Former Kings and Lakers star Vlade Divac has to undergo surgery after sustaining fall in motorcycle crash

Former NBA big man Vlade Divac reportedly suffered a broken hip in a motorcycle accident on Friday. According to FOX News, Divac was riding a motorcycle in Montenegro, by the Montenegrin Adriatic Sea coast, when he fell and suffered a broken hip that required surgery.

While details are scarce right now, Serbia’s Informer reported that after the crash, Divac was left unable to stand as a result of the hip fracture.

According to FOX’s report, doctors replaced Divac’s hip with an artificial one, which reportedly takes around six weeks for patients to recover from, according to the University of Maryland Orthopedics.

A spokeswoman for the hospital that performed the surgery on the 2001 All-Star indicated that the surgery went well, and the former big man is doing well:

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"During the day, a surgical procedure was performed. He is in a stable general and physical condition and is under a careful supervision of the medical staff."

So far, no other details have been made available; however, amid news of the crash and subsequent surgery, the NBA community has been quick to throw their collective support behind the former LA big man.

Looking back at Vlade Divac's NBA career and transition into a front office role with the Sacramento Kings

After an impressive start to his career in Yugoslavia, Vlade Divac wound up getting drafted 26th overall by the LA Lakers in the 1989 NBA Draft.

As a versatile big man, Divac was ahead of his time and had a midrange shot that was rare for the era in which he played. While initially he didn't speak English, his style of play and upbeat personality made him a fan favorite in LA.

Throughout his rookie year, Divac averaged 8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, earning himself All-Rookie First Team honors.

Divac spent much of his early career, and some of the most formative years of his career, in LA. However, he wound up spending six seasons in Sacramento before returning to LA to close out his career as a Laker.

After retirement, Divac spent several years as a scout for teams like the Lakers and Real Madrid before eventually transitioning to an advisory role with the Kings in 2015.

The opportunity gave Vlade Divac a chance to grow into a front office role. This led to him taking the reins of the franchise as a General Manager heading into the 2015-16 season, a role he held up until August of 2020.

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About the author

Evan Bell

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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