Richard Petruška

Richard Petruška (born January 25, 1969) is a Slovak^[1]-Italian^[2][3] former professional basketball player and coach. He was born in Levice, Czechoslovakia. At a height of 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), and a weight of 260 pounds (120 kg), he played at the power forward and center positions.

Richard Petruška

Personal information
Born	(1969-01-25) January 25, 1969 (age 56) Levice, Czechoslovakia
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	Loyola Marymount (1990–1991) UCLA (1992–1993)
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
NBA champion (1994) FIBA Korać Cup champion (2001) 2× Czechoslovak League All-Star Five (1988, 1989) 3× Slovak Player of the Year (1998–2000)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals Representing  Czechoslovakia Men's Basketball European U18 Championship 1988 Yugoslavia Under-18 Team

In 1994, he became the first European to win the NBA championship.^[4]

College career

Petruška played college basketball for the Loyola Marymount Lions and UCLA Bruins in the United States.

Professional career

Petruška was selected by the Houston Rockets, of the National Basketball Association (NBA), with the 46th overall pick (2nd round), of the 1993 NBA draft. He played in 22 games with the Rockets during the 1993–94 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 first Larry 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]

National team career

Petruška was a member of the senior Czechoslovakia national basketball team. He played with the Czechoslovakia at the 1991 EuroBasket.

Coaching career

After he retired from playing professional basketball, Petruška became a basketball coach. He has worked as a coach at the CBA (Canarias Basketball Academy).

Personal life

Petruška lives in Canada with his wife and two sons.