima takve brojke u NBA. Svaka čast, ali treba razumeti kontekst, a Ameri su tada bili skeptični prema evropskim igračima i bilo je nezamislivo da tamo neki Evropljanin bude glavni igrač oko koga se gradi ekipa. Pozdrav iz Beograda.
Drazen was one of the best shooters I have ever seen. His release was so quick, the defense had no time to react. That combined with his basketball IQ, shooting accuracy, and non stop hustle is why he is regarded as the best European player ever. He died way too young and wasn’t even in his prime yet. His death and the death of Len Bias were the two biggest losses in the history of the NBA for both the league and the fans. Truly a shame. I’m glad he has been enshrined in the Hall of Fame because even though his career was cut short, he deserved it. He definitely was the real deal.
The biggest losses in the history of the NBA? Ummm as great as these guys were.. no doubt, I SERIOUSLY beg to differ.. especially as of late. One name .... KOBE
@@ericaferguson7169 smh it isn't a loss to nba as kobe was retired when the accident happened,drazen was about to have a beast season when he passed away...
@@ericaferguson7169Kobe retired before unfortunately and tragically passing away, yes it is a loss but not for the NBA, he was a legend and will always be remembered as one. RIP, he is dunking in Heaven now
@@ericaferguson7169 Kobe was retired. Drazen was in the beginning of his career. Try to pick someone that was active in the NBA. Kobe did his thing for as long as he wanted. Drazen's career was cut short.
The day he passed away I wept, and I'm American with no connection with Yugoslavia or Croatia. Petrovic was a winner, a good guy, patient with fans, and touched so many lives all over the world. God bless him forever.
We in Croatia will never ever forget Dražen. He became a legend. His path was tought, in this time he would shine full, but back then europeans were not trusted and he waited for his chances, he cried inside himself because he knew he is one of the best. He was beautiful man and sportsmen. Legend! Croatia, small country of 4.5 million people was second to best Dream team ever at Olympics. What a generation that was!
Yes, that was Drazens "trademark", what we can see these days in Bogdan Bogdanovic style of practicing, and Ray Allen also had that kind of work ethic, 1000 shootings every single day ... But, something else is interesting in this video what I didn't hear before, when Lebron said "Drazen was very very athletic type of player .." .... Listen, if Lebron said so, who are we to denied it? I had a chance to watch Drazen live 1990 in Novi Sad, it was game Yugoslavia-Germany, I sat in first row, and I remember very well that I was in shock, when I realized the same thing that Lebron said, beacuse it's not so obvious when you watched him on tv ... first impression was, how quick he was moving through the court, his footwork, etc ... he had XXL body for his position (SG), he was as strong as rock but at the same time also he was very very quick as a snake, he had perfect jump shot that was almost impossible to guard...But this is no so strange cause his father is Serbian from Hercegovina and it's interesting to know, that Dejan Bodiroga and Drazen are very close cousins, or better to say, they are brothers, they both have Serbian roots from Hercegovina but Drazen raised in catholic manner by his mother who is Croatian...better to say Serbian, Croatian, Montenegro highlanders from Dinara region(chain of mountains that are passing through Montenegro, Hercegovina, Dalmacija and Lika), they are born for any sport, especially for basketball, because they have very strong genetics, height and strenght, best in this part of the world...
@@ishsnikaishsnika2066 Herzegovina, Serbian town Čačak and Croatian town Zadar gave the best players from the region of former Yugoslavia, which was a basketball superpower, and it would still be if it didn't fell apart, because Yugoslav basketball school continue to produce great players like Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Nikola Vučević, Bogdan & Bojan Bogdanović, Jusuf Nurkić, Goran Dragić, Dario Šarić, Nikola Mirotić, Aleksej Pokuševski, etc.
Mozart of basketball was in my opinion one of the greatest players I have ever seen.Attacking machine with variety defense never knew what hit them.Reggie Miller admitting his nemesis was better shooter basically confirms if Drazen was american he would be superstar.
Me too, I used to watch all his games in former Jugoslavia when I was a kid. His talent, obsession with perfection and winner mentality and the fact that he was leagues above the rest at a young age were mesmerising. I do miss him and I do believe that he would have grown to become one of the greates of the NBA.
when reggie admitted to himself that he is the greatest shooter, but there is one guy that tops over him, the late great Drazen Petrovich, I salute to you reggie
The wide open NBA style game, even in the 90's, was made just for Petrovic. He just flourished in it. He had alot of street ball elements, and was one of the best players I've ever seen.
I remember the 1992 Olympics and the Dream Team just crushing all competitors by 40+ points... until Croatia. There was this side story about the US team, that they were so dominant, that head coach Chuck Daly never called a timeout. Then Drazen hit a three, stole the ball and hit another three (I think in Jordan's face) to tie the game (!) and that's when Daly *almost called a timeout.
@@deant3980 Of course the Dream Team crushed them. My point is that Croatia was the only team to challenge them to the point of even coming remotely close for the briefest of moments because of the play of Petrovic.
I just read comments,replays etc...and see that people worldwide respect him,but I wish that new generations could see him playing and feel what we ALL feel for Drazen in this part of world-every single person of my age would tell you the same...no matter if(ex-YU republics-greece,Spain...Ex-soviets,France) whoever mean something in BBall.....Drazen ,then pause,then all the others-Divac,Radja,Kukoc,Djordjevic,Obradovic......these days I see Luka and as montenegrean I'm proud
I was able to sit courtside a number of times at Nets games. Hardly anyone in the arena. As he crossed midcourt, I'd yell "shoot it", he'd just smile at us as he went by. My favorite player of all time!!
Best shooting motion, ever. Efficient, clean, fast. Only one shooter I remember got off faster, and that was Dell Curry (Steph is up there). I watched him many times, and was devastated when he died. This guy was HOF level.
Oh, great Donald. Now I have to look up Dell Curry videos? Dell was faster? I've never seen anyone shoot faster than Steph. But Drazan was beauty in motion for sure. You can probably guess that I like good shooters. Reggie Miller?
@@roderickcampbell2105 Reggie was terrific, and a bit unconventional in his form, but you can't argue it. The prettiest stroke to me was always Ray Allen--it didn't even look like he was using any energy. Textbook was probably Mark Price, Kerr, and Paxson. Dell was a role player, but I barely noticed him move, and that ball was OUT. It's fun to look up relatively obscure players like Dell. He played on some pretty damn good Hornets teams.
