February 09, 2012
Drazen Petrovic (1979-1993)
Drazen Petrovic
Teams: Sibenik (CRO), Cibona (CRO), Real Madrid (ESP), Portland Trail Blazers (USA), New Jersey Nets (USA)
Summary: A Croatian legend, Drazen Petrovic was sometimes called “the Mozart of Basketball.” Petrovic captured back-to-back Euroleague titles with Cibona in 1985 and 1986. He added Saporta Cup titles in 1987 and in 1989, scoring 62 points in the title game against Snaidero Caserta. Petrovic also won three Olympic silver medals, two with Yugoslavia and one with Croatia. He claimed gold at the 1989 EuroBasket and the 1990 World Championship before going to the NBA, where he averaged 22.3 points in the 1992-93 NBA season. Petrovic passed away still in his prime from a car accident in the summer of 1993.
Drazen Petrovic
WHAT THEY SAY...
Biserka Petrovic: "We are really happy. Our family always lived with basketball and we are really proud that Drazen has been chosen among this elite group. Next year will be the 20th anniversary of Drazen playing in Madrid, and he always told us how he was in love with the kids in Madrid that loved him and basketball and also, most of the visitors we have now in Drazen's memorial museum are kids that love this sport and know how important Drazen was to basketball."

50 GREATEST CONTRIBUTORS LIST
PLAYERS
x
COACHES
REFEREES
Artenik Aradabjian
Mikhail Davidov
Lubomir Kotleba
Ivan Mainini
Costas Rigas
x