Mozart of basketball

"It was a thrill to play against Drazen. Every time we competed, he competed with an aggressive attitude. 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." Michael Jordan about Drazen

[fyeahbballplayers]

[drazen-petrovic]

I am an American that visited Croatia recently and went to the Drazen Petrovic museum. I remember watching Drazen as a kid. I wish so much his life had not been cut short. Thank you for honoring him with this Tumblr page.

This is the reason why I started this page and nothing but literally nothing makes me as happy as getting these messages. Thank you :)

[drazen-petrovic]

Only team ever that led against Dream Team.

[drazen-petrovic]

Drazen Petrovic and MJ

[drazen-petrovic]

3 point contest participants 

1992 All-Star game

Dell Curry, Craig Ehlo, Craig Hodges, Jeff Hornacek, Jim Les, Dražen Petrović, Mitch Richmond, John Stockton (not in order)

[drazen-petrovic]

We spend a lot of time during the summer, we always have our European Championship or Word Championship or Olympic Games. So we spend about three or four months, together every day. We feel like a family. So when you lose someone like Drazen, it was a very hard time." Toni Kukoč

[drazen-petrovic]

[drazen-petrovic]

Citizens of Šibenik leave candles next to Drazen's statue as a child.

[killaheart]

Dražen Petrović (22. listopada 1964. -7. lipnja 1993.) 

“I am not Yugoslavian, I am Croatian.”

“Dražen’s commitment towards Croatia, not just in basketball, but as a country, was exceptional. When Croatian needed any help that could get in the dark times of war, Dražen was first there for help, for recognition… with pride he carried name Croatia all over the United States. What Dražen did for Croatia is uncountable, priceless and ever lasting.”

Život leti, kapetane, mladost biži, a na srcu friži.

[90sjam]

“It was a thrill to play against Dražen. Every time we competed, he competed with an aggressive attitude. 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.” (Michael Jordan)

[drazen-petrovic]

I love your blog :-) Drazen was an incredible man and athlete.

Appriciate,truly he was an idol.

[drazen-petrovic]

I really like your blog!;)

Thank you. It means hell to me. I'm trying to do my best and blah blah blah thanks :3

[drazen-petrovic]

"A ball, man, a ball. I always carry a ball in my car. when I feel like it, I go to the gym, and shoot 100, 200 or 500"

[drazen-petrovic]

Petrovic's grave on Mirogoj.

“In year 1994. Šuker drove Diego Maradona to Mirogoj.Diego had 62 roses in his hands, and the press asked why he decided to put exactly 62 roses on Dražen’s grave, he replied:

 "I came to give honour to the greatest, and the  one who doesn’t know how much Drazen scored in the European Cup Winners against Caserta is not worth explaining anything to him.”

[drazen-petrovic]

Why did Dražen and Divac's friendship break apart?

Taking away the croatian flag from the fans during the finale of world cup in basketball 1990 in Argentina,where live thousands and thousands of Croatian immigrants-surely wasn't the reason for Dražen to ignore Divac.The reason for their friendship to break apart-or as Americans called them "brothers"-were lies that Vlade told american,spanish (and probably serbian) media about war in Croatia

During the war in Croatia,Drazen never missed to call daily his parents and friends in Croatia,he suffered a lot becouse granades were thrown on his home town,Šibenik.In movie "Once brothers" Biserka,Dražen's mother,said that in the middle of NBA season,Dražen came to Zagreb from New York to make sure what's happening in his land.What he saw in Zagreb and heard from his friends-some of them,like Neven Spahija were participating in war-must have shocked him...

All that fit with mindless statements of four-younger Vlade Divac for USA media about war in ex-Yugoslavia 'how the politiciants and media used propaganda to spread the hatred' and similar. But,not much people know the fact that Dražen and his best friend Stojko Vranković (Boston Celtics player from '90 to '92) -whom Dražen telephoned daily - turned back to Divac after he spoked ugly about Croatia's enrollment in Olympics family and possibility to participate on their first summer Olympics in Barcelona 1992. (Yugoslavia,becouse of the penalization was released)

In article that was pubished in New York Times 24.November 1991. journalist Harvey Araton wrote: "Not only that Dražen doesn't communicate with Divac via phone,Dražen doesn't even has his telephone number.

'Vlade moved  in new house,said Dražen,and admitted that war did damage their friendship." wrote Araton.