Vlade Divac undergoes emergency surgery after motorcycle accident in Montenegro

NBA legend Vlade Divac underwent emergency surgery on Friday after suffering a hip fracture in a motorcycle accident in Montenegro. The 57-year-old former All-Star is currently in stable condition after the surgical procedure.

Serious crash near the Adriatic coast

The accident occurred Thursday on a road near the Montenegrin Adriatic coast. According to doctors, Divac fell from his motorcycle and fractured his hip, requiring the implantation of an artificial prosthesis.

Ljubica Mitrovic, spokesperson for the Risan hospital treating the former center, stated: « A surgical procedure was performed during the day. He is in stable general and physical condition and under close monitoring by medical staff. »

According to Serbian newspaper Informer, Divac was unable to stand due to the severity of his injuries, which necessitated this emergency intervention.

A legendary NBA career

The 7-foot Serbian giant made his mark in European basketball and the NBA during his 16 professional seasons between 1989 and 2005. Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, and Sacramento Kings, Divac began and ended his career with the California franchise.

Selected as an All-Star in 2001, he was one of the first European players to establish himself in the NBA starting in 1989. A pioneer of European basketball across the Atlantic, Divac became the first player born and trained outside the United States to play more than 1,000 NBA games.

After his playing career, the former center held several executive positions, including as a scout for the Lakers and then as general manager and president of basketball operations for the Sacramento Kings for five seasons, before resigning in August 2020. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010, Divac also served as president of the Serbian Olympic Committee for two terms.