ESPN: Serbia and Montenegro accuse Divac of skipping draft
- Thread starter Warhawk
- Start date
ParniValjak
All-Star
Vlade Divac IS the ambassador and has been "appointed" as one a long time ago.PixelPusher said:Grant Napear on his radio show yesterday said this whole thing was bogus, and that Vlade acually has diplomatic status. If that's true, then Vlade Divac is "literally" an ambassador!
mcsluggo
Starter
first off, this specific posturing probably is/was all just publicity grabbing by some official that wanted some bright lights for himself...
however, that said: Why is Vlade any less susceptable to a draft, or whatever else is required of serb citizens (Isn't he a US citicen now, anyway?), than anyone else. Almost EVERYBODY has some sort of career that is also benefiting the society at large, and that they'd have to be temporarily taken away from. Do you all honestly believe that Vlade's b-ball was so much more valuable to the serbian world than the banker/schoolteacher/fireman/janitor/machinist professions of the world. C'mon now. If it is a rule, and he broke it, then he broke it. A universal army service requirement might be a stupid rule, but it is stupid because it takes EVERYONE from their best calling. Taking a basketball player away from the courts for one year is a pretty small component of that, and certainly not one deserving of a specific individualized exemption.
Frankly, IF 1-year of service is a requirement for all serb citizens, and IF Vlade is still a serb citizen, and IF he shirked on this responsibility, THEN take him to task for it.
however, that said: Why is Vlade any less susceptable to a draft, or whatever else is required of serb citizens (Isn't he a US citicen now, anyway?), than anyone else. Almost EVERYBODY has some sort of career that is also benefiting the society at large, and that they'd have to be temporarily taken away from. Do you all honestly believe that Vlade's b-ball was so much more valuable to the serbian world than the banker/schoolteacher/fireman/janitor/machinist professions of the world. C'mon now. If it is a rule, and he broke it, then he broke it. A universal army service requirement might be a stupid rule, but it is stupid because it takes EVERYONE from their best calling. Taking a basketball player away from the courts for one year is a pretty small component of that, and certainly not one deserving of a specific individualized exemption.
Frankly, IF 1-year of service is a requirement for all serb citizens, and IF Vlade is still a serb citizen, and IF he shirked on this responsibility, THEN take him to task for it.
bozzwell
Starter
mcsluggo said:
It's very simple: Vlade has a dual citizenship (US and Serbian) and as such he is not required to serve. He has provided supporting documentation in the past to the Serbian embassy in DC. Somehow, the docs didn't make it to Zemun (Belgrade suburb where charges were raised). The charges were now dropped as baseless, and NOT because he is a deserving citizen.
ESPN: Divac cleared of dodging army service
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2228277
Former NBA star Vlade Divac was cleared Friday of draft dodging in his native country.
Prosecutors dropped the charges a day after Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica came to the player's defense. Kostunica said Divac had "proven his patriotism innumerable times during his long career" in basketball.
"What hurt me the most was the negative way my country was presented [in the U.S.] through this case," Divac said at a meeting with Serbia-Montenegro's Defense Minister Zoran Sankovic.
Earlier this week, the Serbia-Montenegro army filed the charges, claiming that the 37-year-old Divac was obliged by law to join the army for the compulsory six-month military service by the age of 35. Draft dodging carries a one-year prison sentence in Serbia.
The case drew much attention in Serbia, where Divac is revered as a national hero for helping the former Yugoslavia to silver medals at the 1988 and 1996 Olympics, and leading the country now known as Serbia-Montenegro to a gold medal at the 2002 world championships.
Divac, who voiced surprise over the charges, said in a statement he had filed all of the necessary documents for postponing army duties on a regular basis with the Serbia-Montenegro embassy in the United States.
Milovan Bozovic, a Belgrade district prosecutor, said the charges were unfounded because all holders of dual nationality are not obliged to serve in the military in Serbia-Montenegro.
Divac has had dual Serbian-American citizenship since living in the United States for the past 16 years.
Divac ended his 16-year NBA career last month, taking a job with the Los Angeles Lakers as a liaison and scout in Europe.
He was one of the first Europeans to have a major impact in the NBA, being drafted by the Lakers in 1989 and later playing for the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2228277
Former NBA star Vlade Divac was cleared Friday of draft dodging in his native country.
Prosecutors dropped the charges a day after Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica came to the player's defense. Kostunica said Divac had "proven his patriotism innumerable times during his long career" in basketball.
"What hurt me the most was the negative way my country was presented [in the U.S.] through this case," Divac said at a meeting with Serbia-Montenegro's Defense Minister Zoran Sankovic.
Earlier this week, the Serbia-Montenegro army filed the charges, claiming that the 37-year-old Divac was obliged by law to join the army for the compulsory six-month military service by the age of 35. Draft dodging carries a one-year prison sentence in Serbia.
The case drew much attention in Serbia, where Divac is revered as a national hero for helping the former Yugoslavia to silver medals at the 1988 and 1996 Olympics, and leading the country now known as Serbia-Montenegro to a gold medal at the 2002 world championships.
Divac, who voiced surprise over the charges, said in a statement he had filed all of the necessary documents for postponing army duties on a regular basis with the Serbia-Montenegro embassy in the United States.
Milovan Bozovic, a Belgrade district prosecutor, said the charges were unfounded because all holders of dual nationality are not obliged to serve in the military in Serbia-Montenegro.
Divac has had dual Serbian-American citizenship since living in the United States for the past 16 years.
Divac ended his 16-year NBA career last month, taking a job with the Los Angeles Lakers as a liaison and scout in Europe.
He was one of the first Europeans to have a major impact in the NBA, being drafted by the Lakers in 1989 and later playing for the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings.
ParniValjak
All-Star
Or he has a death wish.mcsluggo said:
