Krešimir Ćosić

Krešimir Ćosić

XX. Olympic games Munich 1972 – Krešimir Ćosić (nr.11) (Yugoslavia) vs. Petr Novický (Czechoslovakia)
Personal information
Born	(1948-11-26)November 26, 1948 Zagreb, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia
Died	May 25, 1995(1995-05-25) (aged 46)
Nationality	Croatian
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (211 cm)
Career information
College	BYU (1970–1973)
NBA draft	1973 / Round: 5 / Pick: 84th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Pro playing career	1965–1983
Career history
1965–1969 1973–1976	KK Zadar
1976–1978	Olimpija
1978–1980	Virtus Bologna
1980–1983	Cibona
Career highlights and awards
EuroBasket MVP (1971, 1975) 2x fourth team All-American – NABC (1972–1973) No. 11 retired by BYU
Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006
Medals Competitor for  Yugoslavia Men's Basketball Summer Olympic Games Silver 1968 Mexico City National Team Silver 1976 Montreal National Team Gold 1980 Moscow National Team FIBA World Cup Silver 1967 Montevideo National Team Gold 1970 Ljubljana National Team Silver 1974 Puerto Rico National Team Gold 1978 Philippines National Team FIBA EuroBasket Silver 1969 Italy National Team Silver 1971 West Germany National Team Gold 1973 Spain National Team Gold 1975 Yugoslavia National Team Gold 1977 Belgium National Team Bronze 1979 Italy National Team Silver 1981 Czechoslovakia National Team Mediterranean Games Gold 1967 Tunis National Team Gold 1971 Izmir National Team

Krešimir Ćosić (November 26, 1948 – May 25, 1995) was a Croatian^[1][2][3] professional basketball player who represented Yugoslavia internationally, 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 April 1972 at the 1972 NBA Draft he was picked by Portland Trail Blazers as the number 1 pick in the 10th round (144th overall). The following year at the 1973 NBA Draft he was picked by Los Angeles Lakers as the pick number 15 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 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 World Championship gold medals in 1970 and 1978.

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. 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.

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

Krešimir Ćosić bust at Mirogoj

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.

Honors

• On March 4, 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.
• 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).
• KK Zadar home arena is named after him.
• 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

• "Former BYU All-American's Jersey Retired", Todd Bluth, The Daily Universe, March 6, 2006

External links

• Krešimir Ćosić at BYUCougars.com
• Basketball Hall of Fame profile
• Euroleague.net profile
• Fibaeurope.com profile
• Kresimir Cosic Player Profile (InterBasket)
• FIBA Hall of Fame page on Cosic
• Krešimir Ćosić: An Off-Court Story (Documentary – byu.tv)