NBA Season Gets Underway – 14 Croats Now Been Involved in World’s Toughest League

Croatia has two representatives in the NBA which kicked off this week in the U.S…

Bojan Bogdanović (Brooklyn Nets) and Damjan Rudež (Indiana Pacers) were both in action for their respective teams in the season opener. Bogdanović managed ended with 7 baskets and 2 blocks in Brooklyn’s 121:105 loss to the Boston Celtics, whilst Rudež played for 15 minutes in his team’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bogdanović and Rudež now bring the total number of Croats to have played in the world’s strongest league to 14.

CROATS IN THE NBA
1989-93 – Dražen Petrović (Portland, New Jersey)
1990-92, 1996-99 – Stojko Vranković (Boston, Minnesota, L.A. Clippers)
1993-97 – Dino Rađa (Boston)
1993-06 – Toni Kukoč (Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Milwaukee)
1994-98, 1999-01 – Žan Tabak (Houston, Toronto, Boston, Indiana)
1998-05 – Bruno Šundov (Dallas, Indiana, Boston, Cleveland, New York)
2000-03 – Dalibor Bagarić (Chicago)
2002-08 – Gordan Giriček (Memphis, Orlando, Utah, Philadelphia, Phoenix)
2003-06 – Zoran Planinić (New Jersey)
2004-06 – Mario Kasun (Orlando)
2006/07 – Damir Markota (Milwaukee)
2008-10 – Roko Leni Ukić (Toronto, Milwaukee)
2014 – Bojan Bogdanović (Brooklyn Nets)
2014 – Damjan Rudež (Indiana Pacers)