Matthew Young35 said:I’ve been rewatching the tapes from both of them, and honestly? Drazen was playing on an entirely different plane.
Respect to Toni Kukoč and Vlade Divac, of course, but Drazen was simply a class above the rest.
I’m talking about his prime years playing over in Europe; I didn't follow the NBA quite as closely back then.
It’s the same story with the club level: the Los Angeles Lakers of that era were leagues ahead of a team like Split.
The Split squad mostly earned their legendary status because they played the role of the underdog—it was all heart, grit, and pure defiance. But the LA teams? They were the heavy favorites every single time they took the title, primarily because they had Drazen.
If there is any regret, it’s just that he was one of the first major European stars to jump to the NBA during that transition, and he ended up on a much tougher roster than Kukoč did.
As for debating who won more trophies in team sports, I find the whole argument pointless. Look at someone like Ashley Young—he’s collected more silverware than Gary Lineker or Francesco Totti ever did. Even in individual sports, look at the chess legends: Emanuel Lasker held the world title for twenty-seven years, while Bobby Fischer held it for two.
Regarding your first point, I don't quite agree; I think the Lakers were actually twice as good as Cibona rather than just three classes better.
As for your second point, you are absolutely right. Žan Tabak has a championship ring, yet guys like Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, and many others don't. It feels like such an injustice, honestly.😁