Vlade Divac thinks Nikola Jokic is the best European player ever: ‘The numbers say so’

It’s well-known that as the GM of Sacramento, you passed on Doncic in the draft. Looking back after six years, can you explain what the reasoning was for not choosing him? VLADE DIVAC: At that position, I already had De’Aaron Fox, whom I had drafted a year earlier. At the time, I believed Fox was a player who could become a franchise star in the coming years. Time will tell if I was wrong. As things stand now, it seems I was, but I still have faith in Fox having a great career. -via Index / September 21, 2024

Did you not think Fox and Doncic could play together, like Doncic and Kyrie Irving do today? VLADE DIVAC: No. Irving is a classic scorer, just like Luka. Fox isn’t; he’s a playmaker who needs the ball, just like Luka. I could’ve taken Luka, but then I’d have had to trade Fox. Interestingly, Phoenix also passed on Luka, and at the time, their coach was Igor Kokoškov, who had coached Luka in Slovenia. Atlanta drafted Luka, but they traded him away. It was Dallas that eventually took him. I love watching Luka; I really enjoy his style of basketball. I had my own reasons for making that decision. Maybe I made a mistake, but time will tell. -via Index / September 21, 2024

There were rumors that you didn’t draft Luka because you weren’t on the best terms with his father, Saša. Is that true? VLADE DIVAC: Not at all. That’s just nonsense from the media. I know Saša very well, I love and respect him. He even played in Kraljevo when Luka was just a kid. It had nothing to do with that. I follow Luka closely and see that he’s on the right path. I repeat, he’ll just need to watch his physical condition. -via Index / September 21, 2024

Finally, in your opinion, what’s the best European starting five of all time? VLADE DIVAC: I’ll start from the end, the center. Let it be Krešo Cosic at center, Nikola Jokic at power forward, Toni Kukoc at small forward, Dražen Petrovic at shooting guard, and Saša Ðordevic at point guard. Wow, that was tough. I’ve named these five, but I have so many other fantastic players in mind. I could easily form three teams, but let’s go with this lineup. Sorry, Dino, but I’m emotionally tied to Krešo. That’s a brutal lineup, but they’re all players from the former Yugoslavia. VLADE DIVAC: Yes, apart from Sabonis, I don’t see who else could fit in. Maybe Tony Parker instead of Ðordevic? VLADE DIVAC: No way. -via Index / September 21, 2024

However, Stein is finding it hard to envision a realistic scenario in which Jokic and Doncic manage to join forces in the NBA. “It’s hard for me to understand or try to imagine a scenario where one team could find a way to get both of them,” Stein added. -via Clutch Points / September 19, 2024

The dynamic between the two whenever they inhabit the same spaces has been interesting to monitor. Jokic and Doncic have been very friendly with one another as seen in their interactions during All-Star Weekend as well as before and after meetings between the Nuggets and Mavericks. And indeed, there is a “genuine fondness” between the two, as confirmed by NBA insider Marc Stein in an appearance on DNVR Sports’ The DNBA Show. “There’s just a genuine fondness there. They get along great and of course that leads everyone to wonder will they ever play together,” Stein said. “They are, I mean when you think about it, two of the five best players in the world come from such a small part of the world, so I think that’s where the bond is. They’re just these all world talents from a very unique and small place on the planet, so the bond… I think they only get closer as pals.” -via Clutch Points / September 19, 2024