Drazen Petrovic

Trail Blazer guard Drazen Petrovic returned to Portland from his native Yugoslavia because of a minor back injury.

Basketball, camaraderie, war and loss are intertwined in the hauntingly sad yet worthwhile documentary "Once Brothers," which premieres Tuesday on ESPN. The 90-minute film, written and directed by Michael Tolajian and produced by NBA Entertainment, is part of ESPN's "30 for 30" film series. It tells the story of the Yugoslavian basketball team when it was an international powerhouse in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and how the civil war in Yugoslavia undermined its efforts on the court and drove a wedge between its players from Serbia and Croatia.

More than 6,000 people turned out in Zagreb's main sports arena Thursday to applaud one last time for Drazen Petrovic, the Croatian basketball star killed in an auto accident. There were also tears as a big screen showed highlights of Drazen's play, including his performances with the New Jersey Nets as one of the NBA's top shooting guards. Drazen, 28, was known as the "Mozart of Basketball" among his Croatian fans.

The electronic message board outside the Meadowlands in New Jersey read: "In Memory of Drazen Petrovic 1964-1993." Half a world away, at the Amadeus coffee bar in Zagreb, Croatia, flowers and candles surrounded his photo, and on a table, a special edition of the daily Vecernji List carried a giant headline: "Drazen Petrovic Killed." The common denominator was a basketball player. And tears.

Drazen Petrovic, the Yugoslavian basketball star who signed a contract this summer with the Portland Trail Blazers, will miss preseason play because of back surgery. Trail Blazers' President Harry Glickman said Tuesday that the flamboyant guard, considered by many to be the best player in Europe, will miss the team's training camp and the exhibition season.

The electronic message board outside the Meadowlands in New Jersey read: "In Memory of Drazen Petrovic 1964-1993." Half a world away, at the Amadeus coffee bar in Zagreb, Croatia, flowers and candles surrounded his photo, and on a table, a special edition of the daily Vecernji List carried a giant headline: "Drazen Petrovic Killed." The common denominator was a basketball player. And tears.

Drazen Petrovic, who left the United States a few weeks ago unsure if he would return to the New Jersey Nets, was killed in an automobile accident in Germany on Monday, his attorney said. Nicholas Goyak said from his home in McMinnville, Ore., that he had spoken with members of Petrovic's family, and they confirmed that the Croatia native was killed. Television station WWOR in New Jersey reported that Petrovic was traveling with two female Americans, but did not specify their injuries.

Drazen Petrovic practiced with the New Jersey Nets for the first time since spraining his left knee March 22.

Drazen Petrovic is not campaigning off the court to become the first European selected to play in the NBA All-Star game. Petrovic--the NBA's best three-point shooter--is doing it on the court, as he did Thursday night in the New Jersey Nets' 113-103 overtime victory over the Seattle SuperSonics at East Rutherford, N.J. Petrovic made four of five three-pointers, scored 35 points and scored the go-ahead basket as the Nets handed the SuperSonics their third consecutive loss.

In the words of New Jersey Nets' executive vice president Bob Casciola, it was "a good gamble." Perhaps a more accurate assessment is that it was -- the type of gamble that has been known to backfire on the Nets. Last week, the Nets acquired Drazen Petrovic. Terry Mills also was obtained for Greg (Cadillac) Anderson, but forget that part of the deal. The key ingredients in the three-team trade were Petrovic to the Nets, Walter Davis to the Portland Trail Blazers and a Nets No. 1 pick to Denver.

Walter Davis went to Portland, Drazen Petrovic and Terry Mills moved to New Jersey, and Denver acquired a first-round draft pick and Greg Anderson Wednesday in a three-team NBA deal. Davis, who has averaged nearly 20 points per game for his 14-year career, joins an already potent guard rotation for the Trail Blazers, the defending Western Conference champions, who have the NBA's best record this season at 35-7. Davis was Denver's No. 3 scorer, averaging 18.7 points in 27 minutes this season.