piksi
Hall of Famer
Well my graduate school finally ended and job I have now requires getting up early on the East Coast making it very difficult to watch Kings and almost impossible to watch them lose over and over again. While losing is the goal right now - it doesn't mean that we have to witness it personally. You wake up in the morning, You see the score , You say "good job" and You move on.
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Last night kings made sure that Suns will join the n the lottery by beating them in a "illegal defense" kind of game where defense was literarly illegal. With 10 games to go Kings are 16-56 wich is barely worst record in the NBA. We have one more win that Wizards and only 2 more than Clippers who are still my favorite to somehow end up with the worst record at the end because they have really only one winnable game against us while we paly Warriors twice and we might beat someone else randomly like we did the Knicks or the Suns last night.
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Well, I am going to skip all the redundancy of how much we suck because I have been saying that for years and it has become pointless and old. We are the worst in the league and have the opportunity to draft a very talented young player or Previs Ellison. We have bunch of other young guys who have no clue what they are supposed to be doing because there is no one to teach them. We also have plenty of flexible pieces that no one wants . All in all we are three years behind the schedule but we are on schedule. If You can't stand losing - come back in 3-4 years.
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The game against Hornets is about celebrating and honoring Vlade Divac. But since Vlade is unselfish and won't mind - this game is about celebrating all the others from the golden age of Sacramento Kings Basketball. Some of them will be there - some won't but they will all be remembered and honored because Vlade stands for all of them. He represents the team that could do anything but stay healthy, a team the even playing 5 on 8 had a chance to win it all, a team that had everything but little luck and unbiased referees. That team is gone. There will NEVER be one like it. There will be other teams way better than this one, teams that will win many games and be part of the post season. None of them will be like this one because none of them will have Vlade.
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I watched Vlade the first time when he was "16" (really who knows his age ?) He was skinny and quick and fairly uncoordinated but even then You could see that he would be something special. He was playing for the 2nd division team and no one knew him. We made fun of him and he just smiled. First time I cursed at him was at WC in 1986. It wasn't really his foult. Yugoslavia played Soviet union in the semifinals. We had 9 point lead with 56 seconds to go. All our big man fouled out trying to guard a guy named Arvidas Sabonis. Vlade was 17. Anyways - we lost the game in overtime and Vlade traveled on one of the crucial possession because he wanted to dribble the ball.
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Next year after 3rd place at the EC in Greece we fired the coach but what he did was right. He left the veterans home and took the kids with him. The 68/69 generation - the best in history of European basketball. They were our dream team
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz2-d5woRu4
don't mind the language because if You speak "basketball" You will understand everything. Having several 7 footer running the fast break - You don't get to see every day.
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That team lost their last game in the olympic final in 1988. The didn't lose again. We were all hoping to watch them against the dream team in 1992 but war was quicker and everything fell apart. Vlade came to the NBA. Unfortunately he was drafter by the worst franchise of all time and it took a while till he freed himself from that. He really didn't matter until 1998 when there was a lock out and he played euroleague in Belgrade until it was announced that he signed with the Kings. Since no one really knew Kings and no one watched them play EVER - everyone was questioning his sanity and seing the move as career suicide. And obviously everyone was so very wrong. In the first game Kings lost to Spurs by 18 and Vlade was 2-9 with 8 rebounds and 2 assists and it didn't look god but thing would change quickly and Kings would grow and during the next 6 years it would turn into a fairytale that had everything but happy ending.
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Having Vlade with Chris and JWill - we made ESPN every night and the we made national TV and in 2003 we had 22 broadcasts as many as the lakers. We won a lot and would have won lot more if we weren't injured all the time. Vlade was the most durable player we had. If there were hokey assists in basketball we would have had 2 players with triple doubles most of the night. Sometimes I go back to the dvd archives and watch old games. That team was ageless and would have been great in any basketball era.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vlade wasn't perfect either. 2 packs cigarettes a day, no workouts during the summer etc... He could have been much better player but he lacked discipline. What he has in abundance was passion for the game and the team and teammates. He was never looking for stats or anything more that what he was given. The was never the best in anything but he was irreplaceable. He was the one card that was holding the house together. When he left - it was over. Vlade's best season was in 2003-04 when Webber was hurt, He played phenomenally. When Webber came back - something happened there but this isn't the place or the time.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AbpT7VzKZo
Talking about Vlade's contribution off the court for people all over the world is pointless. Currently, he is the president of Serbian Olympic Committee. It is a horrible job and Vlade would be better off without that stress but You know Vlade - always there to help.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
It will be an emotional night. It is the first live NBA broadcast in Serbia for years. We will get to relive past for couple of hours. We will talk about it for days and then it will be back to normal. We run out of jerseys to retire but every time You are at ARCO and You look up they will be there. 2 uniforms representing greatest group of guys who had fun being together, playing together and promoting the best about team sports all over the world.
