The glorious basketball history of the "Plavi" (Yugoslavian national team) inevitably includes some moments that are not considered honorable. Events that tarnish and stain the pages of their Bible of triumphs. One such dark moment occurred in 1983 at the EuroBasket in France.

The Yugoslavian team, led by Josip Gjergja, consisted of veterans like Ćosić and Slavnić, a middle generation of stars like Dalipagić, Kićanović, and Radovanović, and young talents such as Grbović, Savović, and a bold 19-year-old who had already started making a name for himself across Europe.

The game on May 30 against Italy in Limoges was a do-or-die match for Gjergja's squad, who absolutely needed a win to keep their hopes of reaching the semifinals alive. Initially, it seemed they were on the right track. The Plavi led 36–42 at halftime and only needed to maintain their momentum in the second half. But determined to turn things around, the Azzurri, coached by Sandro Gamba, entered the court with renewed intensity. They had already shown their intentions in the first half, when Bonamico's elbow landed on Kićanović's neck and shoulder, forcing him out of the game with an injury.

With the leniency of the referees, the Italians—led by Meneghin—used a defense so aggressive it bordered on unsportsmanlike. They flipped the game on its head and with five minutes remaining, were leading 74–62. At that point, Dražen (Petrović) was fouled hard by Gilardi, and the young "Mozart" retaliated with a kick that was the spark igniting the explosion. Meneghin and Sacchetti went after Vilfan (with Meo pulling the Yugoslav's hair and backing off only when confronted by Dino's imposing presence), and just as things seemed to be calming down, the injured Kićanović, who had entered the court supposedly to pacify the situation, seized the opportunity to take revenge for the earlier hit. While he appeared to be calmly talking to Villalta, he suddenly delivered a kick worthy of Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid, right to the Italian's sensitive region—causing a pain all men can relate to. In the blink of an eye, the court in Beaublanc turned into a boxing ring, with punches and kicks flying in every direction.

The most hot-blooded of them all, Grbović, ran to the team doctor's portable kit, grabbed a pair of scissors, and threatened to gut Sacchetti, while Italian journalists took the side of their compatriots and used typewriter covers to beat Kićanović, who had fled up to the press box to escape the fury of a raging Meneghin.

Eventually, calmer heads prevailed, and the battlefield was restored to an athletic arena. The game resumed and ended with Italy victorious on their path to the gold medal. For Yugoslavia, it marked the end of an era and the realization that the national team needed a fresh start.

"The Battle of Limoges" or "The Battle of the Scissors" hastened the handover of the keys to Dražen, and the Plavi—always pioneers—soon got back on the right track. EuroBasket stories...

P.S. That particular game was also the baptism of Dražen with one of his nicknames—coined by Philippos Syrigos.

The Greek journalist was in France to cover the tournament and provide the live broadcast as a correspondent for the Greek media of ERT. On May 30, 1983, Syrigos was in the Limoges arena, narrating the match between the two teams.

As mentioned earlier, the main instigator of the incidents was 19-year-old Dražen Petrović. Witnessing the chaos he created on the court—and realizing this basketball "thug" was something special—Syrigos had a thought: "What is this son of a b\*\*\*\* doing?" Naturally, he couldn't say that on air, so in his mind, "Son of the Devil" was born—a nickname he used to describe Petrovic with... he would not be the only one to do so neither...