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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.
