Friends Won't Cross Lines Drawn By War

Eastern Europe burst into America's basketball consciousness during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The Soviet Union won the gold medal. Yugoslavia won the silver, the United States only bronze. It was evident, even to the casual basketball fan, that Eastern Europe had major-league talent.

The Portland Trail Blazers already knew that. They had used their third-round pick (60th overall) in the 1986 NBA draft to select Drazen Petrovic, who, even then, was regarded as one of the best pure shooters in the world. Petrovic, who was recruited by Notre Dame when he was 19, was sensational in the Olympics. The 6-foot-5 guard led his team in scoring and assists. He was Mr. Outside.

Mr. Inside was 7-1 Vlade Divac, who led Yugoslavia in rebounding and was second in scoring. Divac had fascinating potential. He was only 20 years old, three years younger than David Robinson. But he was just as effective. Robinson averaged 13 points and seven rebounds during the Olympics. Divac averaged 12 points and seven rebounds.

In 1989, international rules were changed to allow NBA players to play in the Olympics, so Soviet and Yugoslavian players could play in the NBA without being banned from their national teams. Petrovic signed with Portland and Divac was drafted by the Lakers.

Each struggled. Petrovic was buried on the bench behind talented guards in Portland. Divac got more playing time but, unlike Petrovic, he could not speak English. He had to learn the language and the NBA game. He had a difficult time acclimating.

The two found comfort by talking to each other.

"We were very close," Divac said. "We used to talk almost every second day on the plone because it was a hard time for me and him. When (the Lakers) played Portland, we would have dinner and lunch together every time."

But that was in 1989-90, before civil war. That was before the republic of Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia and was attacked by the republic of Serbia, which controlled the Yugoslavian army.

Petrovic is Croatian, born in Sibenik. Divac is Serbian, born in Prijepolje. That difference has proved insurmountable. The two former teammates, NBA pioneers from their former country, no longer speak.

Divac said he is sad and puzzled by the disintegration of the relationship. Petrovic said he is not.

"They broke our friendship because of politics and nothing else," Divac said of Petrovic and other former Croatian teammates "Building friendships takes a long, long time. Breaking them up takes 24 hours."

Petrovic, who was traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1991, is far less expansive than Divac on the subject. Petrovic usually is friendly and talkative. But when asked about the failed relationship, which is a product of the war, he is steely-eyed and terse.

Does he regret that the relationship with Divac has fallen apart?

"Not really," he replied.

Does he like to talk about the subject?

"There's nothing to talk about," he said.

"The relationship has deteriorated because lives have been affected directly," said Warren Legarie, Petrovic's agent. "There has been damage and friends have been lost, so these things have gone to the extent where it's impossible to ever put back together a relationship that once existed."

The last time Petrovic and Divac were teammates was at the 1990 World Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It also was when Divac offended every proud Croatian.

After Yugoslavia defeated the United States to win the championship, Divac said a Croatian national came out of the stands with a Croatian flag.

"I said, `Excuse me, but this is the Yugoslavian team and this is the flag we'll be fighting for,' " Divac said. "I showed him the Yugoslavian flag. He said, `This is bull,' and I was (upset) because that was my flag and my country. And I took his flag and threw it away."

Divac said despite the appearances, his only intention was team unity. He said, "I am not a nationalist. If the Serbian flag came on the court, I would do the same thing. The whole Croat team gave me support at the time. Everybody said, `That's right.' "

The war would not begin for a year, but tensions were running high in Yugoslavia. Croatian politicians, press and people were incensed. Petrovic denies supporting Divac in the incident.

"If you ask any Croatians," Petrovic said, "they all were angry at the time."

The flag incident has developed a life of its own. It is widely credited with causing the split between Petrovic and Divac. But details have become exaggerated. Randy Peskin, Divac's personal manager, claims Divac grabbed the flag from Petrovic - a charge that Divac and Petrovic deny.

Petrovic now says the flag incident was only a part of his complaint about Divac. "There was a difference," he said, "but that's not why we're not talking anymore. When war started, he never called (teammates Dino) Radja or (Toni) Kukoc or myself and asked what was going on. He never called to ask if our families were all right. He stopped calling, so there's no reason for me to call back. We're not talking anymore."

Divac said the reason he did not call Petrovic is because Petrovic had been traded and was moving from Portland to New Jersey in the summer of 1991 and Divac did not have his phone number. Divac saw Legarie, who is based in Los Angeles, and gave him his phone number. Divac asked Legarie to tell Petrovic to call him. Divac never got a call.

"There was sadness and confusion," Legarie said. "They sort of identified with one another having been the first to make the plunge (into the NBA). So it did become a little disheartening because of events beyond their control. But you could almost foresee the inevitable. They developed the excuse, `Well, he changed the phone number and I don't know how to get hold of him.' There were enough convenient excuses to make it seem, on the surface, `Oh, we sort of drifted apart.' I think they became fatalistic about it. And that's sort of what happened."

When Divac saw Petrovic at the first Lakers-Nets game of the 1991-92 season, Divac asked why Petrovic had not called. When Petrovic was unresponsive, Divac said he told Petrovic, "If it is because I'm Serb, then I'm very disappointed." Divac said Petrovic never gave him a specific answer, "but I still believe that he doesn't want to talk to me because I'm Serb."

And there probably is an element of truth in that. Petrovic has been politically active in Croatian matters in the United States. He is thrilled that there are 150,000 Croatians in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. When the Nets went to play the Clippers in Los Angeles, where there is a large Croatian community, Petrovic was proud to disclose that 1,200 Croatians attended the game.

"He's influenced very much by his mother, and his mother is very Croatian," Legarie said. "She's very close with government officials from the president on down. She used to get rides with the president on his plane. When Drazen was playing in the Olympics, she rode on the president's personal plane to watch Drazen play."

And Petrovic is unable to deny that he feels bitterness toward the Serbs because of the brutality of the war.

"They fight first Slovenians, Croatians and now they fight Bosnians," Petrovic said. "I never heard that Slovenians, Croatians and Bosnians came all the way to Serbia and tried to take the land away."

Divac and Petrovic have one obvious common trait. Each wishes the war had never happened.

But in Divac's perfect world, Yugoslavia would still be one.

"Vlade is still of the mind that they are still all the same people," Peskin said. "He doesn't know why they are going through this. But they each have their own stubborn pride. Vlade is not going to go out of his way to say anything because Drazen walks right by and doesn't make any comment that Vlade exists."

The two do not acknowledge each other at Nets-Lakers games. They do not exchange handshakes, nods or high- or low-fives.

"Nothing," Divac said. "Not even a hello. The only thing we did is he makes a couple of fouls on me and I make a couple of fouls on him."

It also seems to be getting worse. What began as a disagreement or misunderstanding has grown into a deep personal resentment.

When told that Petrovic resents Divac's not calling after the war began, Divac blurted out, "Drazen lying."

When Petrovic was told Divac said if someone had carried a Serbian flag on the court in Argentina, Divac would have thrown it down, Petrovic snapped, "I don't think so."

When told that Divac is sad that their relationship has ended, Petrovic again said, "I don't think so."

When asked why, Petrovic said, "All Serbians like that - to make stories in the paper. All the Serbians think the whole world is against them and they do the right thing. They like to put the heartbreaking story in the paper. They're good at that."