ducks
06-12-2004, 11:55 PM
He says he wants to stay with the Kings for one more season.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, June 3, 2004
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Free-agent center Vlade Divac wants to play at least one more NBA season, and his first option is to do so with the Kings.
"I'm going to play one more season," he said Wednesday afternoon. "At the end of next year, I'll see how I feel. My first choice, like I've always said, is to play with the Kings. I want to retire here if possible. I love the town and the fans.
"I just don't want to be stupid about it. If there is a perfect situation somewhere else, I could do that, but I don't see that happening."
And what would be a perfect situation?
"A winning team and a whole lot more money (than the Kings' offer)," Divac said.
As a free agent, Divac can negotiate with any team after July 1, but at 36 years old, he has definite ideas about where he wants to play and have his family live. Divac just completed a six-year, $60 million deal he signed with the Kings as a free agent in 1999.
Divac said he's been amused, surprised and disappointed by some of the rumors he's heard of dissension in the team's locker room. Divac, Chris Webber, and Peja Stojakovic are the three players remaining from the group that joined Rick Adelman and his coaching staff for the 1999 lockout-shortened season that signaled a new era of Sacramento Kings basketball.
That coaching staff will be altered next year. The Kings soon will announce the retirement of Adelman's longtime assistant, John Wetzel. He's been with Adelman 14 years (six in Portland, two in Golden State and six here) and 31 years total in the NBA as a player and coach.
The vulture and comic came out of Divac when told about Wetzel's impending retirement.
"That's good," he said while laughing. "I can get that job."
When apprised that player/assistant coach may be a title not yet fulfilled in NBA history, he said, "There is always a first time."
One of the strengths of the current Kings edition has been a strong team chemistry that has repressed and eliminated most of the pettiness and me-first mentality that help bring down talented teams. Since the Game 7 loss in the Western Conference semifinals, Divac has heard rumors of a fractured locker room; that he no longer wants to play with Webber; that he's already decided to sign with either the Los Angeles Clippers or the Lakers.
"It's so stupid," he said. "All of this stuff comes up after a team loses. Webb is a great guy and a great player. We've been here six years and been through winning and losing and tough times. Of course I still want to play with C-Webb.
"It's when people start speculating on things they don't know anything about that you get all of this stupid stuff being talked and written about. Somebody has to get blamed, even if no one person ever is to blame."
Divac said he believed the rumors of discontent began with comments he made to a journalist in Yugoslavia that were misinterpreted and expounded upon.
"Basically, I was trying to take some heat off Peja," Divac said. "They were being really hard on him, and I was saying don't blame him. There were a lot of different reasons why he struggled in the playoffs. It's not a black-and-white issue that Peja played bad and we lost. A lot of things go into winning and losing a game."
link (http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/9518882p-10442696c.html)
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, June 3, 2004
It's not too late to get into a Fantasy Sports League. Sign up here.
Free-agent center Vlade Divac wants to play at least one more NBA season, and his first option is to do so with the Kings.
"I'm going to play one more season," he said Wednesday afternoon. "At the end of next year, I'll see how I feel. My first choice, like I've always said, is to play with the Kings. I want to retire here if possible. I love the town and the fans.
"I just don't want to be stupid about it. If there is a perfect situation somewhere else, I could do that, but I don't see that happening."
And what would be a perfect situation?
"A winning team and a whole lot more money (than the Kings' offer)," Divac said.
As a free agent, Divac can negotiate with any team after July 1, but at 36 years old, he has definite ideas about where he wants to play and have his family live. Divac just completed a six-year, $60 million deal he signed with the Kings as a free agent in 1999.
Divac said he's been amused, surprised and disappointed by some of the rumors he's heard of dissension in the team's locker room. Divac, Chris Webber, and Peja Stojakovic are the three players remaining from the group that joined Rick Adelman and his coaching staff for the 1999 lockout-shortened season that signaled a new era of Sacramento Kings basketball.
That coaching staff will be altered next year. The Kings soon will announce the retirement of Adelman's longtime assistant, John Wetzel. He's been with Adelman 14 years (six in Portland, two in Golden State and six here) and 31 years total in the NBA as a player and coach.
The vulture and comic came out of Divac when told about Wetzel's impending retirement.
"That's good," he said while laughing. "I can get that job."
When apprised that player/assistant coach may be a title not yet fulfilled in NBA history, he said, "There is always a first time."
One of the strengths of the current Kings edition has been a strong team chemistry that has repressed and eliminated most of the pettiness and me-first mentality that help bring down talented teams. Since the Game 7 loss in the Western Conference semifinals, Divac has heard rumors of a fractured locker room; that he no longer wants to play with Webber; that he's already decided to sign with either the Los Angeles Clippers or the Lakers.
"It's so stupid," he said. "All of this stuff comes up after a team loses. Webb is a great guy and a great player. We've been here six years and been through winning and losing and tough times. Of course I still want to play with C-Webb.
"It's when people start speculating on things they don't know anything about that you get all of this stupid stuff being talked and written about. Somebody has to get blamed, even if no one person ever is to blame."
Divac said he believed the rumors of discontent began with comments he made to a journalist in Yugoslavia that were misinterpreted and expounded upon.
"Basically, I was trying to take some heat off Peja," Divac said. "They were being really hard on him, and I was saying don't blame him. There were a lot of different reasons why he struggled in the playoffs. It's not a black-and-white issue that Peja played bad and we lost. A lot of things go into winning and losing a game."
link (http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/9518882p-10442696c.html)