“Dino Radja – One of the best power forwards I have ever seen”
Written by Kenneth Bulteel
Thursday, 03 February 2011 13:28
Hi Guys!
This week my blog will go about one of the player that I adore. Today my blog will go about Dino Radja. Like I’ve told in my previous blog I’m young guy and most of the guys that I’ll talk about I’ve seen when I was a little kid.
When I was little I followed European basketball more than I followed the NBA. But when Croatian players went to the NBA, I followed their careers over there. When I watched the NBA, I saw Dino Radja play for the Boston Celtics. That was the first moment that I actually saw him play and I fell in love with his game. I even stood up at night the watch him play.
Dino Radja was one of the best power forwards in the NBA and I had read about him and I knew that he was a one of the best European basketball players. I followed his career in the NBA but he didn’t get the recognition he deserved. When the Celtics traded him away I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that they traded away one of their best players, he was one of the best players on his position.
But when he returned to Europe and signed at Panathinaikos, I was glad that he returned to Europe. He would show the Celtics that they were wrong to let him go and he definitely proved them wrong. At Panathinaikos he was a star and he showed why he was one of the best players in Europe and in the world.
He played great at Panathinaikos and he helped them to two Greek Titles. I thought that he would stay at Panathinaikos but he left because of an encounter with the club president’s son in the locker room. Then he played for Zadar, Olympiakos, Cibona and ended his career with the club where it all began for him, BC Split.
If I had to describe Dino Radja it would be the following: he was one of the best players in Europe and in the world. He was one of the best power forwards there ever has been: Dino had excellent post moves, highlighted by a deadly turnaround jumper. He was a great offensive player but he also was a great rebounder and defender. His offense and defense made Dino Radja the best power forward of his generation.
Dino Radja has done a lot for basketball in general but I’ll never forget what he has done and what means for Croatian Basketball. Dino Radja is one of the best Croatian basketball players of all time. I still have tapes of him and I watch them a lot.
I wonder what would have been if Dino, Toni, Drazen and the other Croatian basketball stars would be young guys of 18 or 19 years old right now. They definitely would be the best basketball players there are in the world. But in my heart they were the best basketball players in the world and they will be the best players there have ever been.
I hope you enjoyed my blog and next time I’ll will write about one of the young Croatian basketball players.
