Monument Á Dražen Petrovič, Sculpture in Lausanne, Switzerland

The Monument to Dražen Petrović is a sculpture in Lausanne, Switzerland, made of white marble and stainless steel. It features a vertical panel of 16 marble slats with a relief of a basketball player in motion, a marble sphere at the base, and a circle on the ground showing shadows of his movements.

The monument was created by sculptor Vasko Lipovac between 1994 and 1995, after Juan Antonio Samaranch, then president of the International Olympic Committee, chose Lipovac's design from six proposals by Croatian artists. It was installed in the Olympic park in Lausanne as a tribute to Petrović, who died in a car accident in 1993 at age 28.

The sculpture honors Dražen Petrović, a Croatian basketball player who became a symbol of excellence in European and American basketball. Visitors often see it as a meeting point, and its presence in the Olympic park connects sport with art in a direct way.

The monument stands in the park of the Olympic Museum, easily reached on foot from the museum entrance or the lakeside promenade. Take your time to walk around it, as the figure and shadows change with the light and the viewing angle.

The marble sphere at the base is not just decorative: it represents a basketball, and the circle on the ground shows the shadows of Petrović's movements, adding a sense of motion to the static sculpture. The figure behind the slats is partially hidden, so the player appears to be moving in and out of view as you walk around.