One of the Nets’ greatest shooters would have a season that matched Stephen Curry before passing away that summer in 1993.
Advertisement
Stephen Curry changed the course of NBA history when he decided he wanted to start attempting 11+ shots from 3-point range a game. That game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 27th, 2016 was the tipping point where teams across the league felt as though shots beyond the arc needed to be taken much more often.
Of course, Curry wasn’t the sole pioneer in bring the 3-point revolution to fruition. Guys like Mike D’Antoni had long preached the analytical efficiency of taking less mid-range shots and more 3-pointers.
As for players, Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, Steve Kerr, and Peja Stojakovic are a few names that come to mind when you think of knock-down shooters before Curry ‘ruined the game’.
There is one more player however, who should be in the mix when talking about players who, if left open, struck fear in the hearts of his opponents.
Drazen Petrovic and Stephen Curry have the honor of sharing quite the prestigious shooting milestone.
The Portland Trailblazers paid Real Madrid $1.5 million to buy Drazen Petrovic out his contract with them to have them on their roster in 1989. He would only play 2 seasons with them before being traded to the New Jersey Nets in the 1990-91 season.
This is where Petrovic proved to be the star shooter that he knew he was. His season in 1992 and 1993 saw him average 20+ points on 44+% shooting from beyond the arc. The only other player in NBA history to put up such stats for an entire season is none other than Stephen Curry.
This of course, came at incredibly low volume shooting in comparison to what Curry shot during his seasons. Drazen attempted 3.4 shots from beyond in 1992 and 2.4 shots from beyond in 1993, as opposed to Curry regularly shooting 10+ beyond ever since his unanimous MVP season.
Petrovic wasn’t a one-dimensional player either. He could take defenders off the dribble, finish at the rim, and also knock-down the mid-range while creating a shot for himself. His stellar 3-point shooting allowed for the rest of his game to flourish as opponents had to respect his shot.
Drazen Petrovic’s best season would unfortunately be his final season in the NBA.
Drazen Petrovic would pass away in a car accident while driving to Croatia after his car collided with a semi-truck. He would be ejected from his vehicle and sustain head injuries that he would succumb to on the spot.
Following this, Game 1 of the 1993 NBA Finals would hold a moment of silence in remembrance him. The Nets would retire his #3 jersey as well. He would be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 while also being inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
