The First Unicorn

by Anthony Strait, OTSL Panelist

March 5^th, 2018. The Brooklyn Nets are at home hosting the Chicago Bulls at the Barclays Center. On this night the Nets were honoring one of the best players in franchise history. Of course to do that they had to go back to their New Jersey Nets days. For a whole generation of fans attending, their fondest and perhaps earliest memories involved teams that featured Jason Kidd. So you can forgive them when they reacted to getting a Drazen Petrovic starting lineup action figure with a look of bewilderment. After all, Petrovic’s time with the team occurred in the early ‘90s back when the Nets played in East Rutherford. What they perhaps didn’t know is just how good Petrovic was; long before even stepping onto a NBA court. Before Kristaps Porzingis was dubbed “The Unicorn”, Petrovic just may have been the first unicorn in the NBA. Petrovic’s story is more of a lasting legacy than a “What If”… a great talent whose career and life was cut tragically short.

           

Born in Sibenka, Croatia, Petrovic’s path to basketball started early as his oldest brother and current Brazil national team coach Aleksandar pursued the sport. By the age of 13, Drazen was playing in the youth selections of the local professional club and by 15 he was on the main team. With Petrovic leading the way, Sibenka reached the finals of the FIBA Radivoj Korac Cup on two separate occasions. In 1983 at 18 he led Sibenka to a win over Bosnia for the Yugoslavian club championship; but it was taken away the next day by the National Basketball Federation citing refereeing irregularities.

           

It would be the move to Cibona and playing for the KK Cibona National Team where he would establish himself as one of the best Europe had to offer. Following a mandatory year in the military, Petrovic would win both the Yugoslavian League Championship and the Yugoslav National Cup. During this time he was also a member of the Yugoslavian National Team that would win bronze in the 1984 Olympic Summer Games and Silver in 1988. Playing for the national team saw Petrovic team with future NBA players like Vlade Divac and Toni Kukoc. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s Petrovic became a star in Europe and a hero for many in what would later become the war-torn disintegration of Yugoslavia.

            

With his success overseas, it was only a matter of time before Drazen would grace the NBA. The Portland Trail Blazers drafted Petrovic in 1986 but it would be another three years before he would debut in the NBA. The Blazers bought out his contract with Real Madrid and he joined the team for the 1989-90 season. With a team that boasted Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter and veteran Danny Young, Petrovic struggled to get playing time in a new limited role that he was not accustomed to. The following year only became worse as Danny Ainge was brought to the team in a trade.

            

It wasn’t until a three-team trade that sent him to the Nets that Drazen Petrovic began to flourish in the league. Although initially coming off the bench, the Nets started Petrovic in the 1991-92 season. Paired with second year star Derrick Coleman and rookie Kenny Anderson; the Nets saw a 14-win improvement from the previous season and made the playoffs for the first time since 1986. Petrovic averaged close to 21 points per game and shot 44% from 3-point range, which was second in the NBA. His work ethic and on-court aggressive nature made him a team leader. His unique skill set of deadly outside shooting, improved defense and sheer passion for the game simply made him stand out at a time where European players were not in high demand in the tougher NBA.

It all came together the following season for Petrovic as his scoring went up to 22.3 points per game. He led all guards shooting a blistering 52% field goal range and again shot 45% from three. Petro as he was dubbed by fans stateside, made All-NBA third team despite not making the All Star team. The Nets again made the playoffs and looked like a team on the rise in an Eastern Conference dominated by the Chicago Bulls.

            

Petrovic was a pending free agent and traveled to play with the Croatian National team following the Nets first round loss to Cleveland. He played for the now independent nation in the 1992 summer games in Barcelona and helped win silver, losing only to the legendary U.S. Dream Team. Frustrated by his contract not being extended, he contemplated leaving the Nets and NBA behind for good.

There were rumors that he agreed to contract offers from at least two Greek teams. Amidst it all, the Croatian team competed in EuroBasket that Summer and won the tournament. The team flew to Frankfurt, Germany for a connecting flight to Zagreb, Croatia. Drazen decided to forgo the flight to spend more time with his girlfriend. On June 7^th 1993 Drazen Petrovic, along with his girlfriend and another female passenger were involved in a car accident. The two female passengers suffered major injuries, but Petrovic died at the scene, his life cut short at the age of 28. The NBA was hit hard by tragedy that Summer. Boston Celtics young star Reggie Lewis died of an apparent heart attack over a month later. Perhaps the most shocking loss would occur later that Summer with the tragic murder of Michael Jordan’s father James Jordan. Many attributed this, as well as fatigue, as factors in Jordan walking away from the game a few months later.

Petrovic’s untimely death wasn’t just felt in the league as the loss of a young budding star. In Europe and in Croatia, his passing was devastating. The impact he had, not just as a star, but as a symbol of hope for anyone playing in Eastern Europe hoping to succeed in the NBA was astronomical. The Nets retired his number 3 following his death and wouldn’t see another franchise changing star for another decade until the trade for Jason Kidd. Petrovic would be enshrined posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2007 he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.

In Croatia Petrovic’s life is celebrated with the Drazen Petrovic Memorial Center. His impact is felt today as he is viewed as a crucial contributor to the influence of the European players that we see in today’s NBA. His tomb has become a sanctuary for those who knew him as a teammate and friend. The Cibona stadium was renamed in his honor as were several streets. He was the subject to a 2010 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary which was put together with help from his former teammate Vlade Divac. The documentary explored their friendship which was brought together by basketball but torn apart by the realities of civil war. Younger Eastern Europe players hear the stories and watch highlights along with reading old news clips just to get a grasp of how good Petrovic was during his career.

As the Nets defeated the Bulls on Drazen Petrovic night, the team honored him with a video tribute. For many it was the first time seeing him in action, while those who remembered saw a glimpse of something that was special. His mother was presented with a commemorative basketball as the retired number of her son was hung in the Barclays Center rafters. His 43.7% 3-point shooting is still third all time to Hubert Davis and Steve Kerr. Who knows what might have been, but we see what doors were opened when we think of Kukoc, Dirk Nowitzki, Goran Dragic and many other international players who have changed the way the NBA is being played. 

Drazen Petrovic’s role as basketball icon, hero, and pioneer is the stuff of mythical proportions. Like a unicorn, we couldn’t believe what we saw, but when we wanted to see more … it was gone and it left us far too soon.