By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Bojan Bogdanovic, Dario Saric, and Ivica Zubac are among the players en route to the Drazen Legacy game.
Last January, Aco Petrovic revealed plans for an exhibition game in memory of his brother Drazen Petrovic on September 5 in Zagreb. Previewing, he mentioned players from Croatia facing players from the rest of Europe with Zeljko Obradovic as the head coach of the visitors.
Besides active NBA players Bogdanovic, Saric, and Zubac, retired players with NBA experience Damjan Rudez and Gordan Giricek are expected to play in the Drazen Legacy game as well.
For Bogdanovic, the contest marks his return from having surgery on his left foot and left wrist last April. Following the season-ending injuries, he was traded from the New York Knicks to the Brooklyn Nets in July. Barring a setback, playing in Zagreb on September 5 confirms initial projections of being cleared for the 2024 NBA Preseason.
Representing Croatia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, Saric of the Denver Nuggets and Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers were in action earlier in the offseason. Their efforts fell shy of a berth in the Olympic Games.
A huge star of Croatian and European basketball, Drazen Petrovic died in a car accident on June 7, 1993. He was coming off four NBA seasons between the New Jersey Nets and Portland Trail Blazers after a brilliant start to his career in Europe, including two EuroLeague championships with Cibona in 1985 and 1986.
Photo Credit: FIBA