Krešimir Ćosić

For the Croatian politician, see Krešimir Ćosić (politician).

Krešimir Ćosić

XX. Olympic games Munich 1972 – Krešimir Ćosić (nr.11) (Yugoslavia) vs. Petr Novický (Czechoslovakia)
Height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Born	November 26, 1948(1948-11-26) Zagreb, SR Croatia, FNR Yugoslavia
Died	May 25, 1995(1995-05-25) (aged 46)
Nationality	Croat
Draft	84th overall 15th pick, 5th round, 1973 Los Angeles Lakers
Pro career	1965–1983
Career history	KK Zadar (1965-69) BYU Cougars (1970-73) KK Zadar (1973-76) Brest Olimpija (1976-78) Synudine (1978-80) Cibona (1980-1983)
Awards	NABC Hall of Fame 2006 EuroBasket MVP Award 1971, 1975 1972 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans NABC, 4. team 1973 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans NABC, 4. team

Medal record
Krešimir Ćosić bust at Mirogoj
Competitor for Yugoslavia
Men's Basketball
Summer Olympic Games
Gold	1980 Moscow	National Team
Silver	1968 Mexico City	National Team
Silver	1976 Montreal	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	1971 Izmir	National Team

Krešimir Ćosić (November 26, 1948 – May 25, 1995) was a Croatian 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.

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). 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

In the years following basketball he worked in the USA 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 Čosića).
• KK Zadar home arena is named after him.
• 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)

References

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

External links

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