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BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ELECTS SIX NEW MEMBERS
— One of the most diverse classes in Hall of Fame history features North American electees Clyde Drexler, Jerry Colangelo and Bill Sharman; Women's electee Lynette Woodard; Veteran's electee Maurice Stokes; and International electee Drazen Dalipagic —
SAN ANTONIO, TX., April 5, 2004 — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that four players, one coach and one contributor have been elected for Enshrinement September 10, 2004 in Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of basketball. The six new electees represent the 46th group to enter the Hall of Fame since the institution began the process in 1959.
John L. Doleva, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Basketball Hall of Fame, announced that former Portland Trail Blazer and Houston Rockets All-Star Clyde Drexler, Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, championship coach Bill Sharman, legendary women's basketball superstar Lynette Woodard, the late Maurice Stokes, and dominant international guard Drazen Dalipagic comprise the Class of 2004. Sharman joins John Wooden and Lenny Wilkens as only the third person in Basketball Hall of Fame history to be enshrined as both a coach and a player (1976).
The Class of 2004 was selected from a group of 16 finalists. The Honors Committee elected Drexler and Woodard on their first year of eligibility. Colangelo and Sharman had been finalists the previous two years; Dalipagic was a finalist last year and Stokes was a first-time finalist after being reactivated by the Veterans Committee in 2003.
INTERNATIONAL ELECTEE
DRAZEN DALIPAGIC, a native of Mostar, Yugoslavia was the premier International guard of his era, playing for Partizan in the former Yugoslavia and in the Italian League. Dalipagic, who was named the European Player of the Year in 1977, 1978 and 1980, earned 12 medals in European, World and Olympic competition. His four medals in the World Championships (Silver, 1974; Gold, 1978; Bronze, 1982 and 1986) are FIBA records. Dalipagic won three Gold Medals in the European Championships (1973, '1975 and 1977), second in history to Hall of Famer Sergei Belov of the Soviet Union. A member of the Gold Medal winning Yugoslavian Olympic Team in 1980, the high-scoring guard averaged 33.7 points per game in seven seasons playing for Partizan during the 1986-87 season. While playing for Reyer Venice, Dalipagic set the single game scoring record with 70 points. He also scored 50 points in the 1978 European Korac Cup title game and continued his offensive prowess in Italy, playing for Reyer Venice and APU Udine. During his Italian playing career, Dalipagic scored 50 points in a game 15 times and led both the A-1 and A-2 League in scoring. He holds the Italian playoff career scoring average record, 34.7 ppg.
http://www.hoophall.com/news/2004_class_release.htm
_______________________________________
'Sky Jumper' Dalipagic reaches Hall of Fame
Long before Pedja, Toni, Sabas, Dirk or Pau, another European basketball pioneer had a chance to join the most successful NBA team ever, but decided that playing for his country was more important. Almost three decades later, Drazen Dalipagic, a member of the Euroleague Technical Commission, is being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. During an international career that includes a record four World Championships medals for Yugoslavia, his silver-medal performance in the 1976 Olympics at Montreal led to Dalipagic almost joining the Boston Celtics months later. Boston legend Red Auerbach called Dalipagic the "heir" to Celtics hero John Havlicek. In the end, Dalipagic turned down the NBA because it would have meant renouncing his amateur status and the right to play for Yugoslavia internationally. Four years later, he and Yugoslavia won gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. As Dalipagic returns today to the birthplace of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts to take his rightful place in the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Euroleague salutes him.
