By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
After 19 years memory starts to get fuzzy. Usually. Not always and certainly not the memory of the God of Croatian hoops, the European Michael Jordan, the son of the devil, the Mozart of basketball.
The figure of Drazen Petrovic, 19 years after his death, still haunts the mind of every fan who is wondering “what would happen if the fatal day on 7th of June 1993…”
Aleksandar Petrovic talked to Eurohoops.net just after one more visit to the grave of his brother and teammate. His first words were about the strong memories that have been preserved by basketball fans all around the world.
“It’s very impressive and unbelievable how many people still remember him. We understood that also this year, when my mother and I went to Split where they founded a new sports club named “Drazen Petrovic”. It’s great honor to be a part of Drazen’s remembrance. People still remember him as a great person and athlete”, says Aca and remembers the way that led Drazen to greatness.
It wasn’t only his talent, but also his work: “The most amazing thing about him is his improvement year by year. When he played in Sibenik he wasn’t able to shoot from the perimeter. He worked a lot on his shot and at the end of his career he became the best shooter. He knew the problem that he had; he worked hard constantly year by year and at the moment of his death in his was in the pinnacle of his career”.
Drazen had been successful at club level and also with the Croatian national team, but what was missed most by the world basketball after 7th of June 1993? Aleksandar started to express his thoughts by saying “Croatian basketball lost a great leader. Everything after Drazen wasn’t the same. He led us in the Olympic Games of Barcelona in 1992 when we won the silver medal playing in the final game against the real Dream Team. However, it’s not only about us. Everybody remembers him, everywhere, in USA, in Italy, in Spain, in Greece. He is remembered as one of the best white shooters ever”.
Aca continued his life on and off the court after his brother’s death. Was there a moment in those 19 years he would like to have Drazen next to him? “I can’t think only about basketball, but more about family. He was single; I miss him a lot and also my two kids miss him too in those 19 years” he says and that’s the truth, even though the legend of his brother is still alive.