STORY: Memorial basketball zone set up in Zagreb to commemorate Drazen Petrovic
SHOOTING TIME: Sept. 4, 2024
DATELINE: Sept. 5, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:32
LOCATION: Zagreb
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the zone
2. SOUNDBITE (Croatian): IGOR PLANCIC, Local resident

STORYLINE:

In honor of Drazen Petrovic, a legendary Croatian basketball player, a fan zone has been set up recently at the Zrinjevac Park in the center of Zagreb. 

Basketball fans can play basketball and learn more about the great career of Petrovic in the zone.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian): IGOR PLANCIC, Local resident
"Drazen Petrovic is the best basketball player I remember from my childhood. I think he is the best Croatian basketball player of all time. I watched him at the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992, and I watched him in the NBA when he played for the Portland Trailblazers and the New Jersey Nets. In the end, it was the saddest possible story."

Petrovic was born in Sibenik on Oct. 22, 1964. Before moving to the NBA league, he played for his hometown teams Sibenka and Cibona Zagreb. He joined then the Spanish club Real Madrid and later moved to the Portland Trailblazers in the United States.

In his career, Petrovic won two consecutive EuroLeague championships in 1985 and 1986. In 1992, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, he led the newly formed country, Croatia, to the final game in which Croatia lost to the American Dream Team.

If he had not died in a tragic car accident in 1993, Petrovic would celebrate his 60th birthday in October this year.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Zagreb.
(XHTV)