The Most Famous

BASKETBALL PLAYERS from Croatia

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This page contains a list of the greatest Croatian Basketball Players. The pantheon dataset contains 1,757 Basketball Players, 40 of which were born in Croatia. This makes Croatia the birth place of the 4th most number of Basketball Players behind Serbia, and Lithuania.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Croatian Basketball Players of all time. This list of famous Croatian Basketball Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Croatian Basketball Players.

Photo of Dražen Petrović

1. Dražen Petrović (1964 - 1993)

With an HPI of 60.46, Dražen Petrović is the most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 52 different languages on wikipedia.

Dražen Petrović (Croatian pronunciation: [drǎʒen pětroʋitɕ]; 22 October 1964 – 7 June 1993) was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s with Cibona and Real Madrid before joining the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1989. A star on multiple international basketball stages, Petrović earned two silver medals (1988, 1992) and one bronze (1984) at the Summer Olympic Games, a gold (1990) and a bronze (1986) at the FIBA World Cup, and a gold (1989) and a bronze (1987) at the FIBA EuroBasket. He was the FIBA World Championship MVP in 1986 and the FIBA EuroBasket MVP in 1989. With Cibona Zagreb, Petrović also won two consecutive EuroLeague championships in 1985 and 1986. He first represented Yugoslavia's senior national team and later Croatia's senior national team. He earned four Euroscars and was named Mr. Europa twice. In 1985, he received the Golden Badge award for the best athlete of Yugoslavia. Seeking a bigger arena after his career started in Europe, Petrović joined the NBA in 1989, as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. After playing mostly off the bench that year, Petrović experienced a breakthrough following a trade to the New Jersey Nets. While starting for the Nets, he became one of the league's best shooting guards. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. On 7 June 1993, Petrović's career and life were cut short after he died in a car accident at the age of 28. In 1993, Petrović's jersey number 3 was retired by the Nets, and the Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall was named in his honor. He also received the Olympic Order in 1993. In 2002, he was posthumously enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2006, the Dražen Petrović Award was created in his honor. In 2007, he was posthumously inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. He was named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008. In 2013, he was voted the best European Basketball player in history, by players at the 2013 FIBA EuroBasket. Petrović is considered a crucial part of the vanguard to the present-day mass influx of European players into the NBA, and to this day he is viewed as a national hero in Croatia.

Photo of Krešimir Ćosić

2. Krešimir Ćosić (1948 - 1995)

With an HPI of 58.20, Krešimir Ćosić is the 2nd most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Krešimir "Krešo" Ćosić (Croatian pronunciation: [krěʃimir t͡ɕɔ̌ːsit͡ɕ]; 26 November 1948 – 25 May 1995) was a Croatian professional basketball player and coach. He was a collegiate All-American at Brigham Young University. He revolutionized basketball in Yugoslavia and was the first basketball player in the world to play all five positions. In 1996, Ćosić became only the third international player ever elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (the second male player). He is one of 62 people in the world that received the FIBA Order of Merit. In 2006, he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2007, he was also an inaugural member of the FIBA Hall of Fame. The Croatian Basketball Cup, and KK Zadar's home arena, are named after him. Ćosić was voted best Croatian athlete of the 20th century twice; by Croatian Sports News and by Croatian National Television. Ćosić was a notable church leader and missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as the deputy ambassador of Croatia to the U.S., in Washington, D.C.

Photo of Toni Kukoč

3. Toni Kukoč (b. 1968)

With an HPI of 54.02, Toni Kukoč is the 3rd most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 42 different languages.

Toni Kukoč (pronounced [kukotʃ]; born September 18, 1968) is a Croatian former professional basketball player who serves as Special Advisor to Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls. After a highly successful period in European basketball, he was one of the first established European stars to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kukoč played for four NBA teams between 1993 and 2006, winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1996. He is a three-time NBA champion, having won championships with the Chicago Bulls in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Nicknamed "The Croatian Sensation," Kukoč is renowned for his versatility and passing ability. Although his natural position was small forward, the 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Kukoč played multiple positions and demonstrated court vision and an outside shooting touch that were seldom found in players of his height. He also enjoyed success in international play, winning Olympic silver medals in 1988 (playing for Yugoslavia) and 1992 (playing for Croatia). Kukoč and Vassilis Spanoulis are the only players in history to receive the EuroLeague Final Four MVP honor on three occasions. He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. In 2023, he was selected to be in the inaugural class of the Chicago Bulls' Ring of Honor.