@@donaldpriola1807 Hi Donald. The link you sent certainly did help. It was amazing. I especially liked it when Dell was blocked and he went and got the ball, turned, shot, scored. That is very hard to do. Sign of a great shooter for sure. I think all the ballplayers you mentioned were extremely good. HOF kind of players. I found Price to be a bit stiff but that's just a style thing. His mechanics were perfect. Maybe that's the "price" you pay for having perfect mechanics? In any case, thanks for the link. I certainly enjoyed it.
Miss Robin Williams, Freddie Mercury, my personal fav Robert Palmer... I miss the wonderful Ayrton Senna, but... each time I open a video about our Dražen my eyes become waterfalls.
That early 90s Nets squad with "The Big Three" of DC, Kenny, and Petrovic was something to watch. And Petrovic was such a great player, definitely shocked me as a kid when he suddenly passed away, falling in love with the great shooting skills that he possessed.
Thanks for posting this. I still remember the day that Drazen had the car accident and i miss him to this day. It's a pity that his career was cut short. As he never had the chance to blossom in the NBA, i have the feeling that only Europeans understand what a generational talent he was based on his performances for Cibona Zagreb, Real Madrid, Yugoslavia and Croatia. He won the Worldcup, Eropean Cup, Spanish & Yugoslavian cups, most competions he competed in ... From my point of view his competitive spirit was only matched by Jordan. Hence i feel that we've not only lost Drazen on that day, but also a possible classic rivalry between Petro and MJ. His ambition, his killer instinct, his basketball IQ, shot accuracy, quick release and his international success make him the best European player ever for me (above Dirk, Galis and other legends). And let's not forget that Drazen was the one who broke the first ground for foreign players in the NBA. In the face of adversity he never gave up, even after a diffult start at Portland with Rick Adelman and thus paved the way for other international players to compete successfully in the NBA. Without him, there would be no Dirk, no Joker, no Giannis, Luka etc. In that sense he was a true pioneer and this should not be overlooked as part of his legacy. I have the feeling though that we are lucky to winess three absolute killers who are able to dethrone him: the Joker, Luka, and Giannis. Good luck to all of them!
I never met anyone with work ethic Drazen had. He was spectacular shooter, had high IQ and fundamentals, but his work ethic and his mentality made him one of the best. If he had longer career there is no doubt in my mind he would accomplished so much more and be remembered as one of the best ever. He would never back down and never give up, true warrior. I watched him play in person and he would motivate his team and the crowd. Legend of world basketball.
Those Net teams were really good! It's a shame that his life was cut short. I would've loved to see what the Nets could've done had he stayed alive. Great player!
I started following him in late 1980’s and watched him land 120 points in single game. Gone to soon we could have enjoyed some insane skills of Dražen.
Y'all gotta realize what "going at Jordan" really meant back then. That's the basketball equivalent ot taking Jesus Christ to an ethical debate with the attitude "Yeah, I can take him."
Great comparation...thank you for that,Im montenegrean but born in YUG watching Drazen and that generation.The same thing is hard for me to explain to the fans these days-"what really meant back then"-believe me it's not only MJ(God)...he was not afraid to shoot-"just give me the ball"-Drazen.....RIP
You american has not the culture of the teaming games. The american Football changed the rules of rugby, and that's where the basketball took the playing from. Ask Isiah Thomas what's the secret behind Jordan.
@@martinbuhrer3893 The point is Jordan has got too much advantage from the rules of his time and from the ethic of the referees. Watching basketball with the eyes of the football (soccer) or rugby will let you see and understand his dirty playing be Auser it's not allowed in those games. Only in football and basketball, especially the NBA.
Thanks for this video. I´m an spanish, Real Madrid supporter, and as you know Drazen played for Real Madrid some seasons. Thanks again. Very proud oh him.
He was quite the player, sad that he died so young. That makes 2 players who were younger that competed more than well against Jordan who exited this life leaving us with questions--Drazen and Reggie Lewis.
It would have been. He had to overcome many hurdles european players now don't have to. Back then there was a stigma about european players being bad, slow, weak. Petro wasn't allowed to go to nba for a long time, so he was already quite old when he managed go get to the league. Then his death way to young when he was starting to get a feel of the nba. He could look at MJ at his eyes without feeling worse. He would have been not only the best european, but among the best all time to play nba.
True...I also hope he will succeed,only thing stopping are injuries,if he avoid....everything else is there as Drazen(RIP):highIQ understanding game,work ethic,behavior as a sportsman,those are the qualities without You couldn't rich far in ex-Yu
The way he moved and danced with a ball, was something that will never be seen again. The best footwork of all times. I am sure that Luka when playing for Real, studied a lot of his videos since you can see the footwork taken directly from Drazen. Unfortunally he is at this moment to heavy, but once he looses his chicken burgers fat, he might get even more use of it. If Drazen would stay alive, he would most probably join Patrick Ewing in NYK and Jordan would have a huge problem, cause Ewing was at his peak. Not to say if Drazen would come to NBA earlier when he was lighter and faster (in those times they valued mass and muscle more than speed, which turned out to be wrong, see Curry today), it would be a total different set of events in NBA.
Underrated in USA. Probably top 5 ever in the world. I was privileged to watch him making his first pro years, he was 16-17 and already best in beck then First YU basketball Division. Special guy, very special.
Fun fact: The Olympics channel has ALL of the 1992 Dream Team games for free on RUclips!!! They also have no commentary, just on court audio and crowd audio. It’s actually really awesome. I’ve watched them all countless times and Petrovic clearly stands out as the only guy on ANY of the teams that thought he had a chance. Also, in the first game against Angola, watch how they set up for the free throw line 🤣🤣🤣 enjoy!
A great video, once again. I'm disappointed that I didn't know about Drazen at the time. What an incredible player. Thanks for keeping his legacy alive.
I am Croatian and was little child when Drazen died but thnx God for youtube coz there is a lot to see who want to see about Drazen. People why we need mesaure all who is better in what just look and enjoy coz we have nnow only today and past is past and future give allways new players like Luka Doncic etc.
Great video about one of the best European basketball players. Nevertheless, the Hall of Famer Nikos Galis is still my favorite one but he abandoned an NBA career for Aris of Greece.
@@goxputica Drazen admitted it himself mate. The press addressed him as "the son of devil" and he pointed at Galis and said " then he is the devil himself". Galis outscored him in points and percentages in all major events and games between their teams.