Dalipagic was born in Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) in 1951 and didn't start playing basketball until age 19! After a season in Lokomotiva Mostar, legendary coach Ranko Zeravica took Dalipagic to Partizan Belgradein the summer of 1971. He won his first gold medal just two years later, at the 1973 European Championships in Barcelona, his international debut. By the time Dalipagic retired from his national team in 1986, he had played 243 official games, second only to another Hall of Famer, Kresimir Cosic (303). Dalipagic remains Yugoslavia's top scorer ever, with 3,131 points. His won 12 medals total - four at World Championships (gold, silver, two bronzes), three at the Olympic Games (gold, silver, bronze) and five at European Championships (three golds, silver, bronze). He was selected Europe's best player three times and sportsman of the year once in Yugoslavia. After leaving Partizan, he played in Italy (Venezia, Udine, Verona), and Spain (Real Madrid) before finishing his career in Red Star. He still holds the single-game Italian League record of 71 points scored for Verona against Virtus Bologna in 1986-87. He scored 50 points or more 15 times in his career. Dalipagic remains Partizan's top scorer ever with 8,278 points in 305 games. He is currently is the sports director of KK Atlas in Belgrade and has been a member of the Euroleague technical commission for over a year.
To understand what kind of player Dalipagic was, you have to imagine the following combination: the shooting skills of Pedja Stojakovic, the explosiveness of Andres Nocioni, the rebounding skills of Felipe Reyes and the speed of Sarunas Marciulionis. An exaggeration? Perhaps, but a written offer from Auerbach and the Celtics in 1976 to become the first European in the NBA proves he was an amazing player. Dalipagic was a natural born scorer and amazing shooter with enormous strength, which allowed him to finish the most spectacular of shots. Shortly after arriving in Belgrade from Mostar at age 19, he earned the title "Sky Jumper", owing to his extraordinary leaping abilities.
His slam dunks were spectacular, as were his shots from either corner. When he raised the ball to the basket, every shot seemed destined go in due to his exceptional form. The advent of the three-point play in FIBA came when he was 33 years old, but he still had a few good years left in him and some records that still needed to be broken in the league. He was 36 when he scored those 71 points for Verona almost without missing a shot in the whole game. Drazen Dalipagic was bigger than life, a true superstar who burned brightly for many years and that still graces the memories of those who had the luck to see him play.
Sep 10, 2004 Vladimir Stankovic, Euroleague.net
http://www.euroleague.net/noticia.jsp?temporada=E03&jornada=27&id=359
_______________________________________
Top 16 talk with: Drazen Dalipagic
In the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal, Canada, the United States won the gold medal by defeating Yugoslavia 95-74 in the final game. One of the biggest stars for Yugoslavia was Drazen Dalipagic. It was a different time, and the NBA didn't pay attention to European players. The NBA scouts - nowadays are all over Europe, even at youth tournaments - preferred players from U.S. universities and NBA coaches didn't believe that any European player could play quality minutes in the league. But Red Auerbach, the man who turned the Boston Celtics into a legend, saw farther than most. After the Olympics, Auerbach invited Dalipagic to the Boston Celtics summer camp. Dalipagic accepted the invitation. "Auerbach was so convinced that I would stay that he called John Havlicek, a living legend in Boston, and introduced me to him saying: this is your heir!" Dalipagic recalled. "John was really kind to me, gave me a lot of support, but the circumstances didn't allow me to stay."
What happened at the Celtics camp that summer of 1976?
"There were 30 players there and after 15 days of hard work, Red Auerbach himself came to me and told me he was considering only two players: a man called Norm Cook and me. Cook, being American, was happy about it and I think he signed a contract, but I had to decide if I should stay or not"
We know the answer was "no". Why?
"We are talking about something that happened 28 years ago. It may look impossible or ridiculous nowadays, but back them there was no relationship between FIBA and the NBA. We had amateur status in Europe and all relationships with the professional world were banned. I thought about it for some days and I decided not to accept the offer because I couldn't imagine not playing again for my country, and I don't regret that decision. After rejecting Boston's offer, I won - among other titles - another European Championship in 1977, the World Basketball Championship in Manila in 1978 and the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, all with the Yugoslavian national team. If I played in Boston, winning all those titles would have win impossible."
Honestly, do you think you could have been the first European player in the NBA?
