Documentary about Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac in production
UPDATE: The Vlade Divac / Drazen Petrovic documentary premiere is scheduled for 12th of October 2010.
Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic were two of the greatest European basketball players of all time. Vlade retired recently, and Drazen, sadly, died back in 1993 in an automobile accident. Had he lived, he would probably be a household name by now, just like Divac is. After the war broke out in former Yugoslavia, however, these two teammates stopped talking – Vlade is a Serb, while Drazen was a Croat, and the nationalistic rhetorics in both countries must have influenced them, just like many other friends and colleagues at the time, even family members. Even though Divac managed to set things straight with former teammates, Croatians Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja, he was too late to make peace with Drazen.
Documentary director Michael Tolajian found the story of war, friendship and sportsmanship to be interesting enough to include in ESPN’s 30 for 30 series which features some of the greatest sport stories from the past 30 years. The documentary, called “Once Brothers” (Serbian: Jednom braća) will also include the tale of the best European national team of all time, the Yugoslavian national team from 1988-91, which, beside Divac, Petrovic, Kukoc and Radja had such names as Žarko Paspalj, Predrag Danilović, Stojan Vranković, Jure Zdovc, Zoran Čutura, Zdravko Radulović, Zoran Radović, Zoran Savić and Aleksandar Đorđević.
I’ll let you know when the documentary is finished, in the meantime, here’s a clip of Vlade from Bill Kralovec’s blog:
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The only national team that could have rivaled the dream team, had it stayed together, and definitely one of the best national basketball teams of all time (European or other).
Just to think back to the times when these masters of the sport were playing and what they were capable of is enough to give me goose bumps. Divac, Petrovic, Kukoc, Radja, Paspalj, Zdovc – it is a crime that the basketball world was deprived of them playing together for longer. Each one of them had unbelievable skill, what they produced on the court was magic and a pleasure to watch. Players like Divac and Petrovic were pioneers and paved the way for other foreigners to play in the NBA and these days there are more than ever.
Just looking at the basketball successes the ex-YU countries (especially Serbia of course ) have had since that time shows the depth of basketball talent in this region and a testimony to how great these guys, the ‘best of the best’ were.
R.I.P. Drazen
I can’t help smiling every time I watch it.
From everything I read, Vlade tried to make peaces with Drazen but Drazen didn’t want anything to do with it.
Stop arguing.We are just sheeps, politicans turn us against each other.My father is a Serb ,mother Croatian.We distroy a beytiful and rich countru so politicans could take all for them and left us poor and in debts.We ordinary people are all on losing side.
Comment to all of you who don’t have anything better to do in your time than to argue on the internet with complete strangers: can’t you wait for the documentary to come out first and then start your pointless arguments?
Thanks.
Hey,
Johny had the best comment of all..no matter what i’m always reading about war,conflict …who started who was chased away and so on. In fact like Johny said we poor stupid dumb people..we lost. The politicians won!!! Its in their interest to tear us apart..but we stupid folks dont unterstand it. We are the one who are suffering and arguing all the time about who started, who invaded first who was chased away from his land who was killed and so on. But at the end the elite, the politicians, the main econimists won!! They control now all the coutries..either croatia,serbia,bosnia and so on. We stupid folks lost our riches..our talent..our destiny what god gave us..and one of this is sport like basketball where we had a players that where almost on the level like nba stars (Bird,Johnson,Jordan and so on). Also in football we had a generation that would be capable to win the world cup players like Boban,Suker,Mijatovic,Savicevic,Prosinecki, Stojkovic, Mihajlovic..and so on again. In Handball now Croatia is always in finals and waterball volleyball also serbia is very strong.
So stop arguing lets think together lets build something new..lets fight against these people who want to tear us apart.
Peace! May god be with us!!
OK, I deleted some comments, not so much because they were hateful or offensive but because they were pointless and stupid. And I don’t don’t want pointless stuff on my website. If you really want to “discuss” who started the war and why, I’m sure there are dozens of other websites that will accept your comments. I suggest you try leaving comments under Youtube videos, for instance.
This website is from now on closed for such kind of commenting and all similar comments will be deleted on all posts in the future, so don’t bother leaving them in the first place. Thanks.
