Vlade Divac facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vlade Divac
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Владе Дивац
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Divac in 2016
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| President of the Serbian Olympic Committee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2009–2017 |
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| Preceded by | Ivan Ćurković | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Božidar Maljković | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of KK Partizan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2000–2004 |
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| Preceded by | Ivica Dačić | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Predrag Danilović | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | February 3, 1968 Prijepolje, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia |
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Vlade Divac (born February 3, 1968) is a Serbian basketball expert and former player. He was most recently a top leader for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Standing 7 feet 1 inch tall, Divac played as a center. He was special because he was great at passing the ball, which was unusual for someone his size. He was one of the first players from Europe to join the NBA in the late 1980s. He is also one of only seven players in NBA history to get over 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, and 1,500 blocks.
Divac was the first player not born or trained in the United States to play over 1,000 games in the NBA. He was added to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
Beyond basketball, Divac is known for his kindness. He helps children in Serbia and Africa. In 2009, he became the President of the Serbian Olympic Committee.
Contents
Vlade Divac's Basketball Journey
Early Career in Yugoslavia
Divac started playing basketball in his hometown of Prijepolje. He began his professional career in Yugoslavia with the team Sloga from Kraljevo. He quickly became famous by scoring 27 points against a strong team, Crvena zvezda.
In 1986, Divac joined Partizan. With him and other talented players, Partizan won the Yugoslavian League title in the 1986-87 season.
Divac played basketball in a unique way for a center. Even though he was tall, he could move well and handle the ball. He could even act like a playmaker sometimes. He was known for his mid-range shots and funny moves on the court. He quickly became one of the best big players in Europe.
Joining the Los Angeles Lakers (1989–1996)
In 1989, Divac was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA draft. He was one of the first European players to make a big impact in the league. He learned a lot from famous players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.
Even though he didn't speak English at first, he became popular with his teammates and fans. In his first season (1989–90), he was chosen for the NBA All-Rookie Team.
Divac was known for "flopping." This is when a player falls to the floor to make it look like the other team fouled them. Divac admitted he did this, especially when he felt the referees missed calls. However, when the NBA started penalizing flopping, he supported the new rules.
Playing for the Charlotte Hornets (1996–1998)
In 1996, Divac was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. He thought about retiring at first, but he ended up doing very well with the Hornets. He became close with his coach, Dave Cowens.
In 1997, Divac had an amazing game where he scored 18 points, got 9 rebounds, and blocked a career-high 12 shots. He helped the Hornets win a team record of 54 games that season.
Brief Return to Europe (1999)
During a break in the NBA season in 1999, Divac played two games for KK Crvena zvezda, a rival team of his former club Partizan. His time there was short but memorable.
Success with the Sacramento Kings (1999–2004)
In 1999, Divac signed with the Sacramento Kings. He played there for six seasons with his countryman Peja Stojaković. With Divac, Stojaković, and other great players, the Kings became a very strong team.
They were one of the best teams in the league in the 2001-02 season. However, they often struggled against the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs.
Final Season with the Lakers (2004–2005)
After the 2003–04 season, Divac returned to the Los Angeles Lakers. But he had back problems and could not play much. He retired from basketball on July 14, 2005, after 16 years in the NBA.
The Kings honored Divac by retiring his No. 21 jersey in 2009. This means no other player on the Kings can wear that number.
Vlade Divac's National Team Career
In 1986, at just 18 years old, Divac joined the senior Yugoslavia national basketball team. The next year, he helped his team win gold at the 1987 FIBA Junior World Championship. This team was full of young stars and is considered one of the best in history.
Before Yugoslavia split up, Divac's team also won gold medals at the EuroBasket in 1989 and 1991, and the FIBA World Championship in 1990.
In 1990, after winning the FIBA World Championship, a fan waved a Croatian flag. Divac took the flag, saying it was a win for Yugoslavia. This act became a big deal during a time when Yugoslavia was facing conflict. Divac later said he would have done the same if it had been a Serbian flag.
