Percy Allen / NBA reporter
Divac serves as a father figure for countrymen entering NBA

	STEVE YEATER / AP Vlade Divac, left, shown with Sacramento teammate Peja Stojakovic, inspires respect among countrymen entering the NBA. Divac is viewed as an icon in his homeland
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In many ways, Vlade Divac could be considered a modern-day Jackie Robinson.

He wasn't the first player born outside of the United States to play professional basketball in the United States. That honor belongs to Henry Biasatti of Italy, who played in the Basketball Association of America, the NBA's predecessor, in 1946.

Nor was Divac the first to gain mainstream acceptance in the league. That would have been the late Drazen Petrovic, who starred with the New Jersey Nets before his untimely death in a car accident 11 years ago.

And Toni Kukoc was perhaps the most coveted European player before Detroit selected 18-year-old Darko Milicic No. 2 overall in last year's NBA draft.

Divac, however, is the reigning king of international players, while Peja Stojakovic, his Serbia-Montenegro countryman and Sacramento Kings teammate, is the crown prince.

"He's like our father for basketball," Sonics forward Vladimir Radmanovic said of Divac. "When we first came in, each one of us, he was the guy that was here. He has a lot of experience. ... It was great to have somebody here to teach us how and show us what we need to do."

They visit the Kings in Northern California and ceremonially bow at Divac's feet. They dine at his Old Sacramento restaurant, Tunel 21. They share stories of their country, formerly known as Yugoslavia.

They metaphorically kiss Divac's ring as if he were their godfather, knowing he's the one who's able to solve their problems.

When Milicic needed consoling about his lack of playing time with the Pistons, he spoke to the 7-foot-1 Divac.

Divac advised him to be patient.

"Sometimes, when you're 18, you think you know everything, but he's a great kid," Divac told the Detroit Free Press last month. "He wants to learn, but you have to have patience around him because he's 18. He's going to get there."

The Godfather had spoken.

When former Sonics center Predrag Drobnjak, a free agent last summer, considered his options of returning to Seattle or playing with the Los Angeles Clippers, he also spoke with Divac.

Marko Jaric of the Clippers and rookies Zoran Planinic of the New Jersey Nets and Zarko Cabarkapa of the Phoenix Suns each have cited Divac as their personal guru.

Strange that someone who has never been a player of any great note in the NBA since entering the league in 1989 with the Los Angeles Lakers could wield so much influence.

He was always a role player, playing second chair to either Magic Johnson or Chris Webber. He never played in an All-Star Game or won a NBA title.

Divac's biggest contributions have always been on a stage larger than the NBA. He is viewed as an icon in his homeland and has been an advocate to end the fighting in the war-torn country.

"I appreciate everything he's done for me," Radmanovic said. "We're in touch all of the time. ... What he has done is shown all of us that we need to keep in touch with each other. So now, if we meet here or somewhere else, whether it's me or Peja or whoever, we all try to keep in touch."

Considering his influence among the 10 NBA players from Serbia-Montenegro, Divac may shape the league's international invasion as much as NBA commissioner David Stern.

A record 73 international players are on team rosters from 33 countries and territories. One out of every five NBA players was born outside of the country.

The game that was created here and grew up in the heartland of Indiana and the city streets of New York is being played in amazing numbers on foreign soil.

And those who believe that the international invasion is a passing infatuation need only look at Major League Baseball, where clubhouses are a marketplace of varying cultures.

Still, some believe foreign-born players are taking jobs from American kids.

They point to Slavko Vranes, the 7-5 center drafted in the second round last year and released last week by New York, as Exhibit A. Milicic might be Exhibit B.

Sonics associate coach Dwane Casey disagrees.

"There's a feeling that if you don't go out and find an All-Star, then you're wasting your time on an international player, and that's just not the case," Casey said. "They've got tons of pressure on them to be successful, but that's going to go away.

"The genie, so to speak, is out of the bottle. What's happening now in basketball — this trend that started with Vlade and Drazen — is not going to end anytime soon."

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company