Back In The Day NBA

Vintage Photo Conjures Memories Of Michael Jordan Vs. Drazen Petrovic

Shandel Richardson

Dec 27, 1989; Phoenix, AZ, USA; FILE PHOTO; Portland's Drazen Petrovic passes beyond the reach of Phoenix Suns Dan Majerle during 1st quarter action Tuesday. Mandatory Credit: Michael Meister-USA TODAY NETWORK
Dec 27, 1989; Phoenix, AZ, USA; FILE PHOTO; Portland's Drazen Petrovic passes beyond the reach of Phoenix Suns Dan Majerle during 1st quarter action Tuesday. Mandatory Credit: Michael Meister-USA TODAY NETWORK / Arizona Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK
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Michael Jordan had lots of rivals during his playing days.

There was Reggie Miller. And Isiah Thomas. Can't forget John Starks. And Clyde Drexler.

One of Jordan's biggest competitors, however, often gets lost in the shuffle. A resurfaced photo brought up memories of when Jordan faced Drazen Petrovic in the early 1990s.

They battled when Jordan was leading the Chicago Bulls while Petrovic teamed with Kenny Anderson and Derrick Coleman on the New Jersey Nets but they first faced off years before. Below is a photo of Jordan and Petrovic playing each other as members of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Yugoslavia national team in a 1983 scrimmage.

Petrovic was known for having no fear against Jordan. Their battles were epic up until Petrovic was killed in a car accident in 1993. Before his death. Petrovic left a lasting impression on his peers and stars of today.


During his NBA All-Star availability, LeBron James once was asked who was the greatest international player. He said Petrovic.


"Very athletic and his ability to shoot the ball," James said. "He wasn't afraid."

Even Reggie Miller had problems covering Petrovic.


"The hardest guy and the most frustrating guy I ever had to go against," Reggie Miller once said in an interview with Huffington Post. "When he was with New Jersey, that's when he really made his claim to fame ... The best shooter I had to go against."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com