Mario Hezonja made one of the best performances of his career, but also one of the most sterile. With Croatia already out of the running for a spot in the Eurobasket, Hezonja led the charge in destroying Cyprus with 40 points – 9 out of 14 in two-point shots and 10 in triples – along with 11 rebounds, seven assists, and a valuation of 47.
This impressive display by the Real Madrid player was just three points shy of the best registration score for the Eurobasket 2025, held by German player David Kramer of Tenerife Laguna and Macedonian Nenad Dimitrijevic, formerly of Joventut and Valencia Basket, now at Armani Milan. Hezonja also came close to breaking the valuation record held by Bulgarian Sasha Tiencoenkov of Olympiacos, with 49 points, narrowly missing it.
Hezonja’s Performance in Context
Hezonja’s record is the highest score of his career in the national team and is only surpassed by the legendary Drazen Petrovic in the history of the Croatian team. Petrovic scored 48 points against Estonia on May 31, 1993, in the classifiers for that year’s Eurobasket. Tragically, a week later, on June 7, he died in a traffic accident on a German highway.
The victory over Cyprus, with a score of 67-104, was ultimately meaningless for Croatia, as they were already out of the running. On the other hand, Cyprus, who will host one of the groups in the first phase, has qualified for the continental championship despite losing all six of their meetings. The Croats, meanwhile, are left out.
Commitment and Performance
What’s evident is Hezonja’s commitment, as he played 35:20 minutes in an inconsequential duel. In the previous game, after the elimination of his selection was confirmed following a loss to France, the Real Madrid player had already made 37 points and 11 rebounds. He finished this window with 77 points in two games and 73 minutes played, showing remarkable endurance.
Hezonja has played in five of the six windows of the classification for the Eurobasket and has averages of 29.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 30.2 valuation. Unfortunately, he will be one of the notable absences from the tournament. Despite the circumstances, his performance is a testament to his skill and dedication, even in the face of adversity.