This event, along with the wars, caused problems between Divac and some of his Croatian friends, including Dražen Petrović. In 2002, Divac was part of the team that won the FIBA World Cup again.
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Performance
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–90 | LA Lakers | 82 | 5 | 19.6 | .499 | .000 | .708 | 6.2 | .9 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 8.5 |
| 1990–91 | LA Lakers | 82 | 81 | 28.2 | .565 | .357 | .703 | 8.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 11.2 |
| 1991–92 | LA Lakers | 36 | 18 | 27.2 | .495 | .263 | .768 | 6.9 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 11.3 |
| 1992–93 | LA Lakers | 82 | 69 | 30.8 | .485 | .280 | .689 | 8.9 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 12.8 |
| 1993–94 | LA Lakers | 79 | 73 | 34.0 | .506 | .191 | .686 | 10.8 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 14.2 |
| 1994–95 | LA Lakers | 80 | 80 | 35.1 | .507 | .185 | .777 | 10.4 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 16.0 |
| 1995–96 | LA Lakers | 79 | 79 | 31.3 | .513 | .167 | .641 | 8.6 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 12.9 |
| 1996–97 | Charlotte | 81 | 80 | 35.1 | .494 | .234 | .683 | 9.0 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 12.6 |
| 1997–98 | Charlotte | 64 | 41 | 28.2 | .498 | .214 | .691 | 8.1 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 10.4 |
| 1998–99 | Sacramento | 50* | 50* | 35.2 | .470 | .256 | .702 | 10.0 | 4.3 | .9 | 1.0 | 14.3 |
| 1999–00 | Sacramento | 82 | 81 | 29.0 | .503 | .269 | .691 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 12.3 |
| 2000–01 | Sacramento | 81 | 81 | 29.9 | .482 | .286 | .691 | 8.3 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 12.0 |
| 2001–02 | Sacramento | 80 | 80 | 30.3 | .472 | .231 | .615 | 8.4 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 11.1 |
| 2002–03 | Sacramento | 80 | 80 | 29.8 | .466 | .240 | .713 | 7.2 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 9.9 |
| 2003–04 | Sacramento | 81 | 81 | 28.6 | .470 | .154 | .654 | 5.7 | 5.3 | .7 | .1 | 9.9 |
| 2004–05 | LA Lakers | 15 | 0 | 8.7 | .419 | .000 | .667 | 2.1 | 1.3 | .3 | .1 | 2.3 |
| Career | 1134 | 979 | 29.8 | .495 | .235 | .692 | 8.2 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 11.8 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | .667 | .000 | – | 6.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .0 | 8.0 | |
Playoff Performance
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | LA Lakers | 9 | 1 | 19.4 | .727 | .500 | .895 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 9.1 |
| 1991 | LA Lakers | 19 | 19 | 32.1 | .564 | .167 | .803 | 6.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 13.3 |
| 1992 | LA Lakers | 4 | 4 | 35.8 | .349 | .000 | .900 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 9.8 |
| 1993 | LA Lakers | 5 | 5 | 33.4 | .500 | .444 | .545 | 9.4 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 18.0 |
| 1995 | LA Lakers | 10 | 10 | 38.8 | .467 | .222 | .645 | 8.5 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 15.6 |
| 1996 | LA Lakers | 4 | 4 | 28.8 | .429 | .200 | .625 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 9.0 |
| 1997 | Charlotte | 3 | 3 | 38.7 | .457 | .000 | .800 | 8.7 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 18.0 |
| 1998 | Charlotte | 9 | 9 | 38.5 | .483 | .000 | .606 | 10.9 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 11.6 |
| 1999 | Sacramento | 5 | 5 | 39.6 | .446 | .200 | .833 | 10.0 | 4.6 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 16.2 |
| 2000 | Sacramento | 5 | 5 | 32.0 | .357 | .000 | .696 | 7.2 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 11.2 |
| 2001 | Sacramento | 8 | 8 | 28.1 | .350 | .333 | .763 | 8.4 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 10.8 |
| 2002 | Sacramento | 16 | 16 | 33.4 | .464 | .268 | .755 | 9.3 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 13.5 |
| 2003 | Sacramento | 12 | 12 | 26.4 | .560 | .000 | .673 | 5.8 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 11.4 |
| 2004 | Sacramento | 12 | 12 | 19.6 | .437 | .000 | .739 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 6.6 |
| Career | 121 | 113 | 30.8 | .480 | .241 | .731 | 7.5 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 12.1 | |
Major Career Achievements
With KK Partizan
- Won the Yugoslav League Championship in 1987.
