'Drazen: The Remarkable Life and Legacy of the Mozart of Basketball' book review

Drazen - Todd Spehr

Todd Spehr’s “Drazen: the Life and Legacy of the Mozart of Basketball,” details the life of European basketball pioneer Drazen Petrovic. Spehr captures the winning spirit and tenacity that Petrovic displayed throughout his career. Although Americans only know Petrovic by his two notable years as a key contributor to the New Jersey Nets, his legacy stretches out to be far greater than what he is remembered to be in the United States.

Showing an unparalleled desire to hone his basketball skills from a young age, Drazen Petrovic laboriously sculpted a legendary career in the solitude of an empty basketball court in his hometown Sibenka.

"There is in Sibenka one boy who will be better than 'Kicha' [Dragan Kicanovic] and me ... He is called Drazen Petrovic. Remember the name," said his Yugoslavian club coach Zoran Slavnic.

Petrovic became Yugoslavia’s best player early in his career. Petrovic’s success in Yugoslavian basketball allowed him to change the rules for Yugoslavian athletes of the future. By threatening to disqualify himself from international competition, he managed to enter the Spanish league where he could comfortably transition to the NBA.

“I will go one day to the United States, with the professionals,” he told El Pais. “I just know that no European player has won there. I’ll be the first and nobody can stop me.”

Petrovic was drafted in 1986 by the Portland Trail Blazers, but he did not join the NBA until the 1989-90 NBA season after the Blazers bought out the remaining two years of his contract with Madrid. Petrovic was limited to the bench in his two seasons with the Trail Blazers, as he played on a very talented Portland team. Petrovic grew to be very unhappy with his limited role and demanded a trade in the middle of the 1990-91 season. Portland obliged, trading him to the New Jersey Nets.

It wasn’t so easy for Petrovic transitioning to life in the United States. He was emotionally in pain due to worrying about his family in Croatia. He was also troubled by his teammates reluctance to accept him as one of their leaders. He was driven to become the first European star player to earn his teammates respect.

As Drazen developed on the Nets, he sought the confidence which he had exuded in Euro tournaments. It was in his play against the top NBA talents that he displayed his trademark tenacity. His ability to fearlessly stand up against the greatest opponents earned him the respect of legends such as Reggie Miller.

“One shooter to the other, I envied his ability," Miller said in his autobiography, "I Love Being the Enemy."

Petrovic’s path to NBA stardom ended suddenly on June 7th, 1993. While traveling on the Autobahn in Germany, Petrovic’s car crashed into a truck. Traveling without a seat belt, Petrovic did not stand a chance; he passed at the age of 28.

Spehr’s deep and detailed work is evident in his complete coverage of Drazen’s life in Europe, his success on the Croatian National team, and his accomplishments in the NBA. His prosperity has paved the way for other Europeans such as Peja Stojakovic and Dirk Nowitzki to thrive in the NBA. His legacy can still be remembered at the Drazen Petrovic Memorial in Zagreb, Croatia.

Contributed by Michael Stern, Bruce Mayfield, Harry Smith, and Mohammed Kabir.

Author Todd Spehr gives insight into Drazen Petrovic's career

Todd Spehr is an Australian author who self published “Drazen: The Remarkable Life and Legacy of the Mozart of Basketball,” in 2015 on deceased former New Jersey Nets guard Drazen Petrovic. Spehr follows Petrovic’s life from childhood, up until his untimely death in a car crash on June 7, 1993. Spehr heard about Petrovic from a scout in Oklahoma City, prompting him to look further into Petrovic’s life.

“I wanted to understand why Europeans were thought of in a certain way and how Drazen sought to change that,” Spehr said in an April 2015 interview with the HSMSE Sports Journalism class.

Zoran Citra, a former teammate of Petrovic, wrote an article about the book Spehr was in the process of constructing. The Petrovic Museum, run by the family, noticed the story. The family hurried to support Spehr in his research. The superstar’s life lacked coverage, leaving many basketball fans unaware of his story.

“They appreciate that I am trying to relay what Drazen’s life was about,” he said.

Petrovic’s mother, Biserka, made sure to provide Spehr with as much information as possible about her son’s life growing up and their reaction to his tragic end. The family wants to translate the book so even Croatians can better understand Petrovic’s legacy.

“His mother does not speak any English, but she wrote me two separate letters that were translated,” he said. “Both of them were 8-10 pages; one was about his childhood, and the other was about how they dealt with life after he was killed. It was just unbelievable.”

Petrovic developed a close relationship with New Jersey fans in only two seasons with the Nets. His energy and flashy plays electrified the Izod Center. The shocking news of Petrovic’s death devastated the Nets organization, as well as the family and friends of the Croatian star.

“[Coach] Chuck [Daly] wanted to resign based on Drazen’s death, it shook him up pretty bad. He stayed an extra year, but after that he left, [Derrick] Coleman and [Kenny] Anderson went downhill,” Spehr said. “Even [with] the Croatian national team, same thing happened. They never placed better than third in another tournament.”

Even with his short time with the Nets, Petrovic is remembered well more than 20 years after his passing. Whether it is his number three hanging from the rafters in Brooklyn, or his museum in Croatia, basketball fans are reminded of Petrovic's all too short legacy worldwide.

Contributions by Junior Flores, and Velid Mulic