| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1969-01-25)January 25, 1969 (age 56) | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Slovak / Italian | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Gymnázium Andreja Vrábla Levice (Levice, Slovakia) | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA draft | 1993: 2nd round, 46th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Houston Rockets | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1988–2003 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Power forward /center | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1988–1990 | Inter Bratislava | ||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Houston Rockets | ||||||||||||||
| 1994–1998 | Cagiva Varese | ||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Galatasaray | ||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Unicaja Málaga | ||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Tau Cerámica | ||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Upea Capo D'Orlando | ||||||||||||||
| 2003 | CAI Zaragoza | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
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Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Richard Petruška (born January 25, 1969) is a Slovak[1]-Italian[2][3] former professionalbasketball player andcoach. He was born inLevice,Czechoslovakia. At a height of 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), and a weight of 260 pounds (120 kg), he played thepower forward andcenter positions.
In1994, he became the first European to win anNBA championship.[4]
Petruška playedcollege basketball for theLoyola Marymount Lions andUCLA Bruins in the United States.
Petruška was selected by theHouston Rockets, of theNational Basketball Association (NBA), with the 46th overall pick (2nd round), of the1993 NBA draft. He played in 22 games with the Rockets during the1993–94 NBA season, and scored 53 total points. His only NBA season also saw him as part of an NBA championship team, which resulted in him accidentally dropping and denting the team's firstLarry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the celebration of the title. The dent in the trophy's basketball would remain a part of the trophy until 2018, when the team commissioned replacements after an ownership change.[5]
Petruška was a member of the seniorCzechoslovakia national basketball team. He played with the Czechoslovakia at the1991 EuroBasket.
After he retired from playing professional basketball, Petruška became abasketball coach. He has worked as a coach at the CBA (Canarias Basketball Academy).
Petruška lives in Canada with his wife and two sons.
