As Team USA continues to dominate, with the recent win against Puerto Rico, they have now secured their place in the Quarter-Finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, before they can lock down a medal, the star-studded squad will go up against the formidable Brazilians. Can they put an awkward end to Steve Kerr’s redemption arc with Dream Team 2.0? Well, records say that Brazil hasn’t boasted an Olympic medal to its name in basketball since 1964. They’re currently 1-2 in the ongoing Olympics.

With players like Bruno Caboclo and Vítor Alves Benite, another individual who has helped the Brazilian team reach this stage is head coach Aleksandar Petrović. In a previous statement, Petrović indicated that qualifying for the Olympics itself is a big achievement. They had failed to do so in 4 of the last 7 instances. “We are playing against the second and third national teams on FIBA rankings,” Petrović said in a recent interview.

“We do not want to be favorites. We accept the conditions, but you have to play 40 minutes. Specific thing is that two best third-placed teams are entering quarter finals, that is our chance.” Now, to secure their place on the podium, the Brazilian coach and his players will have to go up against not just any team, but the nation with the best track record of all time! Before the same happens, however, this would be the perfect opportunity to know more about the life of Aleksander Petrović.

Who is Aleksander Petrovic?

In his 50-year-long basketball journey, Aleksander Petrović hasn’t come to the NBA even once. Neither as a coach nor as a player. Born in the former Socialist Republic of Croatia, the aspiring athlete kicked off his journey as a player locally by joining Club KK Šibenik in 1974. Once ranked as amongst the best basketball clubs in the country, it was dissolved in 2010 after going bankrupt.

He would stay there for two years before joining Košarkaški klub Cibona. Petrović spent the majority of his career in the Zagreb-based club, before departing from the same in 1987. He spent no more than a year with 3 other European basketball clubs. Having secured 3 Yugoslav League championship titles to his name and 2 EuroLeague titles, Petrovic retired with honor in 1991. However, this did not mean that he was ready to bid adieu to the hoops entirely.

Right after bringing his playing career to an end, Petrović returned to Cibona and spent 6 years as their head coach. Except for brief breaks where he would represent the national teams, the Croatian hooper would devote 23 years of his life to training the next generation of players.

Aleksander had some notable stints on the international stage as well. As a player, he represented Yugoslavia during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and helped them secure bronze! The stint saw him averaging 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists over 8 games. Petrović also represented his country at the 1982 and 1986 FIBA World Cup, securing the bronze medal in both instances.

As a coach, Petrović has represented not one, but 3 different countries. His first time serving as an instructor to a national team came when he was appointed head coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national team. He led them in the 2013 EuroBasket series but could not go past the second round. This may be the reason why he was relieved of his services within that year itself. In a statement, the former player admitted to being “hurt” over the decision.

Petrović would have a run-in with EuroBasket again after serving as head coach of Team Croatia for a combined 4 years. Now, the head coach of Brazil, just like the players on his roster, the ongoing Paris Olympics may be the biggest test for Aleksander Petrović. Accomplishing a successful run here would put Team Brazil on the map!

However, as they prepare for the upcoming game, Aleksandar has an interesting opinion that has gotten the attention of many Dream Team enthusiasts!

Aleksandar Petrović believes that the 1992 Dream Team is much better than the current Team USA roster

Given that the US men’s basketball team has secured Gold in 7 of the last 8 Olympics, it would be hard for anyone to pinpoint the best roster. However, for the older hoops fans, there is only one correct answer: The 1992 team that participated in Barcelona. Comprising legends like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, etc, the best of the best were chosen, nicknamed the “Dream Team.”

Now, in 2024, a similar phenomenon may be repeated with the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, etc making up the main lineup. However, for Aleksandar Petrović, there is no comparison.

Svetislav Pešić, the head coach for Nikola Jokic-led Team Serbia, recently made headlines for making a comparison between the 1992 and the 2024 Team USA rosters. Refuting his belief, Petrović stated that the Barcelona Games had 3 or 4 national teams that were deemed untouchable alongside Team USA. “Despite the fact that this USA is made up of the best players they have, it hardly compares to 1992,” Petrović said.

“I’ll offer an argument right away. Back then, the USA was beating its opponents by more than 40 points on average, both in preparation and in the tournament. Now we saw that this USA barely got through against South Sudan. They got the Germans on one or two balls. I may be a bit retro, but nothing compares to the original ‘Dream Team.’”

What are your thoughts on Aleksandar Petrović’s opinion and do you think the veteran and his team can pull off an upset against Team USA? Let us know in the comments down below.