Kresimir Cosic is the Yugoslavian basketball icon that starred for BYU from 1970 to 1973. He also played for Yugoslavia in four Olympic Games (1968, 1972, 1976 & 1980) and has other FIBA, Yugoslav and Euro League accomplishments way too long to list here.
Cosic was quite a pioneer as the first non-American star in college basketball. In a pre-ESPN, cable TV, round the clock sports information world, there were not many college games televised. There were occasional local or regional games, with some limited national broadcasts, usually involving UCLA. A player like Cosic at BYU only came alive when you saw photos or read about his accomplishments in basketball magazines, Sports Illustrated or The Sporting News.
Those who saw him play understand. The Marriott Center is BYU’s 19,000 seat basketball arena. It was built during Cosic’s time at the school. There is a saying about the Marriott Center – [HOF Coach] Stan Watts built it, Marriott paid for it, and Cosic filled it!
Cosic’s all-around play would be celebrated today, but back in the early 1970's it confounded the traditionalists. It would be a peek into the basketball future, of skilled and versatile big men that became familiar to NBA fans like Serbia's Nikola Jokic and Germany’s Dirk Nowtizki. Cosic was a pioneer as a center displaying all those skills, outside shooting, dribbling and passing.
Despite being a 1973 draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers, Cosic passed on playing in the NBA. He was loyal to his native Yugoslavia, where he played in those four Olympic Games and coached in another (1988 Silver medal).
Off the court in the 1990’s he became a Croation diplomat in the Embassy in Washington, DC, but sadly passed away at the young age of 46 in 1995, just a short time before his Basketball Hall of Fame induction in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1996.
Cosic is a rare and tough to find autograph, even for the most determined Basketball Hall of Fame collector.
We are proud to present this beautifully signed magazine photo of Cosic as a BYU Cougar, inked in period ballpoint at an East-West College All-Star game by our consignor in 1973, authenticated and beautifully encapsulated by PSA/DNA.
Provenance:
As documented in the story The Great Autograph Hunt from the February 5, 1974 Dayton (Ohio) Journal Herald, Jack Zimmerman and his grade school buddies Tim Gallagher and Vince Martin started collecting autographs of athletes through the mail, at games and at team hotels, primarily in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas. The boys were relentless in their pursuit of baseball, basketball and football players, obtaining the stars and "commons" of the day, plus "old timers" and "legends" that were coaches, broadcasters or responsive through the mail. Jack was locked in on collecting from about 1968 through 1975, until pursuit of his own basketball career took priority. Jack became an All-State high school player, then had a Hall of Fame career hooping at the University of Dayton, followed by several seasons as an overseas pro, including suiting up for the prestigious Maccabi Tel Aviv club. Jack's extensive collection was essentially put in a time capsule in 1976 and has literally followed him all over the world. We are proud to present selected treasures from Jack's collection in our Auction, fresh to the hobby and seeing the light of day for the first time in over 45 years!