Drafted: fortieth choose, 1989NBA seasons: 1993-1997Regular season video games performed: 224Regular season win shares: 14.3
Radja was on his solution to a wonderful NBA profession, to the purpose that he had averaged as-near-as-is 20 factors and 10 rebounds per recreation in his third season. What retains his win share complete artificially small, although, is how brief his stint within the NBA was. He performed solely 4 injury-riddled seasons, and a mix of contracts, politics and uncertainties postponed his transfer to American shores till 1993.
The saga started as quickly as he was drafted. In what grew to become one of many extra convoluted NBA draft-and-stash conditions, the Celtics’ try to carry Radja over became a correct mess. Recent off Eurobasket success in 1989, the 22-year-old was nabbed by Boston with the fortieth choose, however his membership Jugoplastika wasn’t having it. When Rađja tried forcing their hand by simply exhibiting up in Boston and signing for a reported $500,000, Jugoplastika went nuclear. They needed $6 million in damages and bought their means when a Massachusetts choose basically informed Radja to get again to Break up.
The kicker got here in 1990, when in any case events had supposedly agreed to let Radja be part of the Celtics, he signed with Virtus Roma as an alternative for a reported $15-18 million over 5 years, outdoing even Serie A soccer stars Diego Maradona and Roberto Baggio. The Celtics, burned as soon as already in court docket when Radja’s agent exploited a contract loophole, selected to maintain his rights however let him stroll to Italy.
Radja finally arrived in 1993, and did so able to play, averaging 15.1 factors and seven.2 rebounds per recreation as a rookie. But extra drama got here 4 years later, when he unceremoniously left the NBA amid accusations of damaged guarantees and absent knee cartilage. Contemplating his high quality as a participant in comparison with his lowly draft inventory, Radja can nonetheless be thought-about successful of the draft-and-stash mannequin – however there may have been a lot extra.