In a sad way I share June 7 with this legend .. he died on June 7 and my birthday is on that date.. Vrijeme leti kapetane ❤ Greetings from Croatia to all good people, God bless you.
Please dont refer to him as jugoslavian as it was clear where his passion was and that is CROATIA. You jugoslavs need to go find your own sporting hero's, thats if you have any and leave Croatian sports stars alone.
@@powderskier5547 back then it was Yugoslavia and i can tell you that he was an idol 90% of the kids no matter Serbia or Croatia or... All that division started later.. and nobodie wants to 'take away' Dražen from Croatia and never did. Maybe you just dont like tge fact that someone from Serbia can like or respect Dražen? Oh and i liked Kukoč more then Dražen....
He was one of my favorite 3point shooting 👑 s in the NBA because he was effortless and precise in his his shooting ability. To me he was like the European version of both Larry 🕊️ and Reggie Miller. Whenever he played the 🎮 it seemed like he wasn't human because he was tough on the inside and handled his bumps and bruises. He had infinite accuracy! The way he died was incredibly tragic! He's one of the 🐐 s in my book!
Drazen Petrovic... leave him be. Drazen is our legend. He died way, way too early before his career peak. He was really good, I mean Lebron, Jordan, Miller agree on that, so not much to add. But there are two things that differentiate him from all other Croatian players are his working habits. Talent... his brother was talented, Saric is talented, Kukoc was extremely talented. What about Zubac who is still promising much more than he actually delivers? Drazen was at that time, a 2-meter guard with solid skills, speed, and precision, but nothing over the moon... until he started to practice. He said for himself he was not a natural shooter. He became one after 2 years of continuous shooting exercise after _every_ Cibona practice. His agility was not God given, but the result of endless footwork exercises, studying Larry Bird and Stockton moves. His catch and release game was first a copy of Delibasic, then Reggie style became his new inspiration. And generations of children in Croatia, and would dare to say in Europe, recognized that with hard work you can become anything you want. The second even more important thing was his real talent, the talent of how to be a great man! He was the one keeping Croatian basketball, together with Mirko Novosel, at the top of the world solely with his integrity and honesty. When he died the Croatian basketball died. So, leave him be. When I say he was the best player in the world, just give me like.
Nope he hadn't peaked yet. The way players were built back then, their bodies were built to last their full careers. On the plus side, phenomenally gifted shooters like Drazen didn't have to work as hard for points.
I am from Montenegro,old enough watching YU basket stars playing in Europe and NBA,also play basketball myself so I understand game,YU(or ex-YU if you like)players were more for tactics,Les fisicality,they had to build up in NBA to match,but Drazen,c'mon-He WAS basketball,I don't think this sport will ever see somebody like that...RIP
Here is the thing, even now as i write this Drazen is still the 3rd best 3 point % shooter in NBA history. He died at 29 years of age. 29!!! He was not even in his prime!!! He is IMHO the best pure shooter of all time in the world. No one comes close, not even Curry, Thompson, Allen or anyone else. His release was something you cant mimic or practice. When he dropped 52 points on Oscar Robertson and 25 on MICHEAL JORDAN in one half,thats all you need to know how great Drazen was.
Legend! One and only! Even though I am from Zadar,who at the time had a great team itself (Petranovic,Popovic,Vrankovic,Komazec,etc),remembering Dražen as a kid ,him playing with Cibona,alongside his brother,then Čutura,Nakić,Andro Knego,and other players against,Macabi,Panathenaicos,Barcelona,Zalgiris or in Yugoslavian jersey against many then famous teams and countries,he was real G.O.A.T. Now living in USA 🇺🇸 i am telling my son (who loves and plays basketball daily) about greatness of Dražen and showing him videos and stories from YU Tube and other documentaries about him! True legend.R.I.P.🙏🏻♥️🥲👍🏻
his highlight was the 32 point win against Phoenix Suns when Barkley was playing and that game caused the teams transformation, leading them to the nba finals
Of all given résumés, Miller´s is by far the best^^ If Drazen really smelled like he never took a shower, he definitely only put the scent up for the joy of his opponents. We did this, as a team, once...it was great fun looking at the faces of our beloved opponents. I´ve never enjoyed any other post-game-shower that much, though.
The amount of talent that came from the former yugslavia region is insane-i was born in serbia but i cried when petrovic who is croatian passed away-dont give a damm whereone is born i appreciated great talent and a good human being
Drazen was Best Croatian player follow Toni and Radja. It's hard to believe how many good players come from small nation of Croatia and power house of soccer to. Drazen is a true Legend he will never been forgotten in Croatia and Europe. RIP Drazen peace from Canada
IQ for understanding and playing game of BB in this order(believe me)...Drazen.....(all others)....Divac,Radja,Kukoc...my poin is that players from here are complete...look at Doncic and Jokic,you'll never find player no matter how tall could not shoot,assist....we are born with natural talent for team sports.
He for sure would of passed everybody in 3pts made he was nasty and the jump shot was wet like water best he dropped 40 points on pretty everybody including MJ watch him and MJ vs it's crazy and sad because he would of been the best European basketball player hands down
Drazen was the top scorer in the national Yugoslav basketball league four times. In the 1984/85 season, he averaged 32.2 points per game, in the 1985/86 season, he averaged 43.2 points per game, in the 1986/87 season, the average was 37.3 points per game and in the 1987/88 season. average was 37.7 points per game.All in team Cibona (Zagreb).Highest points per game: 112,70,62,62,61,59,55,55,52,51,51,50,49,49,48,48,47 (5 times),46 (19 times),45 (28 times),44 (37 times),43 (18 times),42 (16 times),41 (29 times),40 (7 times),39 (20 times) etc. In Real (Madrid) in season 1988/89 he averaged 30.3 points per game.Highest points per game: 62,47,43,42 (3 times),40 (2 times),39 (2 times),38 (2times),37 (3 times),36 (2 times) etc.
I lived in the Bronx but since MSG tix were too much my dad and me went to many Meadowlands games. Saw Drazen and Reggie Lewis battle,saw MJ every year from 87 ,Nique,Showtime,Celts,Hakeem,Jazz,Suns with KJ,Chambers,Miller,Dale Ellis,Shaq I was there for both rookie games 2nd he tore hoop down. As a Knicks fan I loved Ewing,Jax,Strickland,Walker,Newman,Gerald,Kiki,Trent but I really thought that Jersey was building something with Anderson, D.C. Drazen, Mookie,and Morris
My mom knew Dražen while in her teens, he was 6 years older than her tho. She said he was an amazing player but also an amazing person, he knew how to balance his basketball life and his personal life. She said that she knew he had great talent and he really does. He made my country prouder than anyone else…makes me proud to be croatian
Can you imagine him playing in today age? When guys go younger into NBA, have waaaay more respect and getting actually a chance when they come, and the diffence is what it is? Hed fucking destroy.
I actually knew Dražen personally as a kid. My grandpa had a vacation house at the seacoast and Dražen's family had his/their house, few houses down the street, so all of us kids played with him and swam in the Adriatic sea with him, hung out. We were much younger. He was already a b-ball star in Croatia, well, back then it was still Yugoslavia. But he always found time for us kids, even used to buy us ice cream etc. Regular modest and humble guy. I lived in the capital and when I told my classmates from my elementary school that I know him, I got ridiculed and laughed at, called a liar. Funny thing, my school was right across the Cibona basketball club, and I literally ran there during our big recess, as an 8 year old kid (2nd grade I think it was, perhaps 3rd), crashed his training and kinda "complained" that no one believes me that I know him. And I kid you not, he took me by my hand, all sweaty from the training session, still in his jersey and went with me to my class and like : "My good friend Ivan told me you guys want to meet me". He never said anything bad or scolded them for calling me a liar. But I was never called a liar in school again. I could have told them all my father was a NASA astronaut and the would probably believe me, lol. When he died in the car wreck I cried like rain.
Helluva story and great memory! Thanks for sharing.
Koji je to osnovnjak prekoputa Cibone, kaj nije tamo tehnicki muzej?
@@oxydo9936 sadašnji Tin Ujević u Koturaškoj,nekad se zvao Hasan Kikić u bivšoj Jugi. Drito na spajanju Savske i Koturaške. Tehnički muzej je s druge strane više na Sjever na samoj Savskoj,i nasuprot tiskare novca.
Btw. ako je ovo nekakav pokušaj nekome indirektno reći da laže,jako je neuspio i zapravo jadan pokušaj. Sve se moglo preko čiče Googleta provjeriti.
@@headbangercamaro A sad znam na koju skolu mislite, ispricavam se ako sam ostavio takav dojam kao da vas napadam ili optuzujem.
Inace super prica, volio bih da sam covjeka mogel upoznat. Ovako samo mogu gledat video i citat tekstove o njemu.
Pozdrav iz gajnica 😃
@@oxydo9936 sve 5. Da,bio sam sretan kaj sam ga poznavao kao klinac. Lijepi pozdrav i Vama 🙂🙂
For Reggie to admit Drazen was a better shooter than him says a lot. Great content man.
I was surprised too when he picked Drezan as his 3 point shooter....1st time I heard his name actually so now I'm here. 💯🙏
Won’t forget coming to watch the Nets as always 2-3 hours before game started and Petrovic was shooting for one hour by himself. He saw me standing alone watching him and invited me to shoot some hoops with him. It was amazing.
@@Ron.S. talk about being nervous. Nice man.
@@WEBBER_ I was probably 13 and I was so afraid to miss but still enjoyed it a lot
Dražen Petrović, legend! One of the very best basketball players of all time. He died a lot too young on German autobahn. We miss you a lot, Dražen.
07.06.1993 - 07.06.2021
We miss you Dražen...život leti kapetane ❤🇭🇷😔
Sad odgledah klip,pozdrav iz CG,ostavio sam komentar...nijedan niti bio,jeste,niti ce biti kao Drazen(nek mu je laka crna zemlja)...
@@danilosavovic7476 pozdrav predivnoj Crnoj Gori iz Splita, slažem se s komentarom.
@@morskivuk7331 hvala,a ko se ne bi slozio moj prijatelju,tesko je naci rijeci za objasniti ljudima ko je bio Drazen,a govorim 4 jezika...
Ja mnogo volim malog Luku, fantastičan je igrač, ali smešno mi je kad čujem ove mlađe da pričaju kako je već nadmašio Dražena zato što ima takve brojke u NBA. Svaka čast, ali treba razumeti kontekst, a Ameri su tada bili skeptični prema evropskim igračima i bilo je nezamislivo da tamo neki Evropljanin bude glavni igrač oko koga se gradi ekipa. Pozdrav iz Beograda.
@@markomarkovic5729 Da da...
Drazen was one of the best shooters I have ever seen. His release was so quick, the defense had no time to react. That combined with his basketball IQ, shooting accuracy, and non stop hustle is why he is regarded as the best European player ever. He died way too young and wasn’t even in his prime yet. His death and the death of Len Bias were the two biggest losses in the history of the NBA for both the league and the fans. Truly a shame. I’m glad he has been enshrined in the Hall of Fame because even though his career was cut short, he deserved it. He definitely was the real deal.
Len Bias hadn't proved nothing though. He could have been a flop. Reggie Lewis was a bigger loss. Drazen was the biggest.
The biggest losses in the history of the NBA? Ummm as great as these guys were.. no doubt, I SERIOUSLY beg to differ.. especially as of late.
One name .... KOBE
@@ericaferguson7169 smh it isn't a loss to nba as kobe was retired when the accident happened,drazen was about to have a beast season when he passed away...
@@ericaferguson7169Kobe retired before unfortunately and tragically passing away, yes it is a loss but not for the NBA, he was a legend and will always be remembered as one. RIP, he is dunking in Heaven now
@@ericaferguson7169 Kobe was retired. Drazen was in the beginning of his career. Try to pick someone that was active in the NBA. Kobe did his thing for as long as he wanted. Drazen's career was cut short.
The day he passed away I wept, and I'm American with no connection with Yugoslavia or Croatia. Petrovic was a winner, a good guy, patient with fans, and touched so many lives all over the world. God bless him forever.
We in Croatia will never ever forget Dražen. He became a legend. His path was tought, in this time he would shine full, but back then europeans were not trusted and he waited for his chances, he cried inside himself because he knew he is one of the best. He was beautiful man and sportsmen. Legend!
Croatia, small country of 4.5 million people was second to best Dream team ever at Olympics. What a generation that was!
