Vlade Divac

One of the first Europeans to play a significant role in the NBA league, with over 13,000 points, Vlade Divac is a man Serbia is proud of.

One of the first European players who made it big in the NBA league was a young man from Serbia who stepped into the history of world’s basketball – Vlade Divac.

A man who was put on a list of 50 most important basketball players in Europe for his contribution to the development of this sport and whose no. 21 jersey was retired by the Sacramento Kings, is today the President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, but also the United Nations Ambassador of Goodwill.

Today one of the Serbian “golden boys” can be seen walking the streets of Belgrade, signing autographs and having his picture taken by the fans – always smiling and polite. His successes on basketball court aren’t measured in medals or scores. Instead, they are measured by the boundaries he has moved.

At twenty-one he was the first European basketball player to play for the LA Lakers. Divac is one of only three players in NBA history to score 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocks. That got him a nomination for the basketball Hall of Fame.

Being 216 centimeters tall, Vlade’s arm span is more than 2 meters. As a boy he wanted to play football, but in time he became simply too tall for this sport. However, Vlade’s greatness is measured not only by his height. His motto has always been, “a rich person is not the one who has everything, but the one who shares”. Aside his professional achievements, Vlade’s humanitarian work is more than noticeable.

Saša Boškovic i Vlade Divac

When Vlade Divac was saying farewell to his active basketball career in 2007, he did it in the manner of a true sportsman – he organized a basketball game. On that occasion he brought some of the best players in the world to Serbia. Together they participated in numerous humanitarian actions and the big basketball game was played in front of the Serbian parliament in Belgrade.

In his honor the Sacramento Kings retired his no. 21 jersey.

Today he’s running the Foundation “Ana and Vlade Divac” together with his wife, and his biggest virtue is that he managed to influence others with his work and commitment.

The project “You Can Do It Too” gathered more than 50.000 people around this idea, many of which were famous sportsmen and women. For his warmheartedness and generosity Vlade Divac was elected the United Nations Ambassador of Goodwill. He also received a prestigious honor from the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.

Vlade Divac hasn’t forgotten his love for basketball and sport. These days he will play a game or two, mostly to charity, or he will appear at some sport manifestation attracting great attention.

As the President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia he’s now working for others in order to improve the conditions for young sportsmen and women who are yet to be discovered.