Moments after entering a packed, private reception area on the third floor of the New York Hilton Midtown – as gaggles of tourists, buskers and sidewalk vendors lined the neighboring Times Square streets – former Sacramento center Vlade Divac became the center of attention.
The hard-to-miss Kings VP of Basketball and Franchise Operations – draped in a sharp, dark suit, whitedress shirt and black-and-blue striped tie, accessorized with a kindhearted smile and unmistakable, thinly-trimmed beard – shook hands and shared laughs with fellow League executives, former on-court foes and dozens of fans from across the globe.
As he zigzagged around circular tables decorated with white linens and candles, the 47-year-old reminisced with former teammate and current L.A. Lakers Head Coach Byron Scott, embraced Miami Heat VP of Player Programs Alonzo Mourning and jubilantly imitated Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo’s patented finger-wag.
“It’s nice to be back in the NBA family and obviously (I have) a lot of good memories with those guys,” said Divac, surrounded by temporary wallpaper interspersed with NBA Lottery emblems. “In ’89, I was on the other side – with the players – but now I’m on the executive side, so it’s a great feeling.”
90 minutes before the Kings representative would sit at Sacramento’s designated podium, Divac – in between posing for photos and signing autographs – reflected on rejoining the franchise with which he posted the six most productive seasons of his distinguished, 16-year NBA playing career.
“Obviously, I had a great career over there, and then when they called me up to help, I felt (in) some way (it was) my duty to come back and do my part of the job,” said Divac, whose No. 21 jersey was hoisted to the Sleep Train Arena rafters on March 31, 2009. “I think it’s a great story how Sacramento survived and kept the team. I love it, and I’m enjoying (being in) the front office.”
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Familiar with the significance of trust and teamwork at all levels – as the maestro of the selfless passing and togetherness that defined his title-contending Kings teams – the former All-Star intends to work closely and share a singular goal with his executive partners.
“I think (chemistry) is more important in the front office because that reflects on the court,” he said. “The most important thing is what kind of people you have around you. Right now, we really have a good (front office) team, so we’re going to work together and hopefully we can help the (basketball) team be successful.”
Rather than cram a good luck charm into his suitcase to help defy the odds in Tuesday’s drawing, the FIBA Hall of Famer opted to trust the poise and optimism he embodied on the court to ensure he’d triumph – no matter which way the critical ping-pong balls would bounce.
“I just think positive and positive things usually happen,” he said. “We are all in the same bracket – being in the Lottery – and it’s a gamble. You don’t know which (charm) is going to work.”
Prior to learning the Kings Lottery fate, Divac – who credits his previous tenures as Serbian Olympic Committee President and Lakers overseas scout for helping prepare him for his new position – shared the team’s collective brain trust would likely target a player who’d make an immediate contribution while complementing All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
“(Our foundation) starts with (Cousins), of course,” said Divac. “He’s so talented with his hands and feet – he has great footwork – and plus on top of that, he’s physically a beast.”
Upon watching countless hours of film to evaluate collegiate and international prospects and scouting in-person at the annual NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Divac has identified remarkable depth in this year’s class and a slew of elite players scattered across the first round.
“This year, it’s very deep – I like pretty much all (prospects) in the top 10,” he said. “We have already a list of who is a (potential) King. Whoever is available (from) our scouting reports, we’ll take him.”
After perusing the pasta- and dessert-laden buffet tables and settling on breadsticks, Divac resumed mingling with dozens of high-ranking NBA staffers and accompanying guests, each of whom avidly endorsed No. 21’s comprehensive understanding and lasting impact on the sport.
“He was a very good player, obviously, and he had a great career – especially in Sacramento. They played the game the way it was supposed to be played (by) moving the ball,” said NBA icon and Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “I’m glad he’s back in the League. I think he’s good for it – he knows basketball, he knows players, and … hopefully he’ll get (the Kings) turned around.”
After facing the versatile center – who remains one of only seven players in NBA history to amass over 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists and 1,500 blocks – for over a decade on the hardwood, Mourning placed Divac in the upper-echelon of all-time, slick-passing big men.
“He was a very smart, very crafty player (with) great ball-handling skills,” said the Hall of Famer. “But more importantly, his skill level was very high for a guy his size. He wasn’t a predictable player – he was able to fill up the stat sheet in a lot of different ways.”
In addition to praising his innovative playing style and fierce competitiveness, the Serbia native’s peers have long admired his selflessness and internationally-recognized humanitarianism.
“Divac is a good friend – he sat on the international board for the Special Olympics with me and he got to (travel) around the globe with me with NBA (Cares),” said Mutombo. “There’s so much camaraderie between us. I just love the guy so much – what he has done for the NBA, what he has done for the game of basketball around the world and what he’s doing for his wonderful country.”
“Vlade is one of the most giving guys I’ve ever been around,” said Scott. “As a teammate, he was fantastic – he was always one of those guys who was all about the team first and never thought about individual accolades. You couldn’t put a better person in charge of moving up in the ranks as (the Kings) did with him.”
A half-hour before the 8:30 p.m. EDT on-camera proceedings, Divac was escorted backstage by an ESPN official for makeup application and final preparations for the live TV segment inside the adjacent Grand Ballroom, where throngs of NBA officials, camera crews and top prospects assembled across the set.
With spotlights illuminating the Lottery dais and large projection screens broadcasting the telecast throughout the hotel ballroom, Divac stoically nodded as the Kings secured the No. 6 selection in the 2015 Draft, marking only the second time Sacramento did not drop from its pre-drawing position in its last seven Lottery appearances.
Upon unfolding his 7-foot-1 frame from his on-stage seat, No. 21 reiterated his prior enthusiasm, expressing utmost confidence that Sacramento stands to net a prominent and impactful first-year standout.
“It’s good that we stayed in the same place – if we couldn’t move up, then it’s perfect, so I’m happy,” said Divac. “I think it’s a very talented group of guys coming this year, so I think there will be a lot of good guys available.”
In the Lottery era, numerous outstanding players have been selected with the sixth overall pick – including Rookie of the Year winners Damian Lillard and Brandon Roy, as well as All-Stars Antoine Walker and Tom Gugliotta – while Sacramento’s most recent No. 6 selection was 1987-88 All-Rookie First Team member and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith.
GALLERY: No. 6 Picks
En route to departing the 47-floor Manhattan building to begin planning pre-Draft workouts, the upbeat executive emphasized that with the addition of another promising player to Sacramento’s core of rapidly-developing, young standouts, he doesn’t plan on returning to the annual mid-May event.
“We’re really excited – this is an opportunity for us to do something big,” said Divac. “I hope we won’t be in the Lottery anymore.”
Free Throws
- Renowned as a groundbreaker in globalizing basketball as one of the first overseas players to have an enduring NBA influence, Divac – who was named one of the 50 Greatest FIBA Players and Euroleague contributors – accessed today’s worldwide basketball landscape while looking back on his own pioneering journey.
- Tune-in to the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday, June 25 at 4 p.m. PDT from Barclays Center in Brooklyn on ESPN and ESPN Radio. Plus, stay current with Kings.com for complete pre-Draft coverage.
“The NBA definitely looks much different than in the late ‘80s – it became more of an international game,” he said. “That’s why you have so many fans around the world. We have the (NBA Global Games in) Asia, and next year, the Celtics and Kings are going to play in Mexico City, so it’s very important to have a global (sport).”