LOOKBACK: How an unknown Drazen Petrovic earned Jordan’s respect

 

 

MANILA, Philippines –  Golf legend Walter Hagen was once famously quoted for saying, “No one remembers who came in second.” 

Such was the fate of the Croatian national basketball team in the 1992 Olympics after predictably losing the gold medal match to the vastly-powered United States Dream Team. 

The only Croatian team member most fans likely remember is Toni Kukoc, who eventually joined the Chicago Bulls after being tormented by Dream Team aces Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

But Kukoc was not even the best player on the Croatian team back then, nor was he the only one who made the NBA.

That other man was Drazen Petrovic, a 6-foot-5 guard who played 14 seasons professionally all over the world, including the United States with the NBA.

 

Too good for Europe

  

After starting his pro career in 1979 at the tender age of 15 like most European ballers, Petrovic rose to hometown superstardom after leading Croatia’s KK Cibona ball club to its first European Cup in 1984 by toppling renowned Spanish squad Real Madrid. 

Until 1988, a then-23-year-old Petrovic averaged a staggering 37.7 points in 81 games with the Yugoslavian division and 33.8 markers in Europe-wide competition. 

Three years prior, he had already set a mind-boggling career-high of 112 points with 10 threes and 22 made free throws. 

Clearly, Yugoslav competition was too easy for the young Petrovic, and soon enough he earned his ticket to play against the best of the best after the Portland Trail Blazers selected him with the 60th pick in the 1986 NBA Draft.

  

Early frustrations in the NBA

 Joining the Trail Blazers in 1989 after a two-year stint with Real Madrid was the big break Petrovic needed for his career, but he came at a really bad time as a European guard. 

Back then, not only were European players not valued at all in the NBA unlike today, but Petrovic also joined a squad loaded in the backcourt with guys like Terry Porter, Danny Ainge and the greatest Trail Blazer of all time, Hall of Famer Clyde “The Glide” Drexler. 

Even though he was treated as a hero back home, he was practically unknown in the United States. Despite making the most of what little minutes he was given, he wanted a fresh start somewhere else where he could make more noise.

After two meaningless seasons in Portland where he averaged just 11.6 minutes while actually putting up a respectable 7 points per game, Petrovic was eventually traded to the New Jersey Nets for a first-round pick.

When asked about his thoughts regarding then-head coach Rick Adelman’s treatment of him in Portland, the fiery gunner did not hold back.

“I have nothing to say to Adelman any more and vice versa,” he said per an archived article on his personal website. 

“Eighteen months have passed by, too long. I have to leave to prove how much I am worth. Never in my life did I sit on the bench and I don’t intend to do that in Portland.”

  

Going after the greatest 

Sure enough, Petrovic made good on his word to prove his worth as he finally secured a starting job in the NBA at age 27 in 1991, 5 years after being drafted. 

In his first full season as a starter, Petrovic exploded with averages of 20.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals on 51% shooting from the field and an unprecedented 44% from three.

With his minutes secured to the tune of 36.9 a game, Petrovic went toe-to-toe with some of the best basketball players in the world, including of course, the very best. 

Although he did not ever win one game as a Net against the dynastic Bulls, Petrovic went down swinging every single time as he never scored less than 16 points in all 7 matches he had against Jordan.

Even as he kept losing to Jordan as high up as the global stage, Petrovic never backed down from the competition, even from a trash-talking aspect. 

“I’ll drain one in your face,” said Jordan to Petrovic during the 1992 gold medal match per an article on Bleacher Report.

He replied, “I’ll do it, too,” and proceeded to outscore all his American adversaries with 24 points in an 85-117 blowout loss, which incidentally was the Dream Team’s smallest margin of victory for the tournament. 

Petrovic then played even more inspired basketball in the NBA after nabbing the Olympic silver medal as he peaked in the 1992-1993 season with averages of 22.3 points, 3.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals on an even better 52% shooting clip and 45% from downtown.

When asked to recount his time on the court against Petrovic, Jordan sang nothing but praises for the Croatian sniper. 

“It was a thrill to play against Drazen. Every time we competed, he competed with an aggressive attitude,” he said. 

“He wasn’t nervous. He came at me as hard as I came at him. So, we’ve had some great battles in the past and unfortunately, they were short battles.” 

Sadly enough, they were indeed short battles as on June 7, 1993, the 28-year-old Petrovic was killed in a car crash in Denkendorf, Germany while on his way to play for Croatia in the 1993 EuroBasket qualifying tournament. 

Just like that, a prodigious basketball superstar just reaching his prime was gone.

 

Opening Europe’s gate to the NBA 

Although Petrovic’s time in the NBA was painfully short, he left behind a legacy that helped pave the way for future European hoopers to try their luck in the big league. 

To this day, some of the league’s best players are of European descent like Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, Latvia’s Kristaps Porzingis and most prominently, the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, a proud son of Greece. 

And thus, for his efforts in promoting European basketball to a larger global audience, Petrovic was voted as the best European basketball player of all time by players at the 2013 EuroBasket, beating out other legends like Tony Parker and Dirk Nowitzki. 

Petrovic’s influence was in fact so strong that even American superstars have modeled their games after him.

Thanks to Petrovic and fellow pioneering shooters like Reggie Miller and Ray Allen, more and more shooting guards placed a premium on the three-ball until it reached a point where good marksmanship was practically a requirement for survival in the NBA. 

Today, many of the league’s best shooting guards like Klay Thompson and James Harden use the three-ball as their best weapon. Role player swingmen all have it in their repertoires as well while those who don’t, like DeMar DeRozan, have become anomalies. 

Indeed, no one remembers who came in second, so Drazen Petrovic worked hard day in and day out for a shot at first place. He always believed he was the best, and he stood his ground against those who believe the same way for themselves. 

He just didn’t have enough time to prove it. – Rappler.com