A great man on and off the court

American Professional Basketball Writers Association awarded the member of the Yugoslav representation and the player of the Sacramento Kings, Vlade Divac, and "J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award" for his humanitarian efforts and numerous out of sports activities. Divac is the first NBA foreign player who gained this award. Among the past winners of the award, which is presented annually since 1975 and which is named after the second commissioner of the NBA league, are such basketball stars like Magic Johnson, Julius Erving and Isiah Thomas.

Let's remind ourselves, the UN have this year proclaimed this Yugoslav player for the "Goodwill Ambassador" for Sports Against Drugs. He was also nominated for the member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

With his players from the representation he founded humanitarian organization "Group 7", which, for several years now, raises funds for children in need.

Divac, last year, initiated and coordinated an action in which nearly 10.000 toys for children in Yugoslavia were gathered. He and his wife Snezana adopted a girl whose parents tragically died during the last year's NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.