Shooting Star

The 2000 NBA Draft will be remembered as one of the best in Clippers history, as the club deftly managed to obtain a nucleus of young talent in Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson, Keyon Dooling and Corey Maggette. However, some fans forget that the Clippers also picked up the rights to another budding star, Marko Jaric.

As a 6'6" point guard, Marko Jaric has established himself as one of the best players in all of Europe. While other 2000 draft picks were fighting for playing time in the NBA, Jaric was fighting for championships in Europe. In 2001, Marko led Kinder Bologna to the European "Triple Crown" for the first time in club history. The "Triple Crown" consists of a championship in the Italian League, Euroleague and Italian Cup. Such an accomplishment is a testament to not only his team, but to Marko himself. He is also the only player ever to win back-to-back championships in the prestigious Italian League Championship Tournament with two different clubs (2000-Fortitudo Bologna, 2001-Kinder Bologna). Even without these accomplishments, Marko's bio reads much like an honor roll:

A member of the Yugoslav National Team

A member of the 1998 Gold Medal Under 22 European Championship Squad.

Participated in the 1999-00 Italian All Star Game.

Averaged 18 points and 5 assists per game in 2000-01, while shooting 60% from inside the three-point line and 44% from behind the arc.

An outstanding athlete with size and strength, Marko has great leaping ability and is deadly in the open court. Extremely comfortable with handling the ball, he excels in the up-tempo game where he can go coast to coast and finish with authority. His father, Srecko Jaric, one of the greatest international basketball players ever, passed much of his experience on to Marko.

Clippers.com will keep you up to date on Marko's accomplishments in the future.