12 NBA Players who died during their Playing Career 

#4 Drazen Petrovic

Drazen Petrovic (Image courtesy: nba.com)

Drazen Petrovic had four noteworthy seasons in the league from 1989 to 1993, playing for the Portland Trail Blazers and the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn). Obviously his most successful season was his last, where he averaged 22.3 points per game while shooting 51.8% from the field. That year, he was voted in as a selection for the All-NBA.

But he earned his place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for more than just his NBA accomplishments. He represented Yugoslavia for most of his career, however, he played for Croatia in his final tournament, with whom he won the silver medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

He lost his life as part of a tragic traffic accident in the summer of the 1993, just a few months before his 29th birthday.