"Honestly, yes. I saw in practice that I could have played in the NBA. And I'll tell you something more: Auerbach was so convinced that I would stay that he called John Havlicek, a living legend in Boston, and introduced me to him saying: this is your heir! John was really kind to me, gave me a lot of support, but the circumstances didn't allow me to stay."
Do you think that the players of your generation, the best European players back then, could have done great things overseas like the European these days?
"I am sure of that. The only difference is that the colleges then prepared more quality players and making it to a NBA team was an adventure and a real prize for the best players. It is not like that today: the U.S. doesn't produce as many talented players and the NBA has to look for them in Europe. There always have been, are and always will be very good players in Europe. The key difference now is in the physical improvement of European players. It was never a question of talent, but they were worse physically. These days, with the right preparation, they are given key roles because they have talent, skills and common sense."
What does making it to the Hall Of Fame mean to you?
"It means a lot: it is a fantastic recognition. I am proud to become the first player in Serbia and Montenegro to make it to the Hall of Fame. I will join my late, lamented teammate Kresimir Cosic, whom I played with for several years and whom I teamed up in all my medal-winning teams, and also Drazen Petrovic, who was my teammate in the Yugoslavian national team in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 1984 and at the World Championships in Spain in 1986... It is a special feeling."
Congratulations for everything. We also hear you are a close follower of the Euroleague, right?
"Of course, I am enjoying it a lot. I was always at the arena this season when Partizan was still in the competition, but now I follow it on TV. The competition system in fantastic: it guarantees emotions until the final moment."
What is your opinion of what might happen in the final weeks in the Euroleague season?
"CSKA has already made it to the Final Four, confirming its great season, but that doesn't guarantee anything. Any team can win in Tel Aviv, just like at any Final Four. I won't risk making a prediction, but it is going to be the same to me: I am sure we will see a great Final Four."
Apr 5, 2004 Vladimir Stankovic, Euroleague.net
http://www.euroleague.net/noticia.jsp?temporada=E03&jornada=19&id=381
— One of the most diverse classes in Hall of Fame history features North American electees Clyde Drexler, Jerry Colangelo and Bill Sharman; Women's electee Lynette Woodard; Veteran's electee Maurice Stokes; and International electee Drazen Dalipagic —
SAN ANTONIO, TX., April 5, 2004 — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that four players, one coach and one contributor have been elected for Enshrinement September 10, 2004 in Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of basketball. The six new electees represent the 46th group to enter the Hall of Fame since the institution began the process in 1959.
John L. Doleva, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Basketball Hall of Fame, announced that former Portland Trail Blazer and Houston Rockets All-Star Clyde Drexler, Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, championship coach Bill Sharman, legendary women's basketball superstar Lynette Woodard, the late Maurice Stokes, and dominant international guard Drazen Dalipagic comprise the Class of 2004. Sharman joins John Wooden and Lenny Wilkens as only the third person in Basketball Hall of Fame history to be enshrined as both a coach and a player (1976).
The Class of 2004 was selected from a group of 16 finalists. The Honors Committee elected Drexler and Woodard on their first year of eligibility. Colangelo and Sharman had been finalists the previous two years; Dalipagic was a finalist last year and Stokes was a first-time finalist after being reactivated by the Veterans Committee in 2003.
INTERNATIONAL ELECTEE
DRAZEN DALIPAGIC, a native of Mostar, Yugoslavia was the premier International guard of his era, playing for Partizan in the former Yugoslavia and in the Italian League. Dalipagic, who was named the European Player of the Year in 1977, 1978 and 1980, earned 12 medals in European, World and Olympic competition. His four medals in the World Championships (Silver, 1974; Gold, 1978; Bronze, 1982 and 1986) are FIBA records. Dalipagic won three Gold Medals in the European Championships (1973, '1975 and 1977), second in history to Hall of Famer Sergei Belov of the Soviet Union. A member of the Gold Medal winning Yugoslavian Olympic Team in 1980, the high-scoring guard averaged 33.7 points per game in seven seasons playing for Partizan during the 1986-87 season. While playing for Reyer Venice, Dalipagic set the single game scoring record with 70 points. He also scored 50 points in the 1978 European Korac Cup title game and continued his offensive prowess in Italy, playing for Reyer Venice and APU Udine. During his Italian playing career, Dalipagic scored 50 points in a game 15 times and led both the A-1 and A-2 League in scoring. He holds the Italian playoff career scoring average record, 34.7 ppg.