Esa generación , se formó en la escuela yugoslava. Con todos mis respetos
Drazen was a student of the game, one of the most hardworking players ever
Yes, that was Drazens "trademark", what we can see these days in Bogdan Bogdanovic style of practicing, and Ray Allen also had that kind of work ethic, 1000 shootings every single day ... But, something else is interesting in this video what I didn't hear before, when Lebron said "Drazen was very very athletic type of player .." .... Listen, if Lebron said so, who are we to denied it? I had a chance to watch Drazen live 1990 in Novi Sad, it was game Yugoslavia-Germany, I sat in first row, and I remember very well that I was in shock, when I realized the same thing that Lebron said, beacuse it's not so obvious when you watched him on tv ... first impression was, how quick he was moving through the court, his footwork, etc ... he had XXL body for his position (SG), he was as strong as rock but at the same time also he was very very quick as a snake, he had perfect jump shot that was almost impossible to guard...But this is no so strange cause his father is Serbian from Hercegovina and it's interesting to know, that Dejan Bodiroga and Drazen are very close cousins, or better to say, they are brothers, they both have Serbian roots from Hercegovina but Drazen raised in catholic manner by his mother who is Croatian...better to say Serbian, Croatian, Montenegro highlanders from Dinara region(chain of mountains that are passing through Montenegro, Hercegovina, Dalmacija and Lika), they are born for any sport, especially for basketball, because they have very strong genetics, height and strenght, best in this part of the world...
@@ishsnikaishsnika2066 Herzegovina, Serbian town Čačak and Croatian town Zadar gave the best players from the region of former Yugoslavia, which was a basketball superpower, and it would still be if it didn't fell apart, because Yugoslav basketball school continue to produce great players like Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Nikola Vučević, Bogdan & Bojan Bogdanović, Jusuf Nurkić, Goran Dragić, Dario Šarić, Nikola Mirotić, Aleksej Pokuševski, etc.
Mozart of basketball🇭🇷❤I am proud Croat that we gave one of the most greastest players like Drazen,Radja,Kukoc!
No, he had the talent and the tecnique. Jordan was a studenti of the game.
Great video! He was just starting to show what he can do in the NBA...and what he did in Europe was incredible. Cheers from Costa Rica!
Greetings from Croatia!!!! Thank you for this video!!!
Ima nas jos ovde znaci😁
Hola Croacia...
@@WEBBER_ hola espana,i guess😁
@@03outlaw03 not España, but hola anyway 👍
Bok
I’m so proud of how far this channel has come. BTM is truly one of the more underrated NBA youtubers
I was just thinkin the same thing the other day. I've been watching this dude since way back and yeah man, the channel has come a long way.
Mozart of basketball was in my opinion one of the greatest players I have ever seen.Attacking machine with variety defense never knew what hit them.Reggie Miller admitting his nemesis was better shooter basically confirms if Drazen was american he would be superstar.
I grown up watching Drazen and I can say that I am proud that I had chance to see him playing.
he was a superstar without being American LOL
My favorite player when I was a kid, I was devastated when he died
agree... im from Madrid Spain.... real agree
Me too, I used to watch all his games in former Jugoslavia when I was a kid. His talent, obsession with perfection and winner mentality and the fact that he was leagues above the rest at a young age were mesmerising. I do miss him and I do believe that he would have grown to become one of the greates of the NBA.
same. i was in 8th grade.
As well. Reason why I started to play and adore basketball.
You've made this video on Petro's B-day!!! Respect my Sean!
when reggie admitted to himself that he is the greatest shooter, but there is one guy that tops over him, the late great Drazen Petrovich, I salute to you reggie
Drazen will always be one of those great what if stories in Basketball history...what if he played a full NBA career? Damn!
Drazen Petrovic would be a hall of famer without a doubt. If he were in the NBA today in his prime, Draz would put up 30+ a night no difficulty.
@@arcticphoenix2789he's already in the hof
The wide open NBA style game, even in the 90's, was made just for Petrovic. He just flourished in it. He had alot of street ball elements, and was one of the best players I've ever seen.
Dražen je bio i ostat će Bog košarke! Još uvjek oplaćem kad ga vidim na snimkama! RIP ljudino!
I remember the 1992 Olympics and the Dream Team just crushing all competitors by 40+ points... until Croatia. There was this side story about the US team, that they were so dominant, that head coach Chuck Daly never called a timeout. Then Drazen hit a three, stole the ball and hit another three (I think in Jordan's face) to tie the game (!) and that's when Daly *almost called a timeout.
I just watched that entire game on RUclips
Myth. Usa crushed them
@@deant3980 Of course the Dream Team crushed them. My point is that Croatia was the only team to challenge them to the point of even coming remotely close for the briefest of moments because of the play of Petrovic.
I just read comments,replays etc...and see that people worldwide respect him,but I wish that new generations could see him playing and feel what we ALL feel for Drazen in this part of world-every single person of my age would tell you the same...no matter if(ex-YU republics-greece,Spain...Ex-soviets,France) whoever mean something in BBall.....Drazen ,then pause,then all the others-Divac,Radja,Kukoc,Djordjevic,Obradovic......these days I see Luka and as montenegrean I'm proud
@@deant3980Yes, I agree, but Dražen was enigma for USA team in this game.
@@deant3980 yeah, but Croatia has population barely bigger than Connecticut, it should not have been the contest at all.
One of the 1st televised games I watched had Drazen playing for the Nets...
"Petro for threeeeeeee - GOT IT!"
Drazen was the hero of the young european basketball supporters in the early '90 and I think he is still the best european basketball player ever
I was able to sit courtside a number of times at Nets games. Hardly anyone in the arena. As he crossed midcourt, I'd yell "shoot it", he'd just smile at us as he went by. My favorite player of all time!!
Best shooting motion, ever. Efficient, clean, fast. Only one shooter I remember got off faster, and that was Dell Curry (Steph is up there). I watched him many times, and was devastated when he died. This guy was HOF level.
Oh, great Donald. Now I have to look up Dell Curry videos? Dell was faster? I've never seen anyone shoot faster than Steph. But Drazan was beauty in motion for sure. You can probably guess that I like good shooters. Reggie Miller?
@@roderickcampbell2105 Reggie was terrific, and a bit unconventional in his form, but you can't argue it. The prettiest stroke to me was always Ray Allen--it didn't even look like he was using any energy. Textbook was probably Mark Price, Kerr, and Paxson. Dell was a role player, but I barely noticed him move, and that ball was OUT. It's fun to look up relatively obscure players like Dell. He played on some pretty damn good Hornets teams.
