PRESS COVERAGE: VLADE DIVAC

by E. Spencer Kyte, Bugs and Cranks

So what if he had a thing for flopping?

Vlade Divac was one of the best centers of his time, a complete player who was more focused on team success and making those around him better than filling up the stat sheet himself. No one should have been surprised by his deft passing touch, as the 7'1" Serb has made a life out of giving to those around him.

On the court, Divac ranks, in my books, as one of the Top 5 Passing Centers of All-Time, along side Wilt, Shaq, Arvydis Sabonis and Kareem. Did you know he is one of only a handful of players to amass 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocked shots? That's quite a line for a guy no one ever thinks of when talking about the best centers of his time. Everyone is quite to name Shaq and Ewing and The Admiral and Hakeem. Don't sleep on Vlade people; the man had serious game.

Serious enough game to be a part of two Olympic Silver Medal teams (1988 and 1996), two World Championship Gold Medal teams (1990 and 2002) and countless other accomplishments under the flag of his native land, the former Yugoslavia.

But it's his work off the court for his homeland that deserves to garner more attention. As impactful as Divac was on the court, both as a player and as one of the first European players to make the successful transition to the NBA, what he is doing to help those impacted by the devastation of war throughout the former Yugoslavia is most impressive.

Along with six other Serbian basketball players, Divac formed Group 7, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing material, moral and emotional relief to the children of the war-ravaged nation. This past September, Divac, a national hero and superstar in his homeland, organized a three-day celebration in Belgrade to announce and promote the launching of his humanitarian organization Divac's Childrens Fund and the You Can Too Campaign, aimed at not only aiding Serbian refugees, but thousands of displaced people in Africa as well.

For all his outstanding numbers on the court, the most impressive numbers of his career are the $2.5M Divac's foundation has provided in humanitarian assistance over the past ten years.

Scores of former teammates, coaches and celebrity friends jumped at the chance to be a part of the Belgrade festivities. Chris Webber called him "the best man I have ever met." I haven't met the Serbian big man, but he sounds like an incredible man to me.

This is what we need to report on. These are the stories that need to be told and the lives that need to be looked at. Vlade Divac is worthy of Press Coverage...