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The game itself tomorrow is meaningless and no one will ever remember it as basketball game. I had to look up to see who we played when #4 got retired but I remember every moment of the ceremony. Some things are bigger then game itself. We will win tomorrow regardless of the score. I was considering naming a future award after Vlade but no one can come close. No one can win it so what is the point.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Whoever has the privilege to be there live tomorrow - have fun.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last night kings made sure that Suns will join the n the lottery by beating them in a "illegal defense" kind of game where defense was literarly illegal. With 10 games to go Kings are 16-56 wich is barely worst record in the NBA. We have one more win that Wizards and only 2 more than Clippers who are still my favorite to somehow end up with the worst record at the end because they have really only one winnable game against us while we paly Warriors twice and we might beat someone else randomly like we did the Knicks or the Suns last night.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I am going to skip all the redundancy of how much we suck because I have been saying that for years and it has become pointless and old. We are the worst in the league and have the opportunity to draft a very talented young player or Previs Ellison. We have bunch of other young guys who have no clue what they are supposed to be doing because there is no one to teach them. We also have plenty of flexible pieces that no one wants . All in all we are three years behind the schedule but we are on schedule. If You can't stand losing - come back in 3-4 years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The game against Hornets is about celebrating and honoring Vlade Divac. But since Vlade is unselfish and won't mind - this game is about celebrating all the others from the golden age of Sacramento Kings Basketball. Some of them will be there - some won't but they will all be remembered and honored because Vlade stands for all of them. He represents the team that could do anything but stay healthy, a team the even playing 5 on 8 had a chance to win it all, a team that had everything but little luck and unbiased referees. That team is gone. There will NEVER be one like it. There will be other teams way better than this one, teams that will win many games and be part of the post season. None of them will be like this one because none of them will have Vlade.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I watched Vlade the first time when he was "16" (really who knows his age ?) He was skinny and quick and fairly uncoordinated but even then You could see that he would be something special. He was playing for the 2nd division team and no one knew him. We made fun of him and he just smiled. First time I cursed at him was at WC in 1986. It wasn't really his foult. Yugoslavia played Soviet union in the semifinals. We had 9 point lead with 56 seconds to go. All our big man fouled out trying to guard a guy named Arvidas Sabonis. Vlade was 17. Anyways - we lost the game in overtime and Vlade traveled on one of the crucial possession because he wanted to dribble the ball.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Next year after 3rd place at the EC in Greece we fired the coach but what he did was right. He left the veterans home and took the kids with him. The 68/69 generation - the best in history of European basketball. They were our dream team
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz2-d5woRu4
don't mind the language because if You speak "basketball" You will understand everything. Having several 7 footer running the fast break - You don't get to see every day.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
That team lost their last game in the olympic final in 1988. The didn't lose again. We were all hoping to watch them against the dream team in 1992 but war was quicker and everything fell apart. Vlade came to the NBA. Unfortunately he was drafter by the worst franchise of all time and it took a while till he freed himself from that. He really didn't matter until 1998 when there was a lock out and he played euroleague in Belgrade until it was announced that he signed with the Kings. Since no one really knew Kings and no one watched them play EVER - everyone was questioning his sanity and seing the move as career suicide. And obviously everyone was so very wrong. In the first game Kings lost to Spurs by 18 and Vlade was 2-9 with 8 rebounds and 2 assists and it didn't look god but thing would change quickly and Kings would grow and during the next 6 years it would turn into a fairytale that had everything but happy ending.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Having Vlade with Chris and JWill - we made ESPN every night and the we made national TV and in 2003 we had 22 broadcasts as many as the lakers. We won a lot and would have won lot more if we weren't injured all the time. Vlade was the most durable player we had. If there were hokey assists in basketball we would have had 2 players with triple doubles most of the night. Sometimes I go back to the dvd archives and watch old games. That team was ageless and would have been great in any basketball era.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vlade wasn't perfect either. 2 packs cigarettes a day, no workouts during the summer etc... He could have been much better player but he lacked discipline. What he has in abundance was passion for the game and the team and teammates. He was never looking for stats or anything more that what he was given. The was never the best in anything but he was irreplaceable. He was the one card that was holding the house together. When he left - it was over. Vlade's best season was in 2003-04 when Webber was hurt, He played phenomenally. When Webber came back - something happened there but this isn't the place or the time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AbpT7VzKZo
Talking about Vlade's contribution off the court for people all over the world is pointless. Currently, he is the president of Serbian Olympic Committee. It is a horrible job and Vlade would be better off without that stress but You know Vlade - always there to help.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
It will be an emotional night. It is the first live NBA broadcast in Serbia for years. We will get to relive past for couple of hours. We will talk about it for days and then it will be back to normal. We run out of jerseys to retire but every time You are at ARCO and You look up they will be there. 2 uniforms representing greatest group of guys who had fun being together, playing together and promoting the best about team sports all over the world.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The game itself tomorrow is meaningless and no one will ever remember it as basketball game. I had to look up to see who we played when #4 got retired but I remember every moment of the ceremony. Some things are bigger then game itself. We will win tomorrow regardless of the score. I was considering naming a future award after Vlade but no one can come close. No one can win it so what is the point.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Whoever has the privilege to be there live tomorrow - have fun.
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