Croatian · Split, Croatia, Yugoslavia · Born 24 April 1967Dino Rađa is a Croatian basketball Hall of Famer who won two EuroLeague titles with the legendary Jugoplastika team before a four-year NBA career with the Boston Celtics.
Dino Rađa won back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Jugoplastika alongside Toni Kukoč in 1989 and 1990 — earning Final Four MVP in 1989 — and then honoured his existing contract in Italy rather than immediately join the Boston Celtics who had drafted him, a delay that cost him four years of NBA time but says something durable about his character.. Playing alongside close friend Toni Kukoč on the legendary Jugoplastika team, Rađa helped the club win back-to-back FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) titles in 1989 and 1990, earning Final Four MVP honours in 1989. Despite being drafted by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 1989 NBA Draft, Rađa honoured his existing European contract, moving to Italy's Virtus Roma in 1990 rather than immediately joining the NBA. He finally arrived in Boston in 1993, spending three and a half seasons with the Celtics and earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honours in 1994 alongside fellow rookie Kukoč, averaging 16.7 points and 8.4 rebounds across his NBA career. After his NBA career ended in 1997, Rađa returned to Europe, winning two Greek League titles and a Finals MVP award with Panathinaikos before finishing his career with Zadar, Olympiacos, Cibona, and his original club Split. Internationally, he won Olympic silver medals with Yugoslavia in 1988 and with Croatia in 1992, playing alongside Kukoč, Dražen Petrović, and Vlade Divac on the famous 1988 Yugoslav team. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991, and became the eighth European player inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Winning back-to-back EuroLeague titles with the legendary Jugoplastika team of Split
How They Played
Skilled, mobile big man with strong post scoring and an effective mid-range game
Lasting Impact
One of Croatia's greatest basketball players and one of the finest European big men of his generation
Career Honours
- 2x EuroLeague champion (1989, 1990)
- EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1989)
- 2x Olympic silver medal (1988, 1992)
- 2x Greek League champion
- Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (2018)
- FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Jugoplastika (Split) | 1985–1990 | — |
| Virtus Roma | 1990–1993 | — |
| Boston Celtics | 1993–1997 | — |
| Panathinaikos | 1997–1999 | — |
| Zadar | 1999–2000 | — |
| Olympiacos | 2000–2001 | — |
| Cibona | 2001–2002 | — |
| Split | 2002–2003 | — |
Croatian Athletes