Croatia: Sibenka, Cibona

   Drazen Petrovic was born in 1964, in the little sea town, Sibenik. His five year old brother was a great talent playing for Sibenka. Following his brother, who signed for Cibona in 17. year,Drazen started playing basketball. He didnt wanted to stay out of school so he praticed every day in the morning before school. Nothing could stop Drazen to be on the training.

As a talented 15 years old boy he joined the first team of Sibenka, member of Yugoslav first division. In those years Drazen is geting experience and plays in many junior championships succesfully. In his 18. year he enters Sibenkas starting five and becomes the leading player. In the same year, 1982 Drazen played at the Radivoj Koracs cup final, U-18 EC and played his first match for senior national team. In his last season in Sibenik, Drazen fascinated the country. He scored two free trows wich decided the final Yugoslav championship match between Bosna and Sibenka.

After he spent one season in the army, Drazen decided to follow his brother and took Cibonas offer amongst many others.                                                                                                                                                

In his first Cibona year, Drazen took the championship, cup and European championship being best player and deciding the European championship final against Real Madrid.  In the next season Drazen brought another victory to Cibona. Taking advantage of his great scoring, dribling and other skills, Drazen defended the title of the best scorer in Yugoslavia averaging 43.3 per match and in Europe 37.0! He had a good WC in wich Yugoslavia won just a bronze medal after a disappointing defeat in semis against SSSR. Although Cibona defended Europeanchampions cup, they have lost in Yugoslav championship final. In next season another disappointmen. Although Drazen scored 48 in Yugoslav championship final, Cibona lost to Crvena Zvezda in the third and deciding match. Drazen and his brother Aco had a fight with refrees who donated the victory to Serbs. Cibona under Drazens leadership won the Cup winners cup in the same year. Drazen played for national team in 1987 EC held in Athens and won a bronze medal. In his last season in Cibona Drazen played oustandingly again, but that wasnt enough to win the championship. Cibona lost the Radivoj Koracs cup final from Drazens new club, Real Madrid. After Seouls Olympics, Drazen leaves Zagreb and goes to Spain.

Europe: Real Madrid

    It was the end of the Cibona era, but just a step in Drazens career.

He was singed by Real Madrid, the team he drove crazy while in Cibona. His homecoming in Zagreb, as Real player, was something unbelievable: he scored 36 points in 30 minutes against the home team, but recived 10 minutes standing ovations from the capacity crovd when left the game. His last game was out of this world performance: scoring 62 points to win the Cup Winners Cup for Real. Europe was behind him, NBA was waiting.

NBA: Blazers, Nets

   Portland Trail Blazers selected him in the third round of the 1986 NBA Draft.

Offered an NBA contract by Portland, Petrovic and the Blazers bought his way out of his Spanish deal, reportedly for as much as $1.5 milion. The Croatian stars U.S.debut in the 1989-90 season proved standards and the Trail Blazers, already solid at the twoposition with Clyde Drexler, found only limited use for a shooting guard who was "weak" on defense. In 77 games in his rookie season he averaged only 7.6 points in 12.6 minutes per game. In the first half of the 1990-91 season the Trail Blazers kept Petrovic on the bench in 20 of  38 games before traiding him to New Yersey.

Photos: DP1    DP2    DP3    DP4    DP5    DP6    DP7

                DP8    DP9    DP10    DP11    DP12    DP13   DP14       

  

A poem in memory of Drazen Petrovic:

   A SHINING STAR

There was a star that shone real bright,

A star that shone all throught the night.

He was a star that played his best,

And put his talents to the test.

He was a leader for the Nets,

As determined as a person gets.

He played basketball with a great passion,

Shooting threes in his own famous fashion.

He always got the crow on their feet,

To cheer him on for a spectacular defeat.

He was a great player, there is no doubt,

He made us cheer, he made us shout.

He was filled with fierce enthusiasm and spirit,

Boy, he really let those refs hear it!

He had an unforgettable personality,

Paired  with a sparkling vitality.

He entertained us until the end,

And to his teammates he was a friend.

We will always remember the man withthe easy smile

And stylish play.

This man we called "Petro".

                            by Lauren Tarino

 

Stream Real Player file (178k)
15 sec, Drazen Shoots for three in
European final against Real Madrid

 

 

E-mail: ivdzolic@inet.hr