Drazen
Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing
the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian
National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they
both went to America where they became the first two foreign players to
attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas
Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's
Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And
these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly
civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the
basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on
the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. "Once Brothers"
will tell the gripping tale of these two men, how circumstances beyond
their control tore apart their friendship, and whether Divac has ever
come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to
reconcile.
Vlade Divac's Personal Statement
As
a young basketball player growing up in Yugoslavia, it didn't take long
to realize that I had a chance to be part of something special. I was
18 when I signed my first pro contract and was called upon to play for
my national team.
By the late 1980’s, a new generation of Yugoslavian talent had come
together, and eventually we’d all make it to the NBA – myself, Toni
Kukoc, Dino Radja and the great Drazen Petrovic. Together we won the
silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, followed by first-place finishes at
the European and World Championships…it seemed no one could stop us.
Besides forming a great combination on the court, Drazen and I also
shared a strong friendship. We thought we’d play forever, but powerful
forces beyond our control - political and personal - kept us from
realizing some of our dreams. This is my journey to understand an
enduring sense of loss - of my team, our shared future and the people I
once considered my brothers. (Source: 30for30.espn.com)
Drazen
Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing
the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian
National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they
both went to America where they became the first two foreign players to
attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas
Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's
Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And
these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly
civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the
basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on
the fateful night of June 7, 1993, 
As
a young basketball player growing up in Yugoslavia, it didn't take long
to realize that I had a chance to be part of something special. I was
18 when I signed my first pro contract and was called upon to play for
my national team. 
