We were able to help organize and hold a basketball
tournament in honor of Krešimir Ćosić. On
June 2, 2018, basketball players came from five countries to honor Krešimir Ćosić. Ljerka Ćosić, the wife of Krešimir, attended
along with two long-time friends. We
learned a lot about an incredible man, husband, father, international
basketball star and Assistant Ambassador to the U.S. Krešimir died prematurely on May 25, 1995.
Why was Krešimir so amazing? He came from a Communist country where
religion was persecuted. He played
basketball at BYU and joined the Church while there. He changed from an atheist to a devout and courageous member
of the Church.
His success on the court at
BYU led to several NBA offers that would have made him
wealthy. Instead, he opted to return
home, manage the Zadar basketball program, and play on the Yugoslav national team. When asked why he returned, he responded, “It
was the right thing to do. I would have enjoyed playing in the NBA, and maybe I did lose
something by not doing so. But I don’t
regret it. I regret when I do something
wrong. But I never regret when I do
something right.”
So back he returned to the communist country and
persecution he left, to play basketball for little money in the country he
loved. And to bring the Church to the
country. He translated The Book of Mormon into Croatian
and was a courageous missionary. During
one international tournament, he had the Officials play the Mormon video “Man’s
Search for Happiness” to the crowd during halftime. The Officials were not happy when they saw what it was. Faith and courage!
Over the years, Krešimir played in four
Olympic Games and won medals for Yugoslavia in three of the years: Silver in 1968; Silver in 1976 and Gold in
1980. As an assistant coach he led the
Yugoslavian national team to the Silver Olympic Medal in 1988. Ćosić was appointed as deputy ambassador for Croatia to the
United States in September 1992.
If only we all could have his faith, his courage and
strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What a difference we could make in the happiness of people around the
world.
So, back to the tournament we helped organize.
The day was full of competitive games with teams from
Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and a team from the U.S. The tournament event highlight was to welcome
Ljerka Ćosić, the wife of Krešimir, along with two long-time friends of Krešimir,
Ivan Valek and Ann Madsen (widow of Truman Madsen). Ivan was a
former teammate of Krešimir and Ann Madsen was a friend who helped introduce Krešimir
to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both Ivan
and Ann paid warm tributes to Krešimir as a man who lived life to the fullest.
His wife, Ljerka, said
in tribute to him “Kreso wasn’t just a great basketball player and coach. He was also a man of God, a believer and a
patriot, a wonderful husband and a kind father….In the communist era he had the
courage to be a believer, a Mormon, at a time when worship of God was dangerous
for an ordinary person, let alone for a public figure of his stature.”
Ivan Valek said that “Krešimir Ćosić was a friend to
all people. As the best basketball
player in the world, he was very simple and humble. He always took time to give his autograph and
share The Book of Mormon with others. He
was a good friend, a great athlete, and a man of God.”
Ann Madsen, age 85, traveled all the way from Utah,
USA with the aid of her daughter and a “walker” so that she could come to the
tournament, visit her Croatian friends, and honor her dear friend Krešo. She expressed her love and admiration for Krešimir
and told stories of his love and respect for everyone and how he always took
time to be with people. “He wanted to
change the world for the better, and he did.
He made everyone in his presence feel good, loved, and respected, and he
freely shared his warm smile and gift of laughter.” She summarized Krešimir’s philosophy of life:
“Be who you are—a beloved child of God.”
The basketball arena was filled with many people who
did not know Krešimir personally but wanted to honor him for the legacy he left. The tournament games will be remembered, but
hearing about a great man—his legacy, faith, courage, and love—will be a
lasting memory.
