Krešimir Ćosić
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Zagreb, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia | November 26, 1948|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | May 25, 1995 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 46)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Croatian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College | BYU (1970–1973) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 1973: 5th round, 84th overall pick | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 1965–1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Center | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching career | 1984–1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As player: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1965–1969 | KK Zadar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1973–1976 | KK Zadar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1976–1978 | AŠK Olimpija | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1978–1980 | Sinudyne Bologna | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1980–1983 | KK Cibona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1984–1985 | KK Split | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1986–1988 | Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1987–1988 | Virtus Bologna | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1988–1991 | AEK Athens | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Basketball Hall of Fame as player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIBA Hall of Fame as player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Krešimir Ćosić (Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [krěʃimir t͡ɕɔ̌ːsit͡ɕ]; 26 November 1948 – 25 May 1995) was a Croatian[1][2][3] professional basketball player and coach.
He was a collegiate All-American at Brigham Young University who represented Yugoslavia internationally, and is a member of the 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]
In 1996, Ćosić became only the third international player ever elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Croatian Basketball Cup and KK Zadar's home arena are named after him.
Basketball career
Ćosić was born in Zagreb, SR Croatia on 26 November 1948 to Ante and Darinka Ćosić. He was raised in Zadar, and in 1965 started his basketball career playing for KK Zadar.
He made his national team debut for Yugoslavia at the age of 17 after being called up by Ranko Žeravica, and won a silver medal at the 1967 FIBA World Championship. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, he won another silver medal. While with Zadar he won three Yugoslav League titles: 1965, 1967 and 1968.[6]
In the summer of 1968 Ćosić was in a European team with Finnish player Veikko Vainio. Vainio, a student at Brigham Young University, told him about life in college and invited him to play for BYU. Ćosić accepted this invitation and moved to the United States in 1969.[6] In his freshman year he played 12 games, averaging 17.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. In his sophomore year he averaged 15 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, leading BYU to the 1971 WAC Championship.
In his junior year he again led his team to the WAC Championship, averaging 22.3 points and 12.8 rebounds per game and being awarded All-American honors by the United Press International, the first non-American player to do so. In the 1972 NBA Draft he was picked by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 10th round (144th overall) but opted to stay with BYU.
As a senior, he averaged 20.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and again was given All-American honors by the United Press International.[7] At the 1973 NBA Draft he was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 5th round (84th overall).[8] He rejected several professional offers and returned home to Croatia with KK Zadar.
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.[9]
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. According to Nibley, Kresimir told him, "There are a hundred reasons why I should not join the Church, and only one reason why I should - because it is true." [10]
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.[9] He was survived by his wife, Ljerka, his two daughters and his son Krešimir.[11]
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.
- ^ a b Stankovic, Vladimir. "Kresimir Cosic, a player ahead of his time". EuroLeague.
- ^ "KRESIMIR COSIC". Brigham Young University.
- ^ Lakersweb Draft
- ^ a b Krešimir Ćosić. sports-reference.com
- ^ Nibley, Eloquent Witness (2008, ISBN 9781606410035), page 261.
- ^ Harmon, Dick (8 June 2015). "Kresimir Cosic honored in Croatia, teammate on hand for celebration". Deseret News.
External links
- 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
- 1948 births
- 1995 deaths
- AEK B.C. coaches
- Basketball players at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 1980 Summer Olympics
- Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery
- BYU Cougars men's basketball players
- Deaths from cancer in Maryland
- Centers (basketball)
- Converts to Mormonism
- Croatian basketball coaches
- Croatian men's basketball players
- Croatian diplomats
- Croatian Latter Day Saints
- Croatian translators
- Deaths from lymphoma
- English–Croatian translators
- FIBA EuroBasket-winning players
- FIBA Hall of Fame inductees
- Franjo Bučar Award winners
- KK Cibona players
- KK Split coaches
- KK Zadar players
- KK Zadar coaches
- Lega Basket Serie A players
- Los Angeles Lakers draft picks
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- Olympic basketball players of Yugoslavia
- Olympic gold medalists for Yugoslavia
- Olympic medalists in basketball
- Olympic silver medalists for Yugoslavia
- Portland Trail Blazers draft picks
- Sportspeople from Zagreb
- Translators of the Book of Mormon
- Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna players
- Yugoslav basketball coaches
- Yugoslav men's basketball players
- 20th-century translators
- European champions for Yugoslavia
- Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna coaches
- Yugoslav expatriates in the United States
- Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Yugoslavia
- Competitors at the 1967 Mediterranean Games
- Competitors at the 1971 Mediterranean Games