R.I.P. Drazen Petrovic

Kova · Post #1 » by **Kova** » Fri Jun 7, 2013 9:39 pm

Dear members, as you may know, today is the 20th anniversary of the death of my compatriot Drazen Petrovic.

This is the day that 20 years ago changed the course of Croatian basketball - downhill.

Reggie Miller, Lebron, and many other consider him the best European player ever to play in the NBA.

I just wanted to share this to you, and give you an opportunity to share some stories and thoughts with me about our late Captain.

RIP Dražen.. Life goes by captain..

Keith Van Horn · Post #2 » by **Keith Van Horn** » Fri Jun 7, 2013 9:49 pm

If you haven't seen the 30 For 30 "Once Brothers", please take an hour to watch it this weekend if you have Netflix. You don't need to even be a basketball fan to enjoy the documentary (told through the eyes of Vlade Divac). It gives you the whole story of Petrovic and the problems in Serbia/Croatia. Very heart felt...extremely well done too.

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mhi · Post #3 » by **mhi** » Fri Jun 7, 2013 9:51 pm

macgyver893 wrote:If you haven't seen the 30 For 30 "Once Brothers", please take an hour to watch it this weekend if you have Netflix. You don't need to even be a basketball fan to enjoy the documentary (told through the eyes of Vlade Divac). It gives you the whole story of Petrovic and the problems in Serbia/Croatia. Very heart felt...extremely well done too.

One of the best sports doc I've seen.

RIP.

teerfour+40LG · Post #4 » by **teerfour+40LG** » Fri Jun 7, 2013 9:52 pm

Check out the dude's FG% if you wanna be impressed.

Sothron · Post #5 » by **Sothron** » Fri Jun 7, 2013 10:21 pm

Hard to believe it has been 20 years since that horrible day. I distinctly remember seeing it on ESPN back then and was shocked. As others have said watch "once brothers" on netflix for the best 30 for 30 doc and one of the best sports docs I've ever seen. I freely admit I cried at the end to see Vlade after all those years finally get to go to his gravesite and pay his respects.

Drazen was a true pioneer that showed the world that not just Americans can play in the NBA and excel at the highest level. RIP.

Doddage · Post #6 » by **Doddage** » Fri Jun 7, 2013 10:22 pm

Kova wrote:Reggie Miller, Lebron, and many other consider him the best European player ever to play in the NBA.

Drazen was a hell of a player for sure, but that title would have to go to Dirk.

mr.ankle · Post #7 » by **mr.ankle** » Fri Jun 7, 2013 10:26 pm

Who was the better player him or Reggie Lewis ?

jellybean8 · Post #8 » by **jellybean8** » Fri Jun 7, 2013 10:27 pm

Got him on MyTeam on 2k

mhi · Post #9 » by **mhi** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 1:19 am

teerfour+40LG wrote:Check out the dude's FG% if you wanna be impressed.

****, I had no idea.

ESPN's article on this anniversary.

It was in the first week of June 1993 that Drazen Petrovic, a world away in Poland, where he was competing for Croatia at a qualifying tournament for the European championships, called his friend and attorney Nick Goyak in Portland, Ore., to deliver the news. The two chatted most days, even after Petrovic had left Portland for New Jersey and a fresh start, and it was on this occasion that Petrovic shared with Goyak his delight at his ultimate accomplishment, being named to the All-NBA third team.

"He said, 'Nick, I have just been named to the top 15. This really means something to me,'" Goyak remembered. "The last thing he said to me was how proud he was of that."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/93457 ... ing-legacy

Archerbro · Post #10 » by **Archerbro** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 1:23 am

true story, the first time I saw ESPN's "once brothers;"

I didn't know Petrovic was dead (I was more knowledgeable of modern nba and of course the obvious well known teams like the 90s bulls/ 80s celtics and lakers.

I kind of figured he might be during the doc since he wasn't interviewed, obviously.
but yea. in my top 5 movies I've ever seen. Best Basketball doc I've seen though.

Sofia · Post #11 » by **Sofia** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 1:23 am

Seen Once Brothers at least half a dozen times and teared up in each. Will do it again today. :cry:

Post #12 » by **ATL Boy** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 1:51 am

I never get tired of seeing "Once Brothers." 30 for 30 had some really good docs but that was the best one imo. I remember the first time I saw it, at the end when Divac left the picture of he and Drazo (which he had kept for years) on Petrovic's grave I almost teared up.

The Yugoslavian war was devastating: Not only for Croatia but also for my home country of Bosnia, relationships were destroyed and it's a shame that Divac never got the chance to sit down with Drazo and have a talk which was something he had always hoped to do. If Petrovic hadn't have left us so soon who knows how great he could've been.

Post #13 » by **ATL Boy** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 1:58 am

As for some stories I remember reading how Petrovic was having an amazing season one year and wasn't named an All-Star, he was invited to participate in the 3 point shootout but declined because he felt he deserved to be an All-Star, just shows you that he wasn't satisfied with the consolation, he had a will to be great.

I also remember Reggie Miller once talking about Drazen (who he had deemed the greatest 3 point shooter ever). He talked about how he himself loved to trash talk, but it was so frustrating trash talking against Petrovic because Drazen always trash talked in another language and that it would drive Reggie insane. Just a nice story I thought I'd share.

marcus_misc · Post #14 » by **marcus_misc** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 2:00 am

wish I had seen this guy play. highlights alone don't seem to do him justice

Else_where · Post #15 » by **Else_where** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 2:01 am

r.i.p good man

MaxRider · Post #16 » by **MaxRider** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 2:46 am

RIP
one of the best shooter in the game

Sothron · Post #17 » by **Sothron** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 3:51 am

marcus_misc wrote:wish I had seen this guy play. highlights alone don't seem to do him justice

He was fun to watch, an absolute treat to see someone with such great fundamentals. I said it before but I guess if you weren't alive or old enough then to appreciate it but there was a horrible racist stereotype by many players, coaches and fans that no Euro player could ever be really good at the NBA level. Drazen shattered that bigoted belief to pieces. Very few players in any sport have had the impact he did on an international scale.

Apollo64 · Post #18 » by **Apollo64** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 4:10 am

There you go.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zanji1I7Yd4[/youtube]

Woodsanity · Post #19 » by **Woodsanity** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 4:12 am

R.I.P but that best Euro player title goes to Dirk easily.

Stolen Team Fan · Post #20 » by **Stolen Team Fan** » Sat Jun 8, 2013 4:51 am

Apollo64 wrote:There you go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zanji1I7Yd4

Thank you for posting this. I had never seen it before. I just finished watching it and holey crap, that was a sad movie. The nice thing about it is that you don't even have to be a basketball fan to be moved by this.

Woodsanity wrote:R.I.P but that best Euro player title goes to Dirk easily.

If Petrovic had lived and played his entire career, I don't think this would be the case. Besides, as much as I don't like him, I think Tony Parker is giving Dirk a run for the "best Euro player" title.