International
players important element in NBA
Patrick
Hodgson
It’s no secret that the NBA has undergone a monumental transition. A
transition that has extended its doors to athletes beyond the United States
and has undoubtly altered the landscape of basketball today.
Each year the number of international ball players migrating to the NBA is
becoming more and more noticeable through the draft and free agency and has
given fans the birth of a new generation of superstars such as Dirk Nowitzki,
Peja Stojakovic, and Steve Nash.
To find the root of the new globalization movement we have to go back over
two decades ago to 1985 in the Croatian league when a resilient young man made
40 of 60 field goals conjuring up 112 points and captured the eye of 28 general
managers of the NBA. The young man was some kid named Drazen Petrovic. After
inking up the stat sheets, rewriting the record books, and a getting a little
added help due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the door opened for Petrovic
to come play in the NBA and compete with the likes of legends such as Michael
Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird.
Traditionally, international ball players were seen as a joke and were thought
to be anything but physical. Drazen changed this perception when he put on
the Portland Trailblazer uniform and refused to be run out of the league, displaying
an uncanny ability to knock down the 3 point shot and bang with the best of
them. Because the Blazers already had a hall of fame caliber player in
Clyde Drexler, Petrovic was traded to the New Jersey Nets. The change of scenery
could not have benefited him any better.
As a Net, Drazen made an instant impact on the franchise and soon had fans
all over the Meadowlands modeling off the light blue and red No.3 jersey. Drazen
continued to soar with confidence and even had the nerve to guarantee an improbable
victory over the 1992 Dream Team that crushed everyone by 50 or more. The end
result was all but the same; however Petrovic earned the respect of his peers
and proved to the world he could play with the best of them.
Finally, in his last season in the NBA Petrovic averaged a career-high and
team-leading 22.3 points per a contest and shot a rare 51.8 percent from the
field. What was even more impressive was that he shot 45 percent from three
point land. All of these accolades earned the 6-foot 5 Croatian recognition
to the all star team and a spot on the prestigious All NBA Team. It had seemed
he was just reaching his comfort zone and that his best basketball was ahead,
however his life ended tragically in a car accident in Germany in 1993.
Although his life was taken too soon, Drazen Petrovic’s legacy and impact
on the game remained when he was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2002. International
players still come overseas to play the game they love on the highest level.
It was his confidence that gave other international players confidence to play
on an elite level and his confidence why the NBA had its first international
Most Valuable Player last season in Canadian Steve Nash.
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