http://www.hoophall.com/news/2004_class_release.htm
_______________________________________
'Sky Jumper' Dalipagic reaches Hall of Fame
Long before Pedja, Toni, Sabas, Dirk or Pau, another European basketball pioneer had a chance to join the most successful NBA team ever, but decided that playing for his country was more important. Almost three decades later, Drazen Dalipagic, a member of the Euroleague Technical Commission, is being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. During an international career that includes a record four World Championships medals for Yugoslavia, his silver-medal performance in the 1976 Olympics at Montreal led to Dalipagic almost joining the Boston Celtics months later. Boston legend Red Auerbach called Dalipagic the "heir" to Celtics hero John Havlicek. In the end, Dalipagic turned down the NBA because it would have meant renouncing his amateur status and the right to play for Yugoslavia internationally. Four years later, he and Yugoslavia won gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. As Dalipagic returns today to the birthplace of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts to take his rightful place in the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Euroleague salutes him.
Dalipagic was born in Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) in 1951 and didn't start playing basketball until age 19! After a season in Lokomotiva Mostar, legendary coach Ranko Zeravica took Dalipagic to Partizan Belgradein the summer of 1971. He won his first gold medal just two years later, at the 1973 European Championships in Barcelona, his international debut. By the time Dalipagic retired from his national team in 1986, he had played 243 official games, second only to another Hall of Famer, Kresimir Cosic (303). Dalipagic remains Yugoslavia's top scorer ever, with 3,131 points. His won 12 medals total - four at World Championships (gold, silver, two bronzes), three at the Olympic Games (gold, silver, bronze) and five at European Championships (three golds, silver, bronze). He was selected Europe's best player three times and sportsman of the year once in Yugoslavia. After leaving Partizan, he played in Italy (Venezia, Udine, Verona), and Spain (Real Madrid) before finishing his career in Red Star. He still holds the single-game Italian League record of 71 points scored for Verona against Virtus Bologna in 1986-87. He scored 50 points or more 15 times in his career. Dalipagic remains Partizan's top scorer ever with 8,278 points in 305 games. He is currently is the sports director of KK Atlas in Belgrade and has been a member of the Euroleague technical commission for over a year.
To understand what kind of player Dalipagic was, you have to imagine the following combination: the shooting skills of Pedja Stojakovic, the explosiveness of Andres Nocioni, the rebounding skills of Felipe Reyes and the speed of Sarunas Marciulionis. An exaggeration? Perhaps, but a written offer from Auerbach and the Celtics in 1976 to become the first European in the NBA proves he was an amazing player. Dalipagic was a natural born scorer and amazing shooter with enormous strength, which allowed him to finish the most spectacular of shots. Shortly after arriving in Belgrade from Mostar at age 19, he earned the title "Sky Jumper", owing to his extraordinary leaping abilities.
His slam dunks were spectacular, as were his shots from either corner. When he raised the ball to the basket, every shot seemed destined go in due to his exceptional form. The advent of the three-point play in FIBA came when he was 33 years old, but he still had a few good years left in him and some records that still needed to be broken in the league. He was 36 when he scored those 71 points for Verona almost without missing a shot in the whole game. Drazen Dalipagic was bigger than life, a true superstar who burned brightly for many years and that still graces the memories of those who had the luck to see him play.
