Nice piece in the Folsom Telegraph (note the plug for Kingsfans.com)
http://www.folsomtelegraph.com/articles/2005/07/27/sports/local_sports/03divac.txt
http://www.folsomtelegraph.com/articles/2005/07/27/sports/local_sports/03divac.txt
Vlade Divac: Always a King
Retirement, Kings break-up, future of coaching
By: Steve Crane, The Telegraph
Tuesday, July 26, 2005 4:39 PM PDT
Vlade Divac is still that charismatic, fun-seeking guy we all loved when he played for the Sacramento Kings. Divac has been in Folsom, along with Peja Stojakovic, over the past two weeks for the annual Peja & Vlade Basketball Camp at Folsom High School. The big guy took a short breather from camp activities to chat about his future in basketball and reflect on the good times that marked his six-year stint with the Kings.
A recent report out of Serbia-Montenegro stated that the 16-year NBA veteran had announced his retirement due to recurring back problems. Divac, who suited up for only 15 games for the Lakers last season after back surgery, first addressed the issue of whether or not he will lace them up for a 17th pro season.
"It's basically on hold until Sept. 30," Divac said. "That's the day where I have to make a decision and when the Lakers have to make a decision. Before there was speculation, there was another article in the L.A. Times that named like five different options that might happen with me. One of those was obviously retirement, and I guess some people have said they'd like me to retire, including the one that made up the whole issue about it. But Sept. 30 is the day when I'm going to decide."
The Lakers hold a team option on Divac's final contract year.
"(Lakers' General Manager) Mitch Kupchak and I have talked about the various, different things that could happen," Divac said. "I still love basketball in a way where I have to have fun. Money and a contract are in the second plans. When I look back, I had a wonderful career, and I'm happy."
Divac added, though, that if the Lakers attempt to trade him to another club, he will retire.
"The only two places I can play are Sacramento and L.A.," he stated emphatically.
If the Lakers choose to not pick up Divac's $5.4 million option for next season and he becomes a free agent, what then? "Then I'll probably retire," he said.
Divac was a hero of the hardwood and fan favorite throughout his stay in Sacramento. His contributions, both on and off the floor, were key to the Kings' renaissance from cellar dweller to elite contender. As a King, Divac sat out only six games in six seasons and averaged 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while donning the purple and black.
Kings' GM Geoff Petrie chose to not re-sign the 7-foot-1-inch center after the 2003-2004 season, but Divac harbors no ill feelings whatsoever about the Kings' organization for letting him go.
"I understood which way this organization wanted to go, and obviously they wanted to go young," he said. "It's all good things I can say about the team's organization and the Sacramento fan base. It was a wonderful six years I spent here."
After Divac became a Laker, Doug Christie and then Chris Webber were both dealt away during the last campaign, effectively dismantling the club that had hoisted Sacramento into the NBA limelight. Divac was asked if he thought that there was one more title run left in the old Kings.
"It's hard to say. If you look at what we each did (after we left), I believe they made the right decision. I had back surgery, Doug had the foot problems, and Chris was up and down, so Geoff made a good decision."
The ex-King was also quick to chastise the critics of those three big changes in the Kings' roster last season.
"It's wrong to judge. You've got to take the positive things from what happened (over the years). I think it was a great ride. It was an era of putting the Kings on the map, not just in the United States but worldwide."
Clearly, the strong attendance at Divac's annual camp in Folsom, 250 attendees per session this year, has resulted, to a large degree, from the building popularity and success of the Kings over recent years in which the Serbian played a pivotal role.
Joe and Gavin Maloof, the Kings' owners, recognize, too, Divac's major contributions to the franchise's success and fueling the emergence of the most loyal fans in the NBA here in Sacramento. The Maloofs have gone public in issuing Divac an open invitation for a position with the organization after his retirement.
"Well, I know how they feel about me, and the same way I feel about the Maloofs is that they are family," Divac said. "They're doing positive things here. One of the reasons why we had so much success was because of them."
After retirement as a player, Divac has also received strong support to come back to Sacramento from rabid Kings fans who frequent such popular Kings' internet bulletin board sites as kingsfans.com and bleachermob.com. A majority of these fans would like to see Divac return to the Kings' bench, only this time as a coach.
