Latest news with #VladeDivac
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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"It was the most powerful and dominant team ever to play in a tournament" – Vlade Divac recalls Yugoslavia's legendary roster that could have competed against the 1992 Dream Team
"It was the most powerful and dominant team ever to play in a tournament" – Vlade Divac recalls Yugoslavia's legendary roster that could have competed against the 1992 Dream Team originally appeared on Basketball Network. When Zagreb, Croatia hosted the EuroBasket in 1989, it was one of the most highly anticipated tournaments in basketball history. The line-up of stars was incredible. Greece came led by the legendary Nikos Galis, the Soviet Union with Arvydas Sabonis, Sarunas Marciulionis, Alexander Volkov, Spain with Juan San Epifanio, while Yugoslavia arrived loaded with talent. The Yugoslavian team featured future and current NBA stars at the time like Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac, Dino Radja, Zarko Paspalj, Stojko Vrankovic, and Predrag Danilovic. The strength and depth of the squad were proven by the fact that they won every game by double digits, finishing the tournament with a 5–0 record. The team was packed with talent At the helm of that young national team was Dusan "Duda" Ivkovic, considered one of the greatest European coaches of all time. Throughout his career, he won three EuroBasket gold medals, a gold at the FIBA World Championship, a silver medal at the Olympic Games, and two EuroLeague titles. The team was packed with talent on the court and the bench. In an interview with Divac reflected on that golden generation. "It was the most powerful and dominant team ever to play in a tournament, if you exclude the 1992 Dream Team," he said. "It was the best example of basketball beauty and an explosion of unprecedented talent. We didn't play just to score points, we played to enjoy scoring. I remember Toni and I passing to each other four or five times before putting the ball in the basket. A miraculous generation. But that was another time. Now we must adapt to the new era." Behind that golden success was the breakup of the country The numbers back up Divac's words as Yugoslavia won with an average margin of 24.0 points per game. What's even more astonishing is that the team's average age was only 23.4 years. Galis was the tournament's top scorer with 35.6 points per game, Petrovic was second with 30.0 and was named MVP. Most of these players soon moved to the NBA and had impressive careers. Behind that golden success, however, was the country's breakup and the onset of war. Croatia separated, and the team that was in its prime was torn apart. Both Yugoslavia and Croatia later won Olympic medals, but the question remains — what if they had stayed together? Kukoc shared his thoughts on a potential matchup against the Dream Team in 1992 if they had stayed together. "If that (1988 Yugoslavia) team had stayed together and we played the finals against the Dream Team, I'm not saying we would have won, but it would have been a really, really interesting game to watch" he said. Yugoslavia was the reason the US sent their top NBA stars to Barcelona in 1992 The following year, much of the same group won gold again at the FIBA World Championship in Argentina, beating Team USA in the semifinal. That loss was one of the reasons the Americans sent their top NBA stars to Barcelona in 1992. Kenny Anderson, who was part of that USA team, later admitted that those players paved the way for the later generation of Europeans. "Yeah, they beat us. Drazen played, Kukoc, Divac… They were incredible. That was the first time I saw international players really play, and I realized they could play in the NBA too. After that, they made the Dream Team" Anderson said. By 1992, most of those Yugoslav players would have been in their prime, making that potential clash all the more intriguing. Unfortunately, we'll never know how that game would have played out, but the fact that neither Galis, Sabonis, nor the rest of Europe could challenge the young Yugoslav team at that tournament speaks volumes. Team USA has later felt their power story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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"He would make passes I have never seen" - B.J. Armstrong reveals why playing with Vlade Divac was really fun
