Vlade Divac considered retiring instead of being traded for Kobe
The summer of 1996 was a big one in NBA history. Not only did the draft produce the likes of Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, and Ray Allen, a power shift occurred when the Los Angeles Lakers signed Shaquille O'Neal away from the Orlando Magic.
The common thread in Bryant and O'Neal's arrival with the Lakers was Vlade Divac. The Charlotte Hornets drafted high schooler Bryant 13th overall in June, then traded him to L.A. for the Serbian center. Jettisoning Divac's contract allowed the Lakers to make a bigger offer to free agent O'Neal. The end result was a renaissance of the purple-and-gold dynasty: three NBA titles with Shaq and Bryant, and two more for Bryant later on.
According to Divac, though, it might never have happened. Now general manager of the Sacramento Kings, he told Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears that he almost retired at age 28 rather than accept a trade to the Hornets for Bryant.
"If somebody asked before, 'Vlade, are you going to play basketball over there (in Charlotte)?' It's not going to happen," Divac said. "I talked to my wife and told her, 'Look, I'm going to retire.'
"It would have been so bad. I would have been the most hated guy in L.A."
Divac, a first-round pick in 1989, averaged 12.2 points and 8.5 rebounds in seven seasons with the Lakers. He didn't want to be traded and went as far as to inform the team he would retire.
In other words, no deal for Bryant.
"It felt like someone from behind hit me with a hammer," Divac said. "It was the first time in my career that something happened in a way I didn't plan."
He said he didn't change his mind until after a conversation with then-Lakers GM Jerry West, who encouraged him to embrace the trade.
"It was an emotional meeting for both of us," Divac said. "And I trust him so much. He is the best basketball mind in the world. When Jerry tells you something, you believe it."
The 7-foot-1 center went on to become a key part of contenders in Charlotte and Sacramento, then finished his playing career back with the Lakers alongside Bryant in 2005.
Bryant makes his final visit to the Kings on Thursday, and Divac knows the part he played in the course of his career.
"That was the best deal in NBA history," Divac said. "You got Vlade there in Charlotte and then you were able to sign Shaq because you cleared the salary cap and you got Kobe."