@@roderickcampbell2105 Maybe this helps? ruclips.net/video/G5CsH_yj5Ug/видео.html&ab_channel=NBACobwebs
@@donaldpriola1807 Hi Donald. The link you sent certainly did help. It was amazing. I especially liked it when Dell was blocked and he went and got the ball, turned, shot, scored. That is very hard to do. Sign of a great shooter for sure. I think all the ballplayers you mentioned were extremely good. HOF kind of players. I found Price to be a bit stiff but that's just a style thing. His mechanics were perfect. Maybe that's the "price" you pay for having perfect mechanics? In any case, thanks for the link. I certainly enjoyed it.
@@roderickcampbell2105 You're welcome!
Miss Robin Williams, Freddie Mercury, my personal fav Robert Palmer... I miss the wonderful Ayrton Senna, but... each time I open a video about our Dražen my eyes become waterfalls.
That early 90s Nets squad with "The Big Three" of DC, Kenny, and Petrovic was something to watch. And Petrovic was such a great player, definitely shocked me as a kid when he suddenly passed away, falling in love with the great shooting skills that he possessed.
Thanks for posting this. I still remember the day that Drazen had the car accident and i miss him to this day. It's a pity that his career was cut short. As he never had the chance to blossom in the NBA, i have the feeling that only Europeans understand what a generational talent he was based on his performances for Cibona Zagreb, Real Madrid, Yugoslavia and Croatia. He won the Worldcup, Eropean Cup, Spanish & Yugoslavian cups, most competions he competed in ... From my point of view his competitive spirit was only matched by Jordan. Hence i feel that we've not only lost Drazen on that day, but also a possible classic rivalry between Petro and MJ. His ambition, his killer instinct, his basketball IQ, shot accuracy, quick release and his international success make him the best European player ever for me (above Dirk, Galis and other legends). And let's not forget that Drazen was the one who broke the first ground for foreign players in the NBA. In the face of adversity he never gave up, even after a diffult start at Portland with Rick Adelman and thus paved the way for other international players to compete successfully in the NBA. Without him, there would be no Dirk, no Joker, no Giannis, Luka etc. In that sense he was a true pioneer and this should not be overlooked as part of his legacy. I have the feeling though that we are lucky to winess three absolute killers who are able to dethrone him: the Joker, Luka, and Giannis. Good luck to all of them!
Jokic je sve njih skinuo..pozz
I never met anyone with work ethic Drazen had. He was spectacular shooter, had high IQ and fundamentals, but his work ethic and his mentality made him one of the best. If he had longer career there is no doubt in my mind he would accomplished so much more and be remembered as one of the best ever. He would never back down and never give up, true warrior.
I watched him play in person and he would motivate his team and the crowd. Legend of world basketball.
um Kobe?
@@robjohnston1026 , Kobe was a great player but the only one that managed to intimidate the great M.J. was Dražen. So, I think that speaks for itself.
@@robjohnston1026 drazen work way harder than kobe
Drazenov otac je Hercegovac!! Geni kameni
Those Net teams were really good! It's a shame that his life was cut short. I would've loved to see what the Nets could've done had he stayed alive. Great player!
I remember Drazen, he was the only guy in the NBA who wasn't scared of MJ.
Thnx on this one! Such a positive sportsman. So much more to give, shame shame shame.. Hrvatina! Thank you Drazen, RIP 🙏🙏
I started following him in late 1980’s and watched him land 120 points in single game. Gone to soon we could have enjoyed some insane skills of Dražen.
Drazen was a great player but even a greater human being that's why he's still remembered!
I remember him well great player. Tragic end. Guy had a smooth game a deadly quick, flick of the wrist.
Y'all gotta realize what "going at Jordan" really meant back then. That's the basketball equivalent ot taking Jesus Christ to an ethical debate with the attitude "Yeah, I can take him."
Great comparation...thank you for that,Im montenegrean but born in YUG watching Drazen and that generation.The same thing is hard for me to explain to the fans these days-"what really meant back then"-believe me it's not only MJ(God)...he was not afraid to shoot-"just give me the ball"-Drazen.....RIP
LMAO!!So true
You american has not the culture of the teaming games. The american Football changed the rules of rugby, and that's where the basketball took the playing from. Ask Isiah Thomas what's the secret behind Jordan.
@@simonemiglioli1165 I'm not american. Also, what is your point? I don't quite understand what you're trying to say here.
@@martinbuhrer3893 The point is Jordan has got too much advantage from the rules of his time and from the ethic of the referees. Watching basketball with the eyes of the football (soccer) or rugby will let you see and understand his dirty playing be Auser it's not allowed in those games. Only in football and basketball, especially the NBA.
Ask and ye shall receive, I requested this just last week. Thanks Sean!
Dražen Petrović bio i ostao legenda. Idol cijele generacije. Počivaj u miru.
Drazen and Real vs Oscar and Caserta. One of the best games ever
Danke Bruder für das Video.... Für uns Balkaner ist er eine Legende.... R.i.P dražen...
Drazen, unique and only one. He was not playing basketball, he was living basketball. Pity that he was gone at his peak.
Thanks for this video. I´m an spanish, Real Madrid supporter, and as you know Drazen played for Real Madrid some seasons. Thanks again. Very proud oh him.
He played just for one season. Anyway, the duel against "Mano Santa" Oscar was the best European basketball game ever
Luka Modrić, Dražen Petrović. 💪🇭🇷💪🇭🇷
He was quite the player, sad that he died so young. That makes 2 players who were younger that competed more than well against Jordan who exited this life leaving us with questions--Drazen and Reggie Lewis.
I'm glad I found this video. I remember his gameplay in the 90's.
Croatian sensation! 🇭🇷🇭🇷🇭🇷
Tnx for this video, we all loved Dražen with the deepest respect ❤️ greetings from Croatia 🇭🇷
Probably the best European player to ever played the NBA.
Wouldve been had his life not been cut so short
It would have been. He had to overcome many hurdles european players now don't have to. Back then there was a stigma about european players being bad, slow, weak. Petro wasn't allowed to go to nba for a long time, so he was already quite old when he managed go get to the league. Then his death way to young when he was starting to get a feel of the nba. He could look at MJ at his eyes without feeling worse. He would have been not only the best european,
but among the best all time to play nba.
Nah, dirk and luka are better.
@@deant3980 Dirk and Luka were/are great. But Drazen was something unseeen on basketball courts.
