'Once Brothers' '30 for 30' documentary focuses on Vlade Divac's relationship with Drazen Petrovic
October 8, 2010 | 1:04 pm
In the opening scene of "Once Brothers," former Lakers center Vlade Divac summed up how his strong friendship Drazen Petrovic suddenly became no more: "To build a friendship takes years. But to destroy it, it takes one second."The two played together on the Yugoslovian national team that won a silver medal in the 1988 Olympics, paved the way for European representation in the NBA and supported each other during the early part of their professional careers. "We were brothers to each other," Divac said in the "30 for 30" documentary airing on ESPN on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
But everything fell apart. After the Yugoslovian national team won gold in the 1990 FIBA World Championships, a fan with a Croatian flag entered the court and Divac pushed him away. The backdrop of all this: Civil war had broken out in Yugoslovia, splitting the nation into several smaller countries. Even though Divac recalled in the film that he felt compelled to shoo the fan away because the national team represented the entire nation, the episode escalated into a fractured relationship between Divac (Serbian) and Petrovic (Croat). The two never make amends, and Petrovic's untimely death as the result of a car accident in 1993 only increased Divac's anxieties.
"In my mind, I always thought the war one day would end and Drazen and I would talk," Divac said in the film. "But that day never came."
In the "30 for 30" documentary, Divac seeks closure by telling the story in a first-person account and with visits his and Petrovic's family. The film also features plenty of interviews that help tell the story. Yugoslovian teammates Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja explain their decision to ignore Divac during his fallout with Petrovic. And various NBA stars appear in the film to help bring context to both Divac's and Petrovic's NBA careers. Magic Johnson (Divac's teammate with the Lakers), Larry Bird (who played the Yugoslovian national team in an exhibition game) and Danny Ainge (Petrovic's teammate in Portland) appear.
I received an advance copy of the film and was impressed with how the storytelling provided vivid details. I also spoke with Dion Cocoros, the vice president of original production for NBA Entertainment and an executive producer on "Once Brothers."