Sep 10, 2004 Vladimir Stankovic, Euroleague.net
http://www.euroleague.net/noticia.jsp?temporada=E03&jornada=27&id=359
_______________________________________
Top 16 talk with: Drazen Dalipagic
In the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal, Canada, the United States won the gold medal by defeating Yugoslavia 95-74 in the final game. One of the biggest stars for Yugoslavia was Drazen Dalipagic. It was a different time, and the NBA didn't pay attention to European players. The NBA scouts - nowadays are all over Europe, even at youth tournaments - preferred players from U.S. universities and NBA coaches didn't believe that any European player could play quality minutes in the league. But Red Auerbach, the man who turned the Boston Celtics into a legend, saw farther than most. After the Olympics, Auerbach invited Dalipagic to the Boston Celtics summer camp. Dalipagic accepted the invitation. "Auerbach was so convinced that I would stay that he called John Havlicek, a living legend in Boston, and introduced me to him saying: this is your heir!" Dalipagic recalled. "John was really kind to me, gave me a lot of support, but the circumstances didn't allow me to stay."
What happened at the Celtics camp that summer of 1976?
"There were 30 players there and after 15 days of hard work, Red Auerbach himself came to me and told me he was considering only two players: a man called Norm Cook and me. Cook, being American, was happy about it and I think he signed a contract, but I had to decide if I should stay or not"
We know the answer was "no". Why?
"We are talking about something that happened 28 years ago. It may look impossible or ridiculous nowadays, but back them there was no relationship between FIBA and the NBA. We had amateur status in Europe and all relationships with the professional world were banned. I thought about it for some days and I decided not to accept the offer because I couldn't imagine not playing again for my country, and I don't regret that decision. After rejecting Boston's offer, I won - among other titles - another European Championship in 1977, the World Basketball Championship in Manila in 1978 and the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, all with the Yugoslavian national team. If I played in Boston, winning all those titles would have win impossible."
Honestly, do you think you could have been the first European player in the NBA?
"Honestly, yes. I saw in practice that I could have played in the NBA. And I'll tell you something more: Auerbach was so convinced that I would stay that he called John Havlicek, a living legend in Boston, and introduced me to him saying: this is your heir! John was really kind to me, gave me a lot of support, but the circumstances didn't allow me to stay."
Do you think that the players of your generation, the best European players back then, could have done great things overseas like the European these days?
"I am sure of that. The only difference is that the colleges then prepared more quality players and making it to a NBA team was an adventure and a real prize for the best players. It is not like that today: the U.S. doesn't produce as many talented players and the NBA has to look for them in Europe. There always have been, are and always will be very good players in Europe. The key difference now is in the physical improvement of European players. It was never a question of talent, but they were worse physically. These days, with the right preparation, they are given key roles because they have talent, skills and common sense."
What does making it to the Hall Of Fame mean to you?
"It means a lot: it is a fantastic recognition. I am proud to become the first player in Serbia and Montenegro to make it to the Hall of Fame. I will join my late, lamented teammate Kresimir Cosic, whom I played with for several years and whom I teamed up in all my medal-winning teams, and also Drazen Petrovic, who was my teammate in the Yugoslavian national team in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 1984 and at the World Championships in Spain in 1986... It is a special feeling."
Congratulations for everything. We also hear you are a close follower of the Euroleague, right?
"Of course, I am enjoying it a lot. I was always at the arena this season when Partizan was still in the competition, but now I follow it on TV. The competition system in fantastic: it guarantees emotions until the final moment."
What is your opinion of what might happen in the final weeks in the Euroleague season?
"CSKA has already made it to the Final Four, confirming its great season, but that doesn't guarantee anything. Any team can win in Tel Aviv, just like at any Final Four. I won't risk making a prediction, but it is going to be the same to me: I am sure we will see a great Final Four."
Apr 5, 2004 Vladimir Stankovic, Euroleague.net
http://www.euroleague.net/noticia.jsp?temporada=E03&jornada=19&id=381
