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=== New Jersey ===
[[Image:Petrovic.jpg|thumb|Nets jersey of Dražen Petrović]]
On [[January 23]], [[1991]], Petrović became a member of the New Jersey Nets. Petrović was now a part of a team that featured two of the best young prospects in the league, [[Kenny Anderson]] and [[Derrick Coleman]], but a team that hadn't reached the playoffs since [[1985-86 NBA season|1986]]. Determined to not let the Portland episode repeat, he immediately responded to the increased playing time (20.5 minutes per game), holding a scoring average of 12.6 points per game in 43 games with the Nets. His first complete season with the Nets was truly stellar: not missing a single game, ''Petro'', as he had been dubbed, averaged 20.6 points in 36.9 minutes on the floor, leading all NBA [[Guard (basketball)|guard]]s in field goal percentage (51%); he established himself as the team leader and was proclaimed team's [[Most Valuable Player|MVP]]. More significantly, his success translated into team success, as the Nets recorded 14 more wins than the season before and made the playoffs. For his encore, in [[1992-93 NBA season|1992-1993 season]] Petrović increased his scoring average (22.3) and repeated the excellent three-point field goal percentage from the previous season (45%), again leading all guards in field goal percentage (52%). American media honored him with a selection to the All-NBA 3rd Team. However, a failure to receive an invitation to the 1993 [[National Basketball Association All-Star Game|All-Star game]] came as a great disappointment to Petrović; he was the only one among the top 15 scorers in the NBA that season who did not get invited.
[[1992]] [[Olympic Games]] in [[Barcelona]] marked the first summer olympiad featuring the independent Croatia, and Petrović was the leader of the Croatian national basketball team at the Olympic basketball tournament. Losing only to the American [[Dream Team (basketball)|Dream Team]] in [[round-robin]] play, strong and inspired Croatian team made it to the finals - with clutch free throws executed by Petrović in the semi-final game against [[Unified Team|the revamped Soviet team]]. In the end, the now-legendary team composed of NBA stars proved too tough for Croatia, sending Petrović and his teammates home with silver medals.
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