Story of a Card: Primoz Brezec 2004-05 Topps Bazooka #90

Back when I used to acquire most of my cards by the pack, Topps Bazooka was one of my favorite installments.  Though not a high end card by any stretch, Bazooka was fun because it was quirky.  So quirky, in fact, that I’d confidently assert that cards don’t come any quirkier than the ’04-05 Bazooka Primoz Brezec. 

Though not a particularly memorable player, Primoz was an unforgettable personality for those who got to know him.  By “those who got to know him” I mean both his NBA counterparts who literally got to know him as well as fans who learned of his idiosyncratic existence. 

Primoz became destined for legendary status in the unintentional hilarity category when the Indiana Pacers selected him 27^th overall in the infamous Y2K draft.  A Slovenian, Brezec knew little English upon his arrival to Hoosierville.  Here’s former teammate and fellow Slovenian Rasho Nesterovic to explain what happens when one learns English from Ron Artest:

"[Your English] depends on where you start in the NBA. I started in Minnesota, he started in Indiana. That’s a pretty tough organization to pick up English."

Brezec actually proved himself a quick study.  It’s just that the majority of his early exposure to the English language was through rap music.

"He learned his English [so that] everything he says starts with ‘gangster’ and ends with 'pimp,'" said former coach Sam Mitchell, whom Brezec respectfully referred to as "gangster."

Brezec’s most productive NBA stint came as a member of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats.  As a expansion draftee of the inaugural squad, Primoz manned the starting center position and posted averages of 13 points and 7 rebounds in 72 appearances.  Some remember him for having scored the first points in Bobcats history --- a moment depicted on the card in question.  Following his landmark layup, Brezec proudly raised his right index finger in acknowledgment of his achievement.  From that point on, he replicated the gesture after every basket he scored.

"I did that for the first time in Charlotte when I made the first basket in franchise history," Brezec responded when asked why he sticks his index finger in the air after scoring. "Since then it’s just something I do."

Other things Primoz does, according to the Bazooka Fun Fact on the back of the card, includes starring in Slovenian potato chip commercials.  Clearly, Brezec’s friends stay thirsty.

Photograph: November 4, 2004; Bobcats v Wizards; Charlotte Coliseum; Charlotte, NC; Kent Smith