Photo of Petar Skansi

4. Petar Skansi (1943 - 2022)

With an HPI of 50.94, Petar Skansi is the 4th most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Petar Skansi (23 November 1943 – 4 April 2022) was a Croatian professional basketball player and coach. During his playing career, he played for Jugoplastika and Maxmobili Pesaro. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. He was a member of the Yugoslavia national team that silver medalled at the 1968 Summer Olympics. For his basketball achievements, he was awarded the Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport twice, in 1992 and 2003. He also had a political stint as a deputy minister of sports in Croatia.

Photo of Velimir Perasović

5. Velimir Perasović (b. 1965)

With an HPI of 50.83, Velimir Perasović is the 5th most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Velimir Perasović (pronounced [vèlimir pèrȃsovitɕ]; born 9 February 1965) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player. He is serving as the head coach for the Russian team UNICS Kazan of the VTB United League.

Photo of Dino Rađa

6. Dino Rađa (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 50.43, Dino Rađa is the 6th most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Dino Rađa (Anglicized: Dino Radja, Croatian pronunciation: [ˌdǐːno ˈrâd͜ʑa]; born 24 April 1967) is a Croatian former professional basketball player. He was a member of the Jugoplastika team of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which he helped to win two FIBA European Champions Cup championships (1989 and 1990). He spent three and a half seasons with the Boston Celtics, being one of the European pioneers in the NBA. Rađa was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991, and one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, as a member of the 2018 class. He was inducted into the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame, in 2022.

Photo of Aleksandar Petrović

7. Aleksandar Petrović (b. 1959)

With an HPI of 49.42, Aleksandar Petrović is the 7th most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Aleksandar "Aco" Petrović (pronounced [aleksǎːndar at͡so pětroʋitɕ]; born 16 February 1959) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Brazil men's national team.

Photo of Vinko Jelovac

8. Vinko Jelovac (b. 1948)

With an HPI of 48.61, Vinko Jelovac is the 8th most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Vinko Jelovac (alternate spelling: Vinto Jelovac) (born 18 November 1948 in Pazin, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia) is a former Slovenian-Croatian professional basketball player and coach. At a height of 2.08 m (6'10") tall, and a weight of 120 kg (265 lbs.), he played at the center position. Jelovac was named Slovenian Sportsman of the Year, in 1973 and 1974. Jelovac, who is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Yugoslav First Federal League, was inducted into the Slovenian Athletes Hall of Fame, in 2012.

Photo of Andro Knego

9. Andro Knego (b. 1956)

With an HPI of 47.27, Andro Knego is the 9th most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Andrija "Andro" Knego (born 21 October 1956) is a Croatian former professional basketball player.

Photo of Damir Šolman

10. Damir Šolman (1948 - 2023)

With an HPI of 46.71, Damir Šolman is the 10th most famous Croatian Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Damir Šolman (7 September 1948 – 2 May 2023) was a Croatian professional basketball player.

People

Pantheon has 44 people classified as Croatian basketball players born between 1943 and 1997. Of these 44, 40 (90.91%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Croatian basketball players include Toni Kukoč, Velimir Perasović, and Dino Rađa. The most famous deceased Croatian basketball players include Dražen Petrović, Krešimir Ćosić, and Petar Skansi. As of April 2024, 4 new Croatian basketball players have been added to Pantheon including Damir Šolman, Veljko Mršić, and Alan Gregov.

Living Croatian Basketball Players

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Deceased Croatian Basketball Players

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Newly Added Croatian Basketball Players (2024)

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Overlapping Lives

Which Basketball Players were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Basketball Players since 1700.