"He would make passes I have never seen" - B.J. Armstrong reveals why playing with Vlade Divac was really fun originally appeared on Basketball Network. B.J. Armstrong's career is best remembered for his days as a backup guard on the Chicago Bulls during their first three-peat, but the Kid also had a couple of stints outside of Chi-Town and with other stars besides Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. One of the more memorable times for B.J. was his time with the Charlotte Hornets. Armstrong spent only a season and a half in Buzz City, but the variety of the squad really impressed the one-time All-Star. However, one guy that really caught B.J.'s eye was Vlade Divac. Before teaming up with the Serbian center, he never really noticed how good a player Divac was. "Vlade was one of those guys I played with that were really as a big, you know, Bill, you were the best big I ever played with. Vlade was really interesting. Because he could pass like I've never seen. He would just be throwing things all around. It was a good team, I had a good time," Armstrong praised Divac on Bill Cartwright's podcast. Ahead of his time Divac's career is best remembered for his time as a youngster on the Los Angeles Lakers and his days as a big part of the beloved Sacramento Kings in the early 2000s. However, in between those two tenures, Vlade spent two seasons with the Hornets. Armstrong didn't have big expectations coming to Charlotte, but the Serbian would end up being one of the best big men he had ever played with due to his exceptional passing skills. "It was another experience, and I go down there. I played with what was a really interesting player, Vlade Divac. I knew Vlade from high school. Dave Cowens was coaching. It was great to play with Vlade, he was like this passing big. He would just make all types of passes. They weren't irresponsible, but he would have five turnovers just trying to make the craziest passes," B.J. added. Nowadays, big men who handle the ball, set up the offense, and throw flashy dimes are regular occurrences, with Nikola Jokic being the perfect example. The Joker's fellow compatriot Divac was somewhat of a lite version of that before it even became a thing, as it is obvious that Vlade was ahead of his time. For his 16-year NBA career, Divac averaged 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He regularly handled the ball and was the guy those Kings teams played through, and almost went all the way. Vlade was also doing that on a high level with the Hornets, impressing Armstrong with his boldness and court Buzz City squad While those Hornets teams were often fan-favourites, they never managed to have enough to go all the way. However, with Divac and Armstrong on the squad, supported by a plethora of solid names, they would constantly battle in the playoffs. "We had great shooters. We had Delly Curry, who was phenomenal. Glen Rice, myself. And Vlade would be just whipping the ball around. We had the late Anthony Mason, who was a low-post player. We had a really good team," Armstrong said. From Glen Rice, Anthony Mason, Dell Curry, David Wesley, Vernon Maxwell, and company, this Charlotte squad would finish with a 51-31 record and make it to the second round of the 1998 playoffs. However, they encountered B.J.'s former team, the Bulls, amid their Last Dance run, which proved to be too much, as they lost in five story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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"That shot was so unique only he would execute it perfectly" - Vlade Divac reveals why he could never master Kareem's skyhook
"That shot was so unique only he would execute it perfectly" - Vlade Divac reveals why he could never master Kareem's skyhook originally appeared on Basketball Network. Back in 1989, no one could have predicted that as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar walked away from the NBA after a legendary 20-year career, the Los Angeles Lakers would draft an unknown Serbian center named Vlade Divac. It was a massive transition for the Los Angeles franchise after the Showtime era, which had been dominated by arguably two top-10 players of all time, Magic Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar. For American fans at the turn of the '80s into the '90s, European players were still a complete mystery. Even though Divac already had some accomplishments in Europe, he was met with plenty of skepticism. But as Kareem retired, the Lakers kept him on for the entirety of Divac's rookie year to help the young European big man adapt to everything the franchise demanded. Much of that work with Kareem focused on his legendary skyhook As Divac recalled to Croatian media outlet much of that work with Kareem focused on the Hall of Famer's legendary sky hook. No one knew at the time that Divac would go on to spend seven full seasons in purple and gold. "Jabbar retired that summer when I came, but the club kept him another year to work with me individually. He taught me, but you can't really learn that. It's innate. That shot was so unique that only he could execute it perfectly," Divac said. His flashy passes and emphatic dunks fit perfectly into the Showtime Lakers style While Divac never fully mastered the skyhook, he became an exceptional finisher around the rim. What truly set him apart, though, was his rim protection and phenomenal passing vision. His flashy passes and emphatic dunks fit perfectly into the Showtime Lakers style. Perhaps his unpredictability as a passer was best summed up by former Charlotte Hornets teammate B.J. Armstrong when explaining why playing with Vlade was so much fun. "Vlade was one of those guys I played with that were really… as a big, you know, Bill, you were the best big I ever played with. Vlade was really