"Yes, I was thinking about that," Divac said. "But I don't like coaching jobs at all. Because usually when you win games, the players win, right? When they lose, they blame the coach. So I don't like that.
"But you know it's a year of experience," he continued, "Maybe I'll do something like that, to be coach or assistant coach, either here or for the Lakers, and just get the feeling. And if I like it, maybe I'll continue it, but (right now) I don't see myself doing it. I'd rather do more with the kids and the community, in some way staying in basketball, but I don't see myself as a coach. Still I can't say 100 percent."
Divac then revealed what he knows is the biggest headache from being an NBA coach.
"It's being a parent with a lot of kids!" he chuckled.
And being a parent for his own kids, including teaching them about and living in the Serbian culture, is now squarely on Divac's mind.
"In the future my goal is, with all those years I missed playing basketball, I will visit with my kids to spend more time with them. We have decided next year, not this year, to go back to Europe, back home, after 16 or 17 years, to live close to my parents, give an opportunity for my kids to be close to their grandparents, and maybe the year after or two years, we will come back to California."
Divac then reflected on his fondest memories as a Sacramento King. Two very different experiences immediately jumped to his mind.
"The first one is an emotional memory for me personally," Divac said. "In the days where my hometown was bombed (1999 U.S. intervention in Serbia), and the people in Sacramento, the Sacramento fans, really made me feel good about what I do. They gave me support, and I think it was the best year of my career when I played. I don't know how, because I only slept for a couple hours a day, but playing in front of those people made me feel so good. Really good.
"Basketball-wise, it definitely should be the conference finals (2002) against the Lakers where one ball could go either way, and we fell short for the championship when, I believe, we had the championship team."
Those glory days are gone but certainly will never be forgotten. It is inevitable that Divac's familiar #21 jersey will be retired and lifted to the rafters in Arco Arena shortly after the greatest Kings' center in the Sacramento era chooses to end his pro playing career.
"Oh, I got goose bumps right now talking about it," Divac said humbly. "It's a highlight of any player's career, and I don't know what to say. It would be the best thing to happen to me. Obviously, I'm very attached to this place. Playing for my national team and playing for Kings fans was the best feeling ever."
The feeling was mutual.
Next week: An in-depth interview with the Kings' Peja Stojakovic, including what he's been doing this off-season, his feelings about re-signing with Sacramento, and his surprising greatest moment as a King.
Retirement, Kings break-up, future of coaching
By: Steve Crane, The Telegraph
Tuesday, July 26, 2005 4:39 PM PDT
Vlade Divac is still that charismatic, fun-seeking guy we all loved when he played for the Sacramento Kings. Divac has been in Folsom, along with Peja Stojakovic, over the past two weeks for the annual Peja & Vlade Basketball Camp at Folsom High School. The big guy took a short breather from camp activities to chat about his future in basketball and reflect on the good times that marked his six-year stint with the Kings.
A recent report out of Serbia-Montenegro stated that the 16-year NBA veteran had announced his retirement due to recurring back problems. Divac, who suited up for only 15 games for the Lakers last season after back surgery, first addressed the issue of whether or not he will lace them up for a 17th pro season.
"It's basically on hold until Sept. 30," Divac said. "That's the day where I have to make a decision and when the Lakers have to make a decision. Before there was speculation, there was another article in the L.A. Times that named like five different options that might happen with me. One of those was obviously retirement, and I guess some people have said they'd like me to retire, including the one that made up the whole issue about it. But Sept. 30 is the day when I'm going to decide."
The Lakers hold a team option on Divac's final contract year.
"(Lakers' General Manager) Mitch Kupchak and I have talked about the various, different things that could happen," Divac said. "I still love basketball in a way where I have to have fun. Money and a contract are in the second plans. When I look back, I had a wonderful career, and I'm happy."
Divac added, though, that if the Lakers attempt to trade him to another club, he will retire.
"The only two places I can play are Sacramento and L.A.," he stated emphatically.
If the Lakers choose to not pick up Divac's $5.4 million option for next season and he becomes a free agent, what then? "Then I'll probably retire," he said.
Divac was a hero of the hardwood and fan favorite throughout his stay in Sacramento. His contributions, both on and off the floor, were key to the Kings' renaissance from cellar dweller to elite contender. As a King, Divac sat out only six games in six seasons and averaged 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while donning the purple and black.
