Krešimir Cosic
Encyclopedia
Krešimir Ćosić (November 26, 1948 – May 25, 1995) was a Croatia
n 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.
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). He was the first foreign player to earn All-America
n 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.
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
.
, 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
.
n 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.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who represented Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
internationally, a member of FIBA Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame honors basketball players, coaches and administrators who have contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. It includes the "Samaranch Library", the biggest basketball library in the world that, as of 2007, has over 10,000 basketball...
and Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
. He was also a notable church leader and missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Basketball career
He was born in ZagrebZagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and raised in Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
, where he started his basketball career in 1965, playing for KK Zadar
KK Zadar
KK Zadar is a Croatian professional basketball team from the city of Zadar playing in the A-1 Liga.Zadar is the place where Croatian basketball was born in 1930. Zadar's reputation has been of a basketball hotbed with a team that can capture trophies at any given moment...
. He came to the United States to play college basketball at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
from 1971 to 1973. In April 1972 at the 1972 NBA Draft
1972 NBA Draft
The 1972 NBA Draft was the 26th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 10, 1972 before the 1972–73 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
he was picked by Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
as the number 1 pick in the 10th round (144th overall). The following year at the 1973 NBA Draft
1973 NBA Draft
The 1973 NBA Draft was the 27th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 24, 1973 before the 1973–74 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
he was picked by Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
as the pick number 15 in the 5th round (84th overall). He was the first foreign player to earn All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors from the United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, garnering them in 1972 and 1973. After his college career, he rejected several professional offers and returned home to Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
.
Ćosić played in four Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
: 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
when he led his team to the gold medal. He previously led Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
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 Olympics1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and two bronze medals at the 1986 FIBA World Championship
1986 FIBA World Championship
The 1986 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Spain from July 5 to 19 1986.The Final phase of the tournament was held at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid...
and 1987 EuroBasket
Eurobasket 1987
The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
. In 1996 Ćosić became only the third international player ever elected to the world's Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, the birthplace of basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
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 NibleyHugh Nibley
Hugh Winder Nibley was an American author, Mormon apologist, and professor at Brigham Young University...
, one of the LDS church's most celebrated scholars. Ćosić also introduced the LDS Church to Yugoslavia. He translated the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
and Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
into Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
.
Death
In the years following basketball he worked in the USA as a CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
at the embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, having helped secure the land where the embassy now stands. Ćosić died in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
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 AingeDanny AingeDaniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
). - In 2007, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of FameFIBA Hall of FameFIBA Hall of Fame honors basketball players, coaches and administrators who have contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. It includes the "Samaranch Library", the biggest basketball library in the world that, as of 2007, has over 10,000 basketball...
. - The Croatian landmark formerly known as Califfi CastleCaliffi CastleCaliffi Castle is a 17th century castle on the Croatian island of Ugljan , located in the town of the same name. The castle was built by the Califfi family in the 17th century. The Bercich family from Zara - Zadar acted as stewards of the castle, and the castle eventually took on their name...
now carries the name of this basketball superstar and Churchman. - There is a square in Zagreb, Croatia that bears his name (Trg Krešimira Čosića).
- KK Zadar home arena is named after him.
- One of top medalists of FIBA's World ChampionshipsFIBA World Championship records-Performances of host countries:From 1959 to 1982, the host qualified directly to the final round, thus bypassing the preliminary round...
(4 medals) - multiple participant of FIBA All-Star GamesFIBA All-Star GamesExhibition games which also known as "FIBA Festival".European Selection won most games with an overall 24-5 record.-I:15.10.1965 European Selection vs. Real Madrid: 101 - 8316.10.1965 European Selection vs...
, playing on the side of European Selection roster