- Finished 3rd in the 1988 EuroLeague Final Four in 1988.
- Won the Yugoslav Cup in 1989.
- Won the Korać Cup in 1989.
With the Yugoslavian National Team
- Won a gold medal with Yugoslavia's under-18 team at the 1985 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship.
- Won a gold medal with Yugoslavia's under-21 team at the 1986 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.
- Won a gold medal with Yugoslavia's under-21 team at the 1987 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
- Earned silver medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Won gold medals at the 1990 FIBA World Championship and the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
- Won gold medals at EuroBasket in 1989, 1991, and 1995.
In the NBA
- Named to the 1989–90 NBA All-Rookie First Team.
- Played in the 1991 NBA Finals.
- Ranks 4th in Lakers history for blocked shots.
- Named an NBA All-Star in 2001.
- Is one of only five European players to play at least 1,000 NBA games.
- Is one of only five European players to have his jersey number retired by an NBA team.
Administrative Roles
Leading KK Partizan
In 2000, Divac became the president of his former club, KK Partizan. He worked with former teammate Predrag Danilović to lead the team. They brought back their old coach, Duško Vujošević. Divac later stepped down in 2004.
Working for the Los Angeles Lakers
In 2005, after retiring as a player, Divac was hired as the Lakers' European scout. He helped the team find new talent from overseas. He left this role in 2006.
At Real Madrid Basketball Club
In 2006, Divac joined Real Madrid basketball club. His role was mainly symbolic, helping with the club's image. He left the position in 2007.
President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia
In February 2009, Divac was elected President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia. He was re-elected in 2012. He finished his second term in 2017.
With the Sacramento Kings Front Office
In March 2015, Divac joined the Sacramento Kings as their vice president of basketball operations. He advised the team's leaders and coaches. He quickly became seen as the top basketball official for the team.
In June 2015, the general manager left the Kings, and Divac took on more responsibility. He worked to improve the team and manage relationships between players and coaches.
Becoming General Manager
Divac was promoted to the Kings' general manager on August 31, 2015. He made important decisions about players and coaches. In 2016, he hired Dave Joerger as the new head coach.
Divac continued to work on building the team through drafts. In the 2018 NBA draft, the Kings picked Marvin Bagley III. The team showed improvement in the 2018–19 season.
The 2019–20 NBA season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kings did not make the playoffs, marking their 14th season without a playoff appearance. Divac stepped down as general manager on August 14, 2020.
Humanitarian Work
Vlade Divac is a dedicated humanitarian. He helps children around the world and refugees in his home country of Serbia. He co-founded a charity called "Divac's Children Foundation." This foundation has provided over $2.5 million in aid.
In 2000, the NBA gave Divac the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. This award honors a person who shows great service to the community.
In 2007, Divac started another charity called "You Can Too." Its goal is to fix up empty homes in villages in Serbia and Africa. This helps provide shelter for homeless refugees.
Personal Life
Vlade Divac is married to Snežana. They have two sons, Luka and Matija, and an adopted daughter named Petra. Petra's biological parents were killed during a conflict. Divac speaks Serbian, Russian, and English. He also has American citizenship.
Images for kids
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Divac is one of seven players in NBA history to record 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, and 1,500 blocked shots.
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Divac (fourth from right, at centre) with the Yugoslavia team that won the EuroBasket 1989.
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Vlade Divac (rear, center) alongside Crown Prince Alexander II in 2005, at an event for World Heart Day.
See also
In Spanish: Vlade Divac para niños
- List of NBA career blocks leaders
- List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
- List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
- List of Serbian NBA players
