20 Athletes that Died Before Their Career Was Over

9 Drazen Petrovic
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Petrovic was one of the top shooting guards during his time in the NBA, averaging 22.3 ppg. However, being a Croatia native, he often felt homesick and wanted to move back to his homeland. Either way, he was dedicated to play for his nation’s team during the offseason.

After the team qualified for the European Championships in Poland, most players returned home. But Petrovic wanted to go spend time with his girlfriend in Croatia instead. While in Germany, traveling with two other friends, Petrovic was the passenger in an automobile accident. The car collided with a truck; Petrovic died instantly but the other three lived.