@@deant3980 and Jokic
One of the BIGGEST WHAT IF IN THE GAME!!!
thank you for making this video and introducing more people to the greatest shooter ever. our nation is still crying all these year later
When Reggie says" one guy top's me and he pronounce Drazen Petrovic" the OU YEA reaction of Shaq say's it all.
i like to think that now Drazen looking down make a smile watching Luka plays.
True...I also hope he will succeed,only thing stopping are injuries,if he avoid....everything else is there as Drazen(RIP):highIQ understanding game,work ethic,behavior as a sportsman,those are the qualities without You couldn't rich far in ex-Yu
@@danilosavovic7476 Both players have a good genes from paternal side!
@@kopaonik61 Croatian genes are powerful
@@kocostamatis3080 You have to do research who their fathers are!!!
Because of you I started to play ball. Moj košarkaši idol, Dražen Petrović. Hvala, legendo!!!!
Petrovic and Divac paved the way for Europe players to come over and feel confident they can be successful in the nba.
Don’t forget Sarunas Marciulionis
Toni Kukoc??
what a legend, and what a team that was and could have been.
Just Today , Just now is 30 years since he left us . . . . R.I.P. Drazen
He had a 50 3pt rating in old Sega game 50 being the highest, Old man sabonis did too in the U.S.A game, man those were the days
The way he moved and danced with a ball, was something that will never be seen again. The best footwork of all times. I am sure that Luka when playing for Real, studied a lot of his videos since you can see the footwork taken directly from Drazen. Unfortunally he is at this moment to heavy, but once he looses his chicken burgers fat, he might get even more use of it. If Drazen would stay alive, he would most probably join Patrick Ewing in NYK and Jordan would have a huge problem, cause Ewing was at his peak. Not to say if Drazen would come to NBA earlier when he was lighter and faster (in those times they valued mass and muscle more than speed, which turned out to be wrong, see Curry today), it would be a total different set of events in NBA.
Mi jugador favorito de todos los tiempos!!!
Jugaba para ganar , SIEMPRE!
Underrated in USA. Probably top 5 ever in the world. I was privileged to watch him making his first pro years, he was 16-17 and already best in beck then First YU basketball Division. Special guy, very special.
What a time back in those days in New Jersey 😩
*Criminally Underrated Channel!*
Never heard of this guy until now. Very interesting. Awesome videos man
He was exceptional, stone cold killer... when the entire Dream Team meet him at the court he didn't flinch an inch.
Drazen had the quickest release on his jump shot I've ever seen.
Fun fact: The Olympics channel has ALL of the 1992 Dream Team games for free on RUclips!!! They also have no commentary, just on court audio and crowd audio. It’s actually really awesome. I’ve watched them all countless times and Petrovic clearly stands out as the only guy on ANY of the teams that thought he had a chance. Also, in the first game against Angola, watch how they set up for the free throw line 🤣🤣🤣 enjoy!
A great video, once again. I'm disappointed that I didn't know about Drazen at the time. What an incredible player. Thanks for keeping his legacy alive.
I am Croatian and was little child when Drazen died but thnx God for youtube coz there is a lot to see who want to see about Drazen. People why we need mesaure all who is better in what just look and enjoy coz we have nnow only today and past is past and future give allways new players like Luka Doncic etc.
Great video about one of the best European basketball players. Nevertheless, the Hall of Famer Nikos Galis is still my favorite one but he abandoned an NBA career for Aris of Greece.
People forget about Nikos. He was better than drazen.
@@deant3980 😂😂😂
@@goxputica Drazen admitted it himself mate. The press addressed him as "the son of devil" and he pointed at Galis and said " then he is the devil himself".
Galis outscored him in points and percentages in all major events and games between their teams.
You will always be in our hearts.. R.I.P Drazen.. Because of you,i am proud to be a Croat !
He was our hero. Most famous person in CORATIA for every kid. Boban was far behind second and Tuđman third Because he was always on TV
Drazen was the greatest basketball gem I've ever seen. His death has been one of the saddest moments ever.
In a sad way I share June 7 with this legend .. he died on June 7 and my birthday is on that date..
Vrijeme leti kapetane ❤
Greetings from Croatia to all good people, God bless you.
A great deal of luck for the original Dream team. If Yugoslavia survived, they'd be blown away in the 1992 Olympics finals.
What a beautiful talent he was. He was so big for Yugoslavia back then, similar Luka Dončić is for NBA now. Huge respect from Serbia.
Please dont refer to him as jugoslavian as it was clear where his passion was and that is CROATIA. You jugoslavs need to go find your own sporting hero's, thats if you have any and leave Croatian sports stars alone.
@@powderskier5547 back then it was Yugoslavia and i can tell you that he was an idol 90% of the kids no matter Serbia or Croatia or... All that division started later.. and nobodie wants to 'take away' Dražen from Croatia and never did. Maybe you just dont like tge fact that someone from Serbia can like or respect Dražen? Oh and i liked Kukoč more then Dražen....
@@nostromokg hvala na lijepim mislima.Ne svađjte se sa govnima usmrdila su nas pa zašto da i vas
Drazen was so athletic, and story goes he was one of the hardest workers world of sports has ever seen.
He was one of my favorite 3point shooting 👑 s in the NBA because he was effortless and precise in his his shooting ability. To me he was like the European version of both Larry 🕊️ and Reggie Miller. Whenever he played the 🎮 it seemed like he wasn't human because he was tough on the inside and handled his bumps and bruises. He had infinite accuracy! The way he died was incredibly tragic! He's one of the 🐐 s in my book!
Petrovic is for real a big legend in NBA history!
Drazen Petrovic... leave him be. Drazen is our legend. He died way, way too early before his career peak. He was really good, I mean Lebron, Jordan, Miller agree on that, so not much to add. But there are two things that differentiate him from all other Croatian players are his working habits. Talent... his brother was talented, Saric is talented, Kukoc was extremely talented. What about Zubac who is still promising much more than he actually delivers? Drazen was at that time, a 2-meter guard with solid skills, speed, and precision, but nothing over the moon... until he started to practice. He said for himself he was not a natural shooter. He became one after 2 years of continuous shooting exercise after _every_ Cibona practice. His agility was not God given, but the result of endless footwork exercises, studying Larry Bird and Stockton moves. His catch and release game was first a copy of Delibasic, then Reggie style became his new inspiration. And generations of children in Croatia, and would dare to say in Europe, recognized that with hard work you can become anything you want. The second even more important thing was his real talent, the talent of how to be a great man! He was the one keeping Croatian basketball, together with Mirko Novosel, at the top of the world solely with his integrity and honesty. When he died the Croatian basketball died. So, leave him be. When I say he was the best player in the world, just give me like.