interesting. Because he could pass like I've never seen. He would just be throwing things all around. It was a good team, I had a good time," Armstrong said on Bill Cartwright's podcast. Skyhook remains one of the most iconic signature moves in basketball history Statistically, Divac's numbers may not jump off the page, but it's important to remember this was an era when European players were just starting to break into the NBA. The fact that Divac was the Lakers' starting center during the most competitive era for big men in league history says a lot. In fact, Divac is one of only seven players in NBA history to record 13,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, and 1,500 blocked shots. There wasn't much he couldn't do on the court. Many believe that his numbers would have been similar if he had the same offensive freedom as his successor, Nikola Jokic, enjoys today. While he never fully conquered Kareem's sky hook, Divac will be remembered as one of the most complete European players in history, and as one of the pioneers, alongside Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc, who opened the NBA's doors to the European stars dominating today. The skyhook remains one of the most iconic signature moves in basketball history, right up there with Kobe Bryant's, Michael Jordan's, and Dirk Nowitzki's fadeaways, Hakeem Olajuwon's dream shake, Nikola Jokic's Sombor shuffle, Manu Ginobili's euro step, and the step-backs of James Harden and Luka Doncic. It's one of a story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Former NBA star Vlade Divac undergoes surgery after suffering injury in motorcycle crash
Former Sacramento Kings star Vlade Divac sustained a broken hip after he fell from his motorcycle in Montenegro. On Friday, doctors confirmed the retired Serbian basketball player had undergone an emergency operation to address the fracture. The accident happened Thursday on a road near the Montenegrin Adriatic Sea coast. Doctors implanted an artificial hip into the 57-year-old. "During the day, a surgical procedure was performed," said Ljubica Mitrovic, a spokeswoman of the hospital in the town of Risan. "He is in a stable general and physical condition and is under a careful supervision of the medical staff." The former basketball center spent the majority of his NBA career with the Kings, but started and ended his pro tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also played for the Charlotte Hornets. Divac received league All-Star honors in 2001. He later served as general manager of the Kings. When he joined the Lakers in 1989, he was among the first group of European players to transfer to the NBA. Divac was also the first player born and trained outside the United States to play in over 1,000 games in the NBA. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. Divac was also the president of the Serbian Olympic Committee from 2009-17. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
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Former Laker Vlade Divac has emergency surgery after breaking hip in motorcycle accident
Former NBA star Vlade Divac, left, sits with Sasa Doncic, father of the Lakers' Luka Doncic, during the team's game against the Golden State Warriors on April 3 at Arena. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) Basketball Hall of Famer and former Lakers fan favorite Vlade Divac broke his hip Thursday when he fell from his motorcycle while riding near the Adriatic Sea coast in Montenegro. On Friday, a spokesperson for a hospital in Risan said the 57-year-old Serbian basketball legend now has an artificial hip after emergency surgery. Advertisement 'During the day, a surgical procedure was performed,' hospital spokesperson Ljubica Mitrovic said of Divac. 'He is in a stable general and physical condition and is under a careful supervision of the medical staff.' Divac, a 7-foot-1 center, was drafted by the Lakers in 1989 after leading the Yugoslavia men's basketball team to an Olympic silver medal the previous year. He became a full-time starter during his second season as a Laker and soon emerged as a fan favorite, with frequent appearances in commercials, sitcoms and late-night talk shows. Read more: How the Buss family made the Lakers a Hollywood marvel After seven seasons with the Lakers, Divac was traded to the Charlotte Hornets for the recently drafted Kobe Bryant on July 1, 1996. (The Lakers would sign another 7-1 center, Shaquille O'Neal, as a free agent later that month.) Advertisement Divac played two seasons with the Hornets and signed with the Sacramento Kings as a free agent in 1999. He spent six years there — a stint that included his only All-Star season, in 2000-01 — before returning to the Lakers for the last of his 16 NBA seasons in 2004-05. After finishing his career with 13,398 points, 9,326 rebounds, 3,541 assists and 1,631 blocked shots, Divac had his No. 21 jersey retired by the Kings in 2009. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. Divac was the Kings' general manager from 2015 to 2020. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
