National Basketball Association

Brooklyn Nets: Drazen Petrovic's Top 5 Moments

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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In honor of Drazen Petrovic’s birthday yesterday, we at Nothin’ But Nets want to celebrate with Nets fans. Although his career was tragically cut short, he still left his mark on the game.

For those who unfamiliar with Drazen Petrovic, he was a member of the New Jersey Nets from 1991 to 1993. On January 23, 1991 the Nets made a three team trade to acquire Petrovic. Upon his arrival, his numbers with the Nets increased immediately. The following season, the Nets would make him their full-time starting shooting guard. From there, Petrovic never looked back. In his two seasons as a starter, he averaged over 20 points per game. Very impressive for a guy taken in the third round of the 1986 draft.

Petrovic looked to be New Jersey’s saving grace. He led the Nets into the playoffs, and the team looked poised for future success. Unfortunately, Petrovic died in the summer of 1993. Although his stint with the Nets was short, it is not forgotten. Months after his death on November 11, 1993, the Nets retired Petrovic’s number 3.

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Petrovic’s Highlights

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Since Petrovic had such a short career, his best moments are very few. He only had about two years where he shined bright. What made him so special is the what-if factor. Everyone knows how well he played late in his career and thought that he would have more to offer in years to come. He was just entering his prime and players around the league noticed it. Reggie Miller has even gone so far as to call him one of the greatest shooters of all time. But with little highlights to go on, here are five of Petrovic’s top moments and accomplishments.

44 Point Game

On January 24, 1993 Drazen Petrovic erupted for a career high 44 points. This was during Petrovic’s prime. He also accomplished this against a very good Houston Rockets team that featured Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith. In fact, a highlight that stands out very clearly from this game is when Petrovic had Olajuwon fall for a shot fake and then a pass fake. He faked out Olajuwon so bad that he was facing the hoop trying to figure out where the ball had went. By the time Olajuwon realized Petrovic still had the ball, Petrovic was shooting a jumper over him for two points.

It was an impressive performance to say the least. It was just a small sample of what he was capable of doing.

1993 Third Team All NBA

The same season he scored his career high he also achieve a career milestone. After an impressive 1992-93 season in which he averaged 22.3 points per game on 52 percent shooting and 45 percent three-point shooting, Petrovic earned All NBA Third team honors. It was a huge accomplishment for him. In fact, in an ESPN article Petrovic’s friend, Nick Goyak, recalls how proud Petrovic was of this achievement. Here is what Petrovic said to Nick over the phone.

“He said, ‘Nick, I have just been named to the top 15. This really means something to me,'” Goyak remembered. “The last thing he said to me was how proud he was of that.”- Nick Goyak

Clearly, Petrovic was very serious about what he was doing in the league. If he had played the rest of the decade, he would have tried his hardest to continue playing at an elite level. It was obvious he took pride in what he did on the basketball court.

Jersey Retirement

As mentioned earlier, the Nets retired Petrovic’s number on November 11, 1993. This is one of the biggest accomplishments for any NBA player. Below winning a championship, MVP, or making the Hall of Fame, this is probably one of the best achievements. This means that the time a player put in with their team was so great that no other player should wear your number again.

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Every time someone goes into the Barclays Center and looks up at the rafters, his number 3 is hanging beside players like Julius Erving, Jason Kidd, and Buck Williams. That is some great company for someone who did not have the opportunity to put in a full body of work.

Overseas Career

Before Drazen entered the NBA, he played basketball overseas in Europe. While in Europe, he played for two teams. He played for Cibona Zagreb and Real Madrid in both the Domestic League and European League. His scoring averages overseas are very impressive. His highest scoring average came in 1985-86 when he averaged 43.3 points per game in the Domestic League and 37 points per game in the European League. Petrovic’s high scoring continued throughout his time in Europe. He never averaged less than 27.4 points per game in DL or EL play.

Petrovic has gold medals in European and World championships. He also lead Yugoslavia to a silver medal in the 1988 summer Olympics. His whole body of work in Europe is amazing, and it is part of the reason why he was given a shot in the NBA.

Hall-of-Fame Induction

In 2002, Drazen Petrovic made it to the Hall-of-Fame. The place where all the greatest names in basketball history go. Petrovic is now a part of that impressive list. He made the Hall-of-Fame for both his international career as well as his NBA career. Petrovic was one of the first international icons to enter the NBA. Given more time, he may have been able to be the Dirk Nowitzki of the 90s.

Not that he would have ever reached Nowitzki’s accomplishments, but the attention he brought to international players. The truth is we will never know, but clearly his basketball career was more than deserving of the Hall-of-Fame.

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