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Drazen Petrovic was the advent of one of the most far-reaching changes in the makeup of the NBA, -- the international influence.The Croatian native led the national team of the former Yugoslavia to gold medals at European and World Championships and a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics before developing into one of the NBA's top shooting guards with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Jersey Nets. However, tragedy cut his career short when he died in an automobile accident in Germany at age 28.In four short seasons in the NBA, he was a blazing comet of tireless enthusiasm who made an everlasting mark. Petrovic had shooting skills to match his energy."Even if you were a fan of another team, you couldn't root against him," Nets teammate Sam Bowie told the Newark Star-Ledger. "You had to be impressed by him."In the 1992 offseason Petrovic returned to his homeland to lead the newly independent Croatia to a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics and providing the only brief scare to the United States Dream Team during the entire tournament. In the gold medal round, Croatia took a 25-23 lead against the Dream Team before falling 117-85, which featured such NBA rivals as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, against whom Petrovic (playing point guard rather than shooting guard) scored 19 points.The media voted him to the All-NBA Third Team at season's end. Fans loved his enthusiasm and energy, and his coaches admired the fact that he devoted offseason time to improving his game, especially his defense. "You couldn't have wanted a better teammate," 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."Following a 30-point effort in a qualifying tournament in Poland, Petrovic detoured to Germany to visit his girlfriend. On June 7 he was en route to Munich when the car in which he was a passenger slammed into a tractor-trailer. He died instantly. He was only 28 years old.The loss particularly stunned European fans. "It's hard for you to imagine here in America, because you have so many great players," his brother told the New York Daily News. "But we are a country of four million. Without him, basketball takes three steps back."Late in 1993 the Nets retired Petrovic's uniform No. 3 in tribute. Another lasting legacy Petrovic leaves is the Drazen Petrovic Trophy which is awarded to the MVP of the McDonalds Championship, the series between the NBA Champion and the European Champion.