Dražen Petrović

Dražen Petrović was born on October 22, 1964, in the coastal Adriatic city of Šibenik, Croatia. Possessing an obsessive work ethic, the teenage Petrović woke up at 6:00 AM every day to take 500 practice jump shots before school. By eighteen, he led hometown club Šibenka to the Yugoslavian finals. Joining Cibona Zagreb in 1984, Petrović achieved legendary status, leading the club to two consecutive EuroLeague championships in 1985 and 1986. In October 1985, in a domestic league game against Olimpija, Petrović scored an astonishing 112 points individually.

Moving to Real Madrid in 1988, he delivered one of the greatest individual European displays in history during the 1989 European Cup Winners' Cup final against Snaidero Caserta, pouring in 62 points. Entering the NBA in 1989 with the Portland Trail Blazers, he faced skepticism from American coaches who doubted European athleticism. Traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1991, Petrović exploded into an unstoppable force, averaging 22.3 points per game on 45% three-point shooting and earning All-NBA honors in 1993.

On the international stage, Petrović led Croatia during the painful Balkan conflicts, captaining his young homeland to the silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics against the legendary USA 'Dream Team.' On June 7, 1993, at the absolute height of his powers, Petrović was killed in an automobile collision on a rain-slicked German autobahn at age twenty-eight. He was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the FIBA Hall of Fame.