Must have been drafted 2004 or after. I watched a bit of his highlights the other night and the closest I could come up with was Klay Thompson. Here's how they compare https://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/drazen_petrovic_vs_klay_thompson.htm
Thoughts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVaFtZskj08
This man showed no fear, worked harder than anyone and showed the way for future european players.
Dont know it this is cool to post, but after the hubbub of ESPNS Coverage of Drazen. the other week i saw all the post regarding the Drazen and how he and others brought significance of the european player to the NBA. I watched "Once Brothers" and the Vice Doc on him and its really cool to see how important he is to a lot of younger european players today. I know the big names from the past like MJ, Kareem, Bird, Etc. but thanks to you guys i was able to learn something about a pretty influential player that passed way to soon.
The previous post got removed due to /r/nba rules, but Dražen definitely deserves an honorable mention on the anniversary of the day he sadly left us. He was a true pioneer, a trailblazer if you will, and he was one of the few who had proven that European players indeed have what it takes to play in the NBA. If it weren't for Dražen, who knows whether the transition would be as easy for Dirk, Tony, the Gasol brothers, even Giannis and Porzingis who entered the league and instantly became extremely popular, which was unimaginable in Dražen's time. Just take a look at a photo summary of his incredible career, which includes a photo of Curry's finals-worn jersey in Dražen's museum in Zagreb. The two elite shooters from different eras even met in 1992 when Dell and Dražen were competing in the 3-point contest. Later that year he faced the Dream Team in the Olympic Games finals in Barcelona and left the court as the game's top scorer with 24.
There's a lot to be said about Dražen, but we'll always be wondering what more could have been said. Just imagine a couple more years of this or this. His legacy, however, surely will never fade (if you haven't watched Once Brothers, do it), and he should always have a place in the heart of basketball fans from all around the globe. As the Croatian saying dedicated to Dražen says: Život leti kapetane (Life flies by, captain).
Real talk the dude is complete garbage- he didn't even leave a mark on the game after he was 28, clearly doesnt have that Mamba Mentality. Also Melo is complete garbage, he hasn't been good since I started watching basketball in 2016
Great film btw
Edit: never used imgur before but it gave it a shot for reference
http://imgur.com/tMoLtYP
Also like to note that the resemblance between the two was a lot in their general demeanor as well as looks
Just crossed my mind today, one of the best shooters in the history of the NBA wore a 44 number jersey when he played for New Jersey Nets and that number is his legacy. If we had 33 will they release 44 now?
I am going to post some links out of respect for my #3 favorite player of all time for anyone who wants to learn more about what NBA Players think of Dražen.
Reggie Miller on Dražen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7AhrUIc87o
A great BR article on him: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1020997-drazen-petrovic-remembering-the-star-that-didnt-get-to-shine
The Last Game against Michael Jordan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzJp2XeDMBQ
Steve Kerr on Him: https://youtu.be/C81taRNBmJg?t=77
Lebron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8YhuyPZLXg
Jason Kidd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsYXtFUnJEU
Mix of Players: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUacXRjsSTA
Top 10 Plays of Career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNGE-gUObaA
Dražen was a player before his time and was taken way to soon. His last two years in the league were by far his best averaging 20 and 22 PPG respectively. The 91-92 season he shot 50/44/80 splits and the following year (his final alive) shot 52/45/87 playing 38 minutes a game at 28 years old.