VIKTOR well if you are going to write comments about Drazen and Divac there is no way you can escape politics unles you are on denial.
Politics is not a problem. Discussing who started the war and if it was in fact a civil war or not, on the other hand, is a problem because the matter is too complicated to be discussed in such a way you guys started it here.
Just saw the documentary. Brilliant. I never knew the story behind the two men, but it was delivered masterfully in this program. Very sad story. Quite touching.
I cried like I never did…
outstanding documentary…
we had so much…now…we have so little…
I also Cried wenn I saw these great documentary today .
Just maked me rolles once more, those good old times of my teeneger times wen i use to by every magazine which rights something about my sports idols of those times.
and dreaming of some sport career.
Although Divac wasn^t so honest cose I rembember that he was proud to be a Serbian so he did prowoke Drazen and Croatians,but ok he is trying to cower hes mistakes wenn he was young but still respekt for him.
He even went to Zagreb to family of Drazen , and to his grave,so Respekt.
We are only humans we do make mistakes.
So he didn`t kill no one.why should we blame him ?
great spotsman a pioneer of europe sport in those times wenn USA was so arrogant so couldn think that somebody from europe could do something in NBA.
Just some years later remains of Yougoslawia even won world tittle although USA has had hes Nba stars on team!!!
I was 13 year old wenn Drazen started hes career in Cibona and i remeber once I couldn^t watch match aginst Zalgiris on dying momnts ,so i was entering myself on the closet so nobady see my frustration and there praying To God help to Drazen to win.
After some years he was declared the best in Europa.
He`s 62 points wen he played for Real Madrid points are unforgetable.
Divac came on spot a little late but he was as well wery good a differnt type of player and I watch Basketball just becose of him those times.
but Drazen was Special,Magic unreplaceble.
hes mowes ware something special unseen in the history of basketball till him.
Wen he won the Europian title in 1989 with yougoslawia in Zagreb those time he was plying for real madrid i remeber he was playing almost perfect so perfect ,unforgetable.
he as chosen the mVP of euro 1989.
He was near to lose e ball aginst some player i think aginst italy was that mach but he still grabed the ball and dribled so nice and sored so i can^t forget that moment never in my life .public was justgoing crasy.
like a pop star of basketball, culd say.
I think if Yougoslawia didn^t broke down from stupid politicians they could have the best team af all time in history of Basketball.
truly !
People who now about Basketball sure will agree with this.
Peace
belive in GOD he is the best!
Today was my first time watching it, 30/30
I had no ideal of the situation. I was born in 81’ though, the story brought me to heavy tears. Especially how it seems the war kicked off after the FLAG was snatch after that Olympic game, I truly assume it was much more to it though. Drazen was the TRUTH. RIP, Bro in gods way were all brothers here.
I also watched this for the first time last night. I think the ESPN 30/30 series is amongst the best television series ever. I record them and watch them when I have peace and quiet!
I’m British and have no agenda politcally with any of the people from the former Yugoslavia. I just love basketball (watching and playing)
I found the movie to be compelling, and although it was told from Vlade’s point of view in some ways,I found myself being emotionally involved with the Serbian guys and the Croatian guys. None of us (& certainly not me)that were not involved can begin to understand what it was like to be from either place at that time.
I thought the guys interviewed, were honest and candid, and the film benefitted from that. It has certainly encouraged me to do more research today!
What is for sure, is that they both (Vlade & Drazen)were great players and I’m glad that I’ve had a chance to watch this superb film.
Great story told by the filmakers. Was living in New Jersey when Drazen was a big star player. Never new much about the war until my sister married a Serb. Movie brought me to tears.
[...] innocent act; coupled with a war that polarized Yugoslavians and ultimately split the country and Vlade & Drazen’s seemingly untouchable brotherly love for one another. They had shared their adolescence, their [...]
this was a really good story!
they should still be friends well the should hav been ):
Saw the show. Friendships are so valuable, especially seeing the Yugoslav team, their talent, and their friendship. So sad how it ended… especially to see Vlade shoulder so much pain. So touching when he spoke with Drazen’s mother, then visiting Drazen’s grave. I, too, lost friends that I didn’t make all things right. Show reminded me once again to treasure each friend. Unfortunately, the world is always going to have stupid people that perpetuate war…