Vlade Divac is known for a lot of things. Being a versatile center, having a high basketball IQ, being a humanitarian and one of the best “floppers” of all-time are just a few ways to describe Divac.
His sixteen year career in the NBA seemed to come full circle by starting and then retiring as a Laker. His post-NBA career seems to be following the same track as well.
In 1989 the Los Angeles Lakers chose a unique center from Serbia as the 26th pick in the first round. Divac was the first draft pick to hail from Serbia for the Lakers. He had been playing profession basketball for European teams since 1983.
Prior to his playing for the Lakers, Divac already had two major victories under his belt. He won a Bronze medal with his Yugoslavian national team in the 1986 Spain FIBA World Championships, and he won a Silver medal with Yugoslavia in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Joining the Lakers and the NBA in 1989, Divac was one of the first European players to transfer to the NBA, and was also one of the first European players to have a lasting impact on the league. Due to his impressive performance with European teams, especially with the Yugoslavian national team, Divac was named as one of the Euroleague’s 50 greatest contributors.
Divac studied under Laker and NBA legends, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson during his early days as a Laker. The retirement of Abdul-Jabbar left a gaping hole at the center position. However, Divac’s personality, despite barely knowing the English language, and mental drive for performing at a high, consistent level quickly won over the Lakers’ organization and fans.
With his quick adaptation to the American-style of basketball (primarily taught by Magic and Kareem), Divac saw his averages increase during the first six of the seven years that he played for LA. He ended his career averaging 11.8 points per game, while grabbing 8.2 rebounds per game.*
Next: Vlade’s Impact on the Lakers
Divac was not the typical center. While standing at 7’1″, he had a knack for ball control and playmaking. The addition of his jump shot made guarding him a difficult task. His mix of European and American-style approach to the game made Divac one of the premier players in the NBA during his days with the Lakers, the Hornets, and the Kings.
However, one of Divac’s biggest impacts on the Lakers wasn’t made on the court. A high school senior from Lower Merion had impressed then-Lakers’ GM Jerry West so much that he traded Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for their 13th pick of the 1996 Draft. That pick ended up being Kobe Bryant, who turned into one of the greatest Lakers of all time.
Once loved by the Lakers fans in the 1990s, Divac became an enemy of sorts when he joined division rivals the Sacramento Kings, in 1998. Some of the most thrilling games in Lakers history came out of the early 2000s match-ups against the Kings. However, Divac returned to purple and gold in the 2004-05 season to end his career where he started. Due to back problems, he only played in a total of 15 games, averaging only 8.7 minutes per game.*
Divac has had a credible post-career including: sports management of his former club KK Partizan, a European scout for the Lakers from 2005-2006, and with his various investments. However, his humanitarian work on behalf of his native country of Serbia and for Africa stands out during his post-NBA career. His humanitarian efforts have gained world recognition.
Divac is one of six players in NBA history to record 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocked shots, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwon.
He is currently the acting President for the Serbian Olympic Committee, which he was elected to in 2009 and has a four-year term. In March of 2009 the Sacramento Kings retired his #21 jersey. To complete the circle, Divac was inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010.
*Source: Stats provided by ESPN.com