Memorial Center Drazen Petrovic - A Story About Croatian Mozart
If you are a basketball lover or at least a sports fan – you know exactly who we're talking about. It has been more than 20 years since the end of Dražen's career, yet people still remember his name, face and (especially) his achievements.
If you are not a sports fan and have never heard of Dražen at all, buckle up because it's still a great story of an even greater man who ended his career too soon, and if you miss knowing just a little bit about him, you'll be missing a great deal.
Image credit: Memorial Center Drazen Petrovic
The proof of his fame and legend that lives on can be best expressed by words of Croatian tennis player Goran Ivanišević, a Wimbledon champion of 2001.
„My sporting hero was Dražen Petrović, the NBA basketball player, who was killed in a car accident in 1993. He was a good friend, an unbelievable player, and I dedicate my Wimbledon win to him.“
But before he became a basketball superstar, Dražen started off as a young boy from the small town of Šibenik, Croatia (at the time it was Yugoslavia), who fell in love with a sport. He started his journey at the age of 13 at the local basketball club Šibenka. That was his first chance to prove he has both incredible talent and strong determination to be the best. And he really did that, he made the first team at the age of 15 and managed to get Šibenka to the finals of Radivoj Korać Cup, twice. From then on, everything Dražen touched practically turned to gold.
Image credit: Memorial Center Drazen Petrovic
Soon enough, Dražen started to play in bigger European clubs, such as Cibona and Real Madrid, which gave him more opportunities to show just how incredible he really was. He loved his sport, and he especially loved a good challenge, which eventually got him amongst the biggest players of that time – in the NBA league. In the NBA, he played for Portland and New Jersey, which is especially impressive considering that for the time being he was only 25 years old.
Image credit: Memorial Center Drazen Petrovic
But what was he like as a person? We know of his fame, but what about his character?
His team players described him as determined and fearless, he was never intimidated by the biggest NBA names and had no problem playing against them on the court. It was common to see him smile, especially when he was doing what he liked the most – playing basketball. He was open about the fact that he never really played for money. The amount of money never changed his great performance. In fact, he said once:
„With one million dollars or five, or ten or one hundred, you can still have lunch and dinner only once a day.“
The money wasn't his motivator, but a good challenge was. He was extraordinary and he knew it, so when someone challenged him, he wouldn't be just his usual excellent self – he would absolutely outshine everyone in the current game.
Reggie Miller, a basketball legend mentioned Dražen in one of his interviews in 2011. He jokingly said that he considers himself the best shooter ever, but that there is one who was even better. The person he was talking about was his greatest rival in the game, but he got under his skin. That player often talked in foreign language Miller didn't understand, but his game was flawless and Miller admitted to having a great respect for that. The player he was talking about and whom Miller never forgot was Dražen Petrović.
Dražen's legend had frozen in time on June the 7th, 1993. It was the day after Dražen's last game in the Croatian national team jersey at the qualifications tournament for the European championship in Wroclaw. A car accident happened on the highway in the vicinity of the German town of Inglostadt, and Dražen passed away, at the top of his fame, only 28 years old.
Image credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak
Today, Dražen is considered a Croatian Mozart, because he turned basketball into an art form. To honor everything he was, is, and his achievements, Dražen Petrović Memorial Center has been built. The Memorial Center contains a museum with a great collection of Dražen's memorabilia, and a gift shop.
If you plan to visit (which we highly recommend), the museum is located in Dražen Petrović Square adjacent to Cibona Tower. It is easily accessible by the tram lines 3, 4, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 17 as it intersects Savska Street and Kranjceviceva Street. The Museum is open from Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The memorial center is currently being run by the Dražen Petrović Foundation, led by his family. Generous donations and support have come from representatives of the Croatian Government, the City of Zagreb and numerous corporate and private sponsors.
All things considered, what really is the most important about Memorial center, is it's true purpose.
Today Dražen is considered a hero of all of the young boys who play basketball and want to be great players some day. And the memorial center makes sure that even though he left before his time, his legend lives on forever.
Header image credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak
Author: Zdenka Karaman