Krešimir Ćosić
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| Born |
26 November 1948 Zagreb, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died |
25 May 1995 (aged 46) Baltimore, Maryland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Croatian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | BYU (1970–1973) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1973 / Round: 5 / Pick: 84th overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1965–1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Center | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1984–1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1965–1969 | Zadar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973–1976 | Zadar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1978 | AŠK Olimpija | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1980 | Sinudyne Bologna | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1983 | Cibona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1984–1985 | Split | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1988 | Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1988 | Virtus Bologna | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1991 | AEK Athens | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIBA Hall of Fame as player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Krešimir Ćosić (26 November 1948 – 25 May 1995) was a Croatian[1][2][3] professional basketball player and coach who represented Yugoslavia internationally, a collegiate All-American at Brigham Young University, and a member of FIBA Hall of Fame and Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also a notable church leader and missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as the deputy ambassador of Croatia to the U.S. in Washington, D.C.[4][5]
Basketball career
He was born in Zagreb and raised in Zadar, where he started his basketball career in 1965, playing for KK Zadar. He came to the United States to play college basketball at Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1973. In the 1972 NBA Draft he was picked by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 10th round (144th overall). The following year at the 1973 NBA Draft he was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 5th round (84th overall).[6] He was the first foreign player to earn All-American honors from the United Press International, garnering them in 1972 and 1973. After his college career, he rejected several professional offers and returned home to Yugoslavia.
Ćosić played in four Summer Olympic Games: 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980 in Moscow when he led his team to the gold medal. He previously led Yugoslavia to a pair of FIBA World Championship gold medals in 1970 and 1978.[7]
Coaching
Following his playing days, he turned to coaching, and led the former Yugoslav team to a silver medal in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and two bronze medals at the 1986 FIBA World Championship and 1987 EuroBasket.
Church life
During his time at the Brigham Young University, he converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and later served as the LDS presiding priesthood holder in post-communist Croatia. He was baptized by Hugh Nibley, one of the LDS church's most celebrated scholars. Ćosić also introduced the LDS Church to Yugoslavia. He translated the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants into Croatian.
Death
In the years following basketball he worked in the United States as a Croatian diplomat at the embassy in Washington, D.C., having helped secure the land where the embassy now stands. Ćosić died in Baltimore, Maryland in 1995 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.[7]
Honors
- On 4 March 2006, Ćosić became just the second men's basketball player to have his jersey retired by BYU (the other was Danny Ainge).
- In 2007, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
- Croatian national basketball cup and KK Zadar's home arena are named after him.
- The Croatian landmark formerly known as Califfi Castle now carries the name of this basketball superstar and Churchman.
- There is a square in Zagreb, Croatia that bears his name (Trg Krešimira Ćosića).
- A street in Zadar carries his name.
- One of top medalists of FIBA's World Championships (4 medals)
- multiple participant of FIBA All-Star Games, playing on the side of European Selection roster
- FIBA's 50 Greatest Players: 1991
- 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors: 2008
References
- ↑ "Croatian Basketball Hall of Fame". www.eurobasket.com.
- ↑ "The Krešimir Ćosić Hall". www.dalekovod.hr.
- ↑ "Famous people born in Zadar / Krešimir Ćosić". www.tzzadar.hr.
- ↑ "A Dalmatian Sensation". www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 5 June 1995.
- ↑ "National Hero". www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com. In 1996, Ćosić became only the third international player ever elected to the world's Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball.
- ↑ Lakersweb Draft
- 1 2 Krešimir Ćosić. sports-reference.com
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Krešimir Ćosić. |
- Krešimir Ćosić at BYUCougars.com
- Todd Bluth. "Former BYU All-American's Jersey Retired", The Daily Universe (byu.edu), 6 March 2006
- Krešimir Ćosić profile, Basketball Hall of Fame webpage
- Krešimir Ćosić profile, Fibaeurope.com
- Krešimir Ćosić profile, interbasket.net
- FIBA Hall of Fame page on Krešimir Ćosić, halloffame.fiba.com
- Krešimir Ćosić: An Off-Court Story
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