Nice words
One of the Best and fastest shooter ever... RESPECT!
Do you think Drazen reached his peak? He was improving every year...
He really needed A LITTLE MUCH MORE TIME!!! SHAME!!!
Drazen Petrovic 1964-1993 Rest in Power #3😥😥🏀🕊
not yet
The next 4,5 years after his dead he would have rocked NBA totally, similiar to Luka today
Nope he hadn't peaked yet. The way players were built back then, their bodies were built to last their full careers. On the plus side, phenomenally gifted shooters like Drazen didn't have to work as hard for points.
There were alot of good players in Nba at that time.One of the greatest was certainly Drazan Petrovic.Goat of European basketball thats for sure.
I am from Montenegro,old enough watching YU basket stars playing in Europe and NBA,also play basketball myself so I understand game,YU(or ex-YU if you like)players were more for tactics,Les fisicality,they had to build up in NBA to match,but Drazen,c'mon-He WAS basketball,I don't think this sport will ever see somebody like that...RIP
Great video!! and l really liked the footage from ESPN 30 for 30 Once Brothers.
Here is the thing, even now as i write this Drazen is still the 3rd best 3 point % shooter in NBA history. He died at 29 years of age. 29!!! He was not even in his prime!!! He is IMHO the best pure shooter of all time in the world. No one comes close, not even Curry, Thompson, Allen or anyone else. His release was something you cant mimic or practice. When he dropped 52 points on Oscar Robertson and 25 on MICHEAL JORDAN in one half,thats all you need to know how great Drazen was.
It's funny whenever I meet people from Albania, or Greece, Montengro etc. I say Petrovic they say Ahhhhh.
What else can we say....never again player like him and we know that as we know the game itself,that's why we claim....RIP
Just thought of: The New Jersey Nets have new jerseys and nets.
Legend! One and only! Even though I am from Zadar,who at the time had a great team itself (Petranovic,Popovic,Vrankovic,Komazec,etc),remembering Dražen as a kid ,him playing with Cibona,alongside his brother,then Čutura,Nakić,Andro Knego,and other players against,Macabi,Panathenaicos,Barcelona,Zalgiris or in Yugoslavian jersey against many then famous teams and countries,he was real G.O.A.T. Now living in USA 🇺🇸 i am telling my son (who loves and plays basketball daily) about greatness of Dražen and showing him videos and stories from YU Tube and other documentaries about him! True legend.R.I.P.🙏🏻♥️🥲👍🏻
his highlight was the 32 point win against Phoenix Suns when Barkley was playing and that game caused the teams transformation, leading them to the nba finals
Of all given résumés, Miller´s is by far the best^^ If Drazen really smelled like he never took a shower, he definitely only put the scent up for the joy of his opponents. We did this, as a team, once...it was great fun looking at the faces of our beloved opponents. I´ve never enjoyed any other post-game-shower that much, though.
Uno de los mejores jugadores que dio Europa a la NBA. Podía jugar de 1,2 y 3.
Incluso delante de Jordan no era eclipsado.
Your content is great man,this videos let's the new generation knows the greats before in the NBA
The amount of talent that came from the former yugslavia region is insane-i was born in serbia but i cried when petrovic who is croatian passed away-dont give a damm whereone is born i appreciated great talent and a good human being
Drazen Petrovic has been the best European basketball player of all the time.
Definitely a legend...
Drazen was Best Croatian player follow Toni and Radja. It's hard to believe how many good players come from small nation of Croatia and power house of soccer to. Drazen is a true Legend he will never been forgotten in Croatia and Europe. RIP Drazen peace from Canada
Petrovic, Galis, Sabonis. Three phenomenal players.
IQ for understanding and playing game of BB in this order(believe me)...Drazen.....(all others)....Divac,Radja,Kukoc...my poin is that players from here are complete...look at Doncic and Jokic,you'll never find player no matter how tall could not shoot,assist....we are born with natural talent for team sports.
He for sure would of passed everybody in 3pts made he was nasty and the jump shot was wet like water best he dropped 40 points on pretty everybody including MJ watch him and MJ vs it's crazy and sad because he would of been the best European basketball player hands down
Drazen was the top scorer in the national Yugoslav basketball league four times. In the 1984/85 season, he averaged 32.2 points per game, in the 1985/86 season, he averaged 43.2 points per game, in the 1986/87 season, the average was 37.3 points per game and in the 1987/88 season. average was 37.7 points per game.All in team Cibona (Zagreb).Highest points per game: 112,70,62,62,61,59,55,55,52,51,51,50,49,49,48,48,47 (5 times),46 (19 times),45 (28 times),44 (37 times),43 (18 times),42 (16 times),41 (29 times),40 (7 times),39 (20 times) etc.
In Real (Madrid) in season 1988/89 he averaged 30.3 points per game.Highest points per game: 62,47,43,42 (3 times),40 (2 times),39 (2 times),38 (2times),37 (3 times),36 (2 times) etc.
he played like he had a chance...that's bravehart...thank you Stockton for your words
I lived in the Bronx but since MSG tix were too much my dad and me went to many Meadowlands games. Saw Drazen and Reggie Lewis battle,saw MJ every year from 87 ,Nique,Showtime,Celts,Hakeem,Jazz,Suns with KJ,Chambers,Miller,Dale Ellis,Shaq I was there for both rookie games 2nd he tore hoop down. As a Knicks fan I loved Ewing,Jax,Strickland,Walker,Newman,Gerald,Kiki,Trent but I really thought that Jersey was building something with Anderson, D.C. Drazen, Mookie,and Morris
My mom knew Dražen while in her teens, he was 6 years older than her tho. She said he was an amazing player but also an amazing person, he knew how to balance his basketball life and his personal life. She said that she knew he had great talent and he really does. He made my country prouder than anyone else…makes me proud to be croatian
mali od drazena😃
Can you imagine him playing in today age? When guys go younger into NBA, have waaaay more respect and getting actually a chance when they come, and the diffence is what it is?
Hed fucking destroy.
More people need to know Petro.
Imagine 1994., Game 7, Petrovic instead of Starks. Ewing would have a ring