'They didn’t tell me what was going on, I didn’t like it' - Vlade Divac was so infuriated with being traded for Kobe that he threatened to retire

In the summer of 1996, the LA Lakers knew they had to sacrifice a player to strike a deal with the Charlotte Hornets for rookie Kobe Bryant. Recognizing that the Hornets needed a center, the Purple and Gold unhesitantly decided to trade Vlade Divac. Interestingly, the Serbian center had just become a fan favorite and had started embracing his position in the organization. However, he felt dismayed and blindsided by the team’s trade plans. Moreover, he felt so unhappy that he contemplated retiring upon learning what the Lakers’ front office intended to do.

Vlade initially couldn’t digest him being tradeable

Interestingly, Divac was just the 17th player in NBA history to continuously improve his scoring average in his first six seasons. By his fifth and sixth year, the 7’1” center was already averaging a double-double, while becoming a fan favorite. Then, during the ‘95-96 campaign, he elevated his field goal efficiency to 51.3 percent (second highest in his career).

Despite his best efforts, the LA Lakers focused more on clearing up cap space to contend for a title by bringing in Shaquille O’Neal and acquiring “KB24.”

Nevertheless, what upset the 7’1” center was how general manager Jerry West handled the situation, giving him no prior heads-up about being tarded to a new franchise. Instead, the news suddenly dropped on him, leaving him torn as he struggled to represent his team where his heart didn’t belong.

“They didn’t tell me what was going on. They actually just told me one day that they already made a deal. Personally, I didn’t like it,” Divac said, as per ESPN. “My philosophy, playing basketball, (was) I played basketball for fun. Going somewhere to play just because somebody told me to go there, I didn’t like it. So I was thinking about (retiring).”

Divac eventually understood why the Lakers desperately wanted Kobe

Conversely, the one-time All-Star could also understand West’s logic. Being one of the league’s most brilliant executives, “Mr. Clutch” was determined to acquire an 18-year-old shooting guard who lacked collegiate experience. Consequently, Divac sensed there must be something extraordinary about Bryant to justify the trade.

That belief was confirmed when Divac saw Bryant ascend rapidly in the NBA. By his second season, the “Black Mamba” had earned his first All-Star nod. In his third year, he was named to the All-NBA Team, and shortly after, he led the Lakers to three consecutive championships. As a result, Divac quickly realized that trading him for Bryant was an undeniable stroke of genius on West’s part.

“When Jerry West makes a deal, you know something is happening. I felt so bad, but knowing Jerry West was involved, he knows what he’s doing,” Divac added. “I was sure that this kid is going to have a good career. I didn’t like it in the beginning, but later on, if I was in Jerry West’s shoes, I would do the same thing. I would trade myself for Kobe, no-brainer.”

While the trade extensively shook Divac’s career trajectory, he was more hurt to know that the Lakers’ plan of chasing a title did not include him. Perhaps that set a precedent for Bryant’s presence to affect players inadvertently, limiting their ceiling as the 2008 MVP was set to become the Lakers’ greatest ever.