Kings' GM Geoff Petrie chose to not re-sign the 7-foot-1-inch center after the 2003-2004 season, but Divac harbors no ill feelings whatsoever about the Kings' organization for letting him go.
"I understood which way this organization wanted to go, and obviously they wanted to go young," he said. "It's all good things I can say about the team's organization and the Sacramento fan base. It was a wonderful six years I spent here."
After Divac became a Laker, Doug Christie and then Chris Webber were both dealt away during the last campaign, effectively dismantling the club that had hoisted Sacramento into the NBA limelight. Divac was asked if he thought that there was one more title run left in the old Kings.
"It's hard to say. If you look at what we each did (after we left), I believe they made the right decision. I had back surgery, Doug had the foot problems, and Chris was up and down, so Geoff made a good decision."
The ex-King was also quick to chastise the critics of those three big changes in the Kings' roster last season.
"It's wrong to judge. You've got to take the positive things from what happened (over the years). I think it was a great ride. It was an era of putting the Kings on the map, not just in the United States but worldwide."
Clearly, the strong attendance at Divac's annual camp in Folsom, 250 attendees per session this year, has resulted, to a large degree, from the building popularity and success of the Kings over recent years in which the Serbian played a pivotal role.
Joe and Gavin Maloof, the Kings' owners, recognize, too, Divac's major contributions to the franchise's success and fueling the emergence of the most loyal fans in the NBA here in Sacramento. The Maloofs have gone public in issuing Divac an open invitation for a position with the organization after his retirement.
"Well, I know how they feel about me, and the same way I feel about the Maloofs is that they are family," Divac said. "They're doing positive things here. One of the reasons why we had so much success was because of them."
After retirement as a player, Divac has also received strong support to come back to Sacramento from rabid Kings fans who frequent such popular Kings' internet bulletin board sites as kingsfans.com and bleachermob.com. A majority of these fans would like to see Divac return to the Kings' bench, only this time as a coach.
"Yes, I was thinking about that," Divac said. "But I don't like coaching jobs at all. Because usually when you win games, the players win, right? When they lose, they blame the coach. So I don't like that.
"But you know it's a year of experience," he continued, "Maybe I'll do something like that, to be coach or assistant coach, either here or for the Lakers, and just get the feeling. And if I like it, maybe I'll continue it, but (right now) I don't see myself doing it. I'd rather do more with the kids and the community, in some way staying in basketball, but I don't see myself as a coach. Still I can't say 100 percent."
Divac then revealed what he knows is the biggest headache from being an NBA coach.
"It's being a parent with a lot of kids!" he chuckled.
And being a parent for his own kids, including teaching them about and living in the Serbian culture, is now squarely on Divac's mind.
"In the future my goal is, with all those years I missed playing basketball, I will visit with my kids to spend more time with them. We have decided next year, not this year, to go back to Europe, back home, after 16 or 17 years, to live close to my parents, give an opportunity for my kids to be close to their grandparents, and maybe the year after or two years, we will come back to California."
Divac then reflected on his fondest memories as a Sacramento King. Two very different experiences immediately jumped to his mind.
"The first one is an emotional memory for me personally," Divac said. "In the days where my hometown was bombed (1999 U.S. intervention in Serbia), and the people in Sacramento, the Sacramento fans, really made me feel good about what I do. They gave me support, and I think it was the best year of my career when I played. I don't know how, because I only slept for a couple hours a day, but playing in front of those people made me feel so good. Really good.
"Basketball-wise, it definitely should be the conference finals (2002) against the Lakers where one ball could go either way, and we fell short for the championship when, I believe, we had the championship team."
Those glory days are gone but certainly will never be forgotten. It is inevitable that Divac's familiar #21 jersey will be retired and lifted to the rafters in Arco Arena shortly after the greatest Kings' center in the Sacramento era chooses to end his pro playing career.
"Oh, I got goose bumps right now talking about it," Divac said humbly. "It's a highlight of any player's career, and I don't know what to say. It would be the best thing to happen to me. Obviously, I'm very attached to this place. Playing for my national team and playing for Kings fans was the best feeling ever."
The feeling was mutual.
Next week: An in-depth interview with the Kings' Peja Stojakovic, including what he's been doing this off-season, his feelings about re-signing with Sacramento, and his surprising greatest moment as a King.
