In today’s NBA, teams’ decision-makers and executives no longer have a problem putting the fate of their respective franchises in the hands of European players. From Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks to Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, European players have more than proven their worth on the highest stage of basketball.
However, it wasn’t always like this. In the 1980s and early 1990s, European players were often seen as a novelty in the NBA, not to be taken seriously. That all changed with one player’s relentless pursuit of greatness and his determination to change how Europeans were viewed in the league. That player was the late, great Croatian sensation, Drazen Petrovic.
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The stereotype of European players
During those days, NBA scouts didn’t have access to the sophisticated tools and data that they do now. They either had to fly to Europe to catch a player in action or rely on word of mouth to learn about European prospects. This gave rise to several stereotypes about European players, portraying them as soft, unathletic and lacking toughness.
However, Petrovic began to shatter all these stereotypes when he got his chance to shine during his time with the New Jersey Nets. Traded to the Nets by the Portland Trail Blazers during the 1990-91 season, he got the long-awaited opportunity to showcase the skills that made him the most feared player in Europe.
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After averaging 12.6 points in 20 minutes in 43 games with the Nets during that season, Petrovic found his groove and broke out to average 20.6 points on 50.8 percent shooting, including a blistering 44.4 percent from behind the arc during the Nets’ 1991-92 campaign. The following season, he raised his average to 22.3 points and earned a berth on the All-NBA Third Team.
Rick Carlisle, who was a Nets assistant coach back then, recalled how Petrovic was so adamant about wanting to play well so he could help pave the way for more foreign players to make it to the big league.
“Every foreign player from Yao to Peja owes a debt to Drazen,” Carlisle stated. “He knew he could change how we viewed Europeans. He talked about it constantly.”
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Those who got to watch or play with or against Petrovic knew his best attribute was shooting. Carlisle said his incredible shooting ability was no accident.
“He had amazing strong legs. And the guy was a machine the way he worked at shooting. His mechanics were perfect,” Carlisle said in a separate interview. “He could fly from one baseline to the other, turn, catch, shoot, swish it, and then land in the other team’s bench and make it look incredibly easy.”
A true trailblazer
The next generation of NBA stars from Europe may never hear of Petrovic, but they owe the native of Sibenik, Croatia, a debt of thanks for all he did in his four seasons in the NBA to open paths up for them.
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Former NBA aces like Hedo Turkoglu and Peja Stojakovic, though, are aware of Petrovic’s legacy.
“Drazen got it started for us,” Turkoglu, the Turkish forward, shared. “It was his heart. He brought a lot of energy to the court when people didn’t know European players could be like that.”
Meanwhile, Stojakovic said he heard plenty of stories about Petrovic from his Sacramento Kings teammate, All-Star center Vlade Divac. The big man was close friends with Petrovic, having played with him on the Yugoslavian national team before they went their separate ways in the 1990s.
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“I’ve asked Vlade about Drazen. Every time he stepped on the court, he wanted to be the best. He could never score enough. He was never satisfied,” Stojakovic noted.
These days, Petrovic’s name isn’t discussed often. Perhaps it’s because his career lasted only 290 games before he passed away in a car accident in 1993. Another reason could be that he never even made it to an All-Star team. However, regardless of how lacking his NBA career may seem on paper, Petrovic’s impact on international basketball is immeasurable.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.