Vernon Maxwell Reveals: Dražen Petrović Was a Greater Nightmare to Guard than Michael Jordan

Dražen Petrović concluded his professional basketball journey in the NBA over the last four seasons of his career, playing for the Portland Trail Blazers and the New Jersey Nets before his untimely passing.

In his final year, he received All-NBA Third Team recognition, leaving a lasting mark on the league despite his brief tenure. A tenacious player and outstanding scorer, he averaged 22.3 points per game during his last season with the Nets.

Former NBA champion Vernon Maxwell, who secured two titles with the Houston Rockets, experienced Petrović’s prowess firsthand.

“He haunted my dreams,” Maxwell shared on the All the Smoke podcast hosted by Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

It wasn’t just Petrović’s size that concerned Maxwell, although he did recall him having a more robust physique.

“He towered over me. I’m 6’4. I had never encountered anything like it before… Honestly, I’d prefer to defend Black Jesus, Michael Jordan, over him. That’s how challenging it was for me. He would score on me at will. I was so exasperated—I just couldn’t contain him,” Maxwell expressed.