42 Athletes That Died Before 40

NBA | February 16, 2021

Drazen Petrovic

Drazen Petrovic made a huge impact on the NBA in the 1980s as the first European player to rise to prominence. He spent just five years in the NBA and was already a star before he joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 1989. Petrovic was a starter for the Nets in 1991 and he averaged more than 20 points per game during his two seasons with the team.

Sadly, in 1993, Petrovic was traveling in Germany when he was involved in a car crash that killed him. He was only 28 years old.