The City
ZAGREB, CROATIA
Zagreb is a very important city in Croatia’s basketball history. This is where Dražen Petrović first played for Cibona. There is a museum dedicated to him in the city which is still managed and operated by his mother and other relatives. Basketball in Zagreb and all of Croatia used to be a big deal, but in recent years corruption and poor management has robbed the city of its once grand standing in European basketball.
The Run
This run only came about after having lunch with former NBA player, Damjan Rudez. Damjan invited me to play on the court he grew up playing on with one of his first coaches. It was a crisp night and most other guys had sweats and long sleeves on, but I was in my customary shorts and t-shirt. Given the short notice, Damjan was able to assemble a solid group of guys to play and it was a fun experience.
As the early afternoon became late afternoon, a few ballers started trickling through. They were having shooting contests to start and then we played a half-court game of 4-a-side. It was impossible for me to remember everyone’s names and they clearly had trouble either pronouncing or remembering my name, so they dubbed me “The Tourist.”
This was a fun start, especially being capped off by me hitting a game winner!
The Star
Damjan told me about 65-year-old Branco who was his first coach and how he was still a deadeye shooter despite his age. I was excited to play with him and see it for myself. And Branco didn’t disappoint. He was still in great physical shape, even if he moved a little slower than others, but his competitiveness and passion for the game was evident. I absolutely loved playing against him and I hope that I will be as good as he is at his age.
