32 years have passed since the departure of the greatest Croatian athlete, Dinamo's Dražen

For over three decades, questions have been floating around to which we have not and, unfortunately, will never get an answer: would he really come to Zagreb and Cibona at the end of his career as he himself announced, would he continue to lead Croatian basketball even after his playing days, be a leader off the court as he was on the court, how would Croatian basketball and our sports in general develop with his charisma... It has been 32 years since the tragic departure of the unforgettable Dražen Petrović, one of the greatest athletes of all time. And each of us will still remember where we were and how we learned the news on that fateful June 7, 1993, the news of Dražen's tragic departure...

On this sad anniversary, the delegation of GNK Dinamo, led by president Velimir Zajec and CEO Zvonimir Boban, visited the final resting place of our Dražen.

They were greeted there, of course, by Dražen's mother Biserka. Together, with a slight smile at the mention of some anecdotes and beautiful times, but also with tears and a strong outburst of emotions, they remembered unforgettable days.

Those who were lucky enough to follow Dražen, grow with his basketball, games, enjoy the sports euphoria that bathed the city of Zagreb, in his dribbles, shots, exhibitions on the court, in his characteristic appearance with an "afro" hairstyle in a blue jersey with the number ten on his back, had to ignite a passion for sports within themselves.

Today, we also fondly remember Dražen. And we remember his love for - Dinamo. Because Dražen was a great Dinamo fan. The eighties were the era of the creation of the powerful European Cibona, the Zagreb sports movement that culminated in two consecutive European champion titles in 1985 and 1986. On the wings of the incomparable Dražen, also a fervent Dinamo supporter, Cibona became a European brand. Both Cibona and Dinamo flags waved in the Dom sportova and on the Maksimir stands: two different names, two different sports, but one soul and one club in hearts and minds!

Interesting is the sequence that journalist Milorad Bibić wrote in the first issue of the magazine Košarka on the first anniversary of Dražen's tragic passing, who unfortunately also left us in the meantime. Bibić conveyed the words of Dražen's national team teammate, Dino Rađa:

„We were in Wroclaw for the European Championship qualifiers. Stojko and I were, of course, rooting for Hajduk. Dražen was saying 'we don't stand a chance because the guys will give us at least three goals'. Yes, Dražen was rooting for Dinamo. The three of us were in the room. I decided to call you every ten minutes to hear how the score was going, since we couldn't catch the radio broadcast. When Vlaović scored a goal from a penalty and Dinamo took the lead 1-0, Dražen was teasing us and saying: 'Now the second one will come quickly!'. And when Vlaović scored a second goal from a penalty, Stojko and I were terrified. Dražen was teasing us: 'What's wrong with you Hajduk fans, you look pale, are you feeling sick?!' I didn't call you out of fear anymore so you wouldn't accidentally say: 'Here, Vlaović scored a third goal from a penalty!'.“

All this happened in the second leg of the Croatian Cup final where the Maksimir club was chasing a big deficit from the first match in which Hajduk won 4-1. However, after two goals from Vlaović, Ardian Kozniku reduced the score to 2-1 eight minutes before the end.

„That's when Stojko and I exploded with joy. We caught Dinamo's player Dražen and threw him on the bed. Stojko and I then destroyed him, he didn't know what was happening... We wrapped him up, tied him, from that unusual position on the bed he watched Stojko and I celebrate Hajduk's triumph over Dinamo in the Croatian Cup final.“

Dinamo had already secured the title of champions for the year 1993, their first trophy in independent Croatia. Unfortunately, Dražen did not live to see the celebration of the title. He left us five days after the derby in the Cup and six days before the last league match.

As journalist Neven Bertičević recounted, Dražen had been announcing his return to Zagreb and Cibona:

„He wanted to know everything, up to the last point. How did Cibona do, who scored the points? Cibona lived in the heart of Dražen Petrović. 'I will return, I will return one day. At least at the end of my career. In a year, two. To Cibona'.“

We still remember how Danko Cvjetićanin, former teammate of Dražen from the golden Cibona generation, described the atmosphere at training:

„Finish the training, and Dražen stays in the gym. Watch out, Dražen! So, the unquestionable team leader, the main star, the best and most talented player... The one who probably needs training the least stays to shoot another 500 to a thousand balls at the hoop. He practiced his shot! And what could we do? Should we just head to the locker room? That's how we stayed, practicing our shot even more. We would shoot around 500 or a thousand balls“, said Cvjetićanin, who himself, regardless of Dražen's approach, had very developed work habits and was one of the most respected basketball players and one of the best shooters in this region.

So, what would their training schedule look like? Let's say that during a basketball practice, Dražen would take ten seconds away from a player. So, we're only counting ball handling, concentration, and shooting. That's 5,000 seconds per practice, or about an hour and a half. Dražen set norms for himself during extra practices. He set a goal to make 300 three-pointers. Sometimes he pushed himself to 500. So, it's about made shots, not just attempts.

That's why you can still come across his name in American shows today. Among the more popular hosts are Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, former NBA stars. In the studio, not so long ago, they hosted Reggie Miller, one of the top 50 basketball players of all time in the official NBA selection.

Contrary to his usual mocking demeanor, Barkley introduced him as the best shooter he ever played with on the Dream Team, even better than Larry Bird. In response to Barkley's comment, Miller briefly replied:

"I think only one person has a better feel than me, and that's Dražen Petrović."

So what's the secret? Actually, there isn't one... At least that's what we can read from a quote from Dražen from the past:

"There are no secrets in my career. Everything I achieve are just basic elements of basketball. The simplicity is that I work more than others and I repeat my exercises more than others. I train four to five hours when I travel. During preparations, even more. I train every day, long and hard. I never missed a morning training. It didn't matter to me whether I got up at six or seven. In the gym, there were only cleaners and me. I set up chairs on the parquet floor and dribbled the ball between them. That's how I practiced dribbling. I enjoyed it."

We also enjoyed with Dražen. Thank him for everything. Dražen Petrović for all time, forever in our hearts!