June 8, 1993 - Drazen Petrovic, 28, New Jersey Nets SG:
"I have never seen any pro or amateur player work as hard," Nets Assistant Coach Tom Newell told the New York Daily News. "He's the consummate pro in commitment and dedication."
"Even if you were a fan of another team, you couldn't root against him," team-mate Sam Bowie told the Newark Star-Ledger. "You had to be impressed by him."
"You couldn't have wanted a better team-mate," New Jersey Head Coach Chuck Daly told the Newark Star-Ledger. "He was very talented, he played very hard and was able to lead by his example. He was indefatigable."
"Drazen Petrovic was an extraordinary young man, and a true pioneer in the global sport of basketball. I know that lasting part of his athletic legacy will pe paved the way for ther international players to compete successfully in the NBA. I think all Basketball fans will long remember the scene of Drazen Petrovic and his gallant Croatian team-mates, having overcome enormous hardship, recieving their silver medals at he Olympics in Barcelona. The memories of Drazen are etched in our minds. His contributions to the sport of basketball were enormous. We are all proud of fact we knew him and our thoughts remain with his family and friends. "
NBA Commissioner David J. Stern
"Then I remember one of the worst days of my life - Tuesday, June 8, 1993.
Unfortunately, I can still picture it like yesterday. At 10 minutes to seven in the morning, my dad came down the stairs, the bearer of bad news. He claimed that on Imus in the Morning, Mike Breen reported that my idol, Petrovic, had been killed the night before in an automobile accident. I couldn't comprehend the thought. After turning on ESPN and hearing the reports confirmed, I was hurt in a way I was never hurt before. " - Jim Baumbach, Sports Editor
"We feel that the Drazen Petrovic Trophy, recognizing the MVP of the McDonald's
Championship, will always commemorate the many contributions Petrovic made to our sport," said Stankovic.
"It was a thrill to play against Drazen. Every time we competed, he competed with an
aggressive attitude. He wasn't nervous. He came at me as hard as I came at him. So, we've had some great battles in the past and unfortunately, they were short battles. It's a great pleasure to receive an award in his honor. For the short time he played professional basketball in the U.S., he was one of the pioneers of European players coming over and being successful in the States. Other players have tried to follow his leadership. We have a guy on our team who worshipped Drazen and that's Boris Gorenc.
It's a great honor to win the trophy."
- Michael Jordan -
