How Friendship, Communism, and a Civil War Changed Yugoslavian Basketball Forever
Basketball Geography: Yugoslavia
After watching ESPN’s 30 for 30, 'Once Brothers', I felt profoundly moved. Most basketball fans know Vlade Divac not for his remarkable international career — but for being traded for Kobe Bryant or his battles against Shaquille O'Neal in those early 2000s Kings series. Vlade was a unique figure: a remarkable passing big man who paved the way for fellow Serb Nikola Jokić and Turkish prodigy Alperen Şengün. However, many are unaware of Vlade’s early years, let alone the time when he and Dražen Petrović, Toni Kukoč, and a wealth of Yugoslavian talent dominated the world stage for years.
Those teams were truly special. But before delving into why, we must discuss the history of the region and why basketball there evolved differently from in America.
It is said that basketball first appeared in Serbia in 1923, amidst World War I, when Red Cross worker William Willand introduced the game in a series of seminars that sparked immediate interest among Serbs.
Perhaps its team-oriented nature contributed to its quick popularity — its similarity to soccer in rapid decision-making and court reading certainly played a role. But the real reason lies in something as simple as physical stature: the average Serbian man stands at 5’11”, two inches taller than the average American. Croatians also average 5’11”, while Bosnians and Montenegrins exceed 6 feet. Genetically, they are predisposed to excel at the highest levels of the game.
Around the same time basketball was introduced, World War I concluded and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed. The catalyst for World War I was Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb who saw increasing threats to Serbian independence and assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. I won’t delve too deeply into World War I history, but its conclusion led to the unification of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians, whose territories encompassed parts of Bosnia and other future Balkan nations. Despite this unification, civil unrest persisted among the various regions, each with distinct cultures and differing ethnic and religious backgrounds. There were few unifying factors among the peoples.
However, basketball endured and bridged the gaps between these regions. In 1945, after World War II, there was a need for athletic development in Yugoslavia. This need, coupled with the rise of a communist regime that same year, led to the establishment of the First Federal Basketball League, known in Serbo-Croatian as “Prva savezna liga,” operating under the auspices of the communist government.
The communist regime funneled money into the athletic development of players - a strategy seen later in other countries like China. The first winners of the league was the Yugoslav Army - yes, the army! The military of the Yugoslavs had a sports section, and they were established as the last of the 8 teams in the league. After their win, they split and operated under KK Partizan - still a powerhouse in Serbian basketball today.
However, it took 25 years for this investment to yield results. Yugoslavians were fiercely protective of their basketball culture; even today, Serbians lament American imports in basketball. By 1970, Yugoslavia was producing top-tier basketball talent, culminating in a victory at the 1970 FIBA World Championship. Krešimir Ćosić, a Croat, was named to the all-tournament team and remains one of only two players (alongside Pau Gasol) to win the EuroBasket MVP twice.
Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the Yugoslav national basketball team had a fierce rivalry with the Soviet Union. Decades earlier, Josip Broz Tito had ideological disputes with Stalin, who had initially sought to incorporate Yugoslavia into the Soviet Union. This ideological split played a crucial role in Yugoslavia maintaining its independence despite its socialist regime.
Alongside Ćosić, numerous other Yugoslav players achieved international success, and the country was poised to make a significant leap in the next decade. By the late 1980s, several stars had emerged: Vlade Divac, Dražen Petrović, Toni Kukoč, and Dino Rađa would all go on to become key players in the NBA. This 'Golden Generation' of Yugoslav basketball was exceptionally close-knit and dominated international play, winning gold in tournaments at the U-16, U-18, and U-21 levels. In the 1987 U-21 tournament, Divac and Petrović led the team to victory over the United States, which boasted Gary Payton and Larry Johnson fresh from collegiate success. This victory showcased Yugoslavia’s rise to dominance in international basketball and highlighted the contrasting styles of play between the two nations.
Perhaps it was the egalitarianism of communism that influenced the style of European basketball. Quick passing characterized the team, and the leagues in which they played were well-organized. Fame was not pursued in the same manner as in America. Perhaps it was the shortage of players capable of filling every position; centers learned to pass, and guards learned to rebound — there were no fixed roles. Divac was renowned for his ability to handle the ball in transition, a skill that defined his time with Magic Johnson and the Lakers. The roots of basketball were deeply entrenched in the region and began to yield innovations at the highest level.
If Vlade was Yugoslavia’s Nikola Jokić, Dražen was their Luka Dončić. Dražen was known as an angel off the court but a devil on it; his unwavering self-belief and desire to be the best made him a legend in Yugoslavia as a young man. In a 1985 game in the First Federal League, Dražen scored 112 points, breaking the previous record by 38 points. Dražen’s smooth scoring and precise passing drew comparisons to Pete Maravich, another fiery star.
Dražen, Vlade, Toni, and Dino remained close friends throughout their time with the Yugoslav team. However, following ethnic tensions in 1990, their bonds began to fray. The Yugoslav Wars marked the first outbreak of violence in Europe since World War II, leaving a lasting impact on the Balkan region.
Dražen and Toni, who are Croats - took issue with Vlade crumpling a Croatian Republic flag following the Yugoslavian win in the 1990 World Championships.
"I did that because it wasn't the Croatian team or the Serbian team that we were playing for," Divac said. "It was the Yugoslav team."
Dražen and Vlade, who would call each other every night, were no longer on speaking terms. In Croatia, Vlade became a symbol of federal rule and was branded as a Chetnik, the terror and counter-terror Serbian Nationalist movement who used violence against Croatians and Bosnian Muslims. Despite Vlade’s call for less war - he understood the impact of that moment after the World Championships.
That iteration of the Yugoslavian team grew up together and empowered other European players to make the jump to the NBA. Their success on the court was matched with their chemistry and friendship off the court - and the subsequent falter. Dražen, who was extremely set in his ways, and Vlade, who could be called apolitical - never found a way to make up.
In 1993, after a stellar season with the Nets, Dražen Petrović headed to Wrocław to compete in the a qualifying tournament for EuroBasket. He didn’t need to be there - but his love for the game and his newly formed country was strong. Drazen and his girlfriend were driving on the autobahn when a semi-truck cut off their car. Dražen passed away immediately on impact from head injuries. Drazen’s mother, Biserka Petrović, recalled a man’s words before the funeral.
“Don’t be sad. You gave birth to him, but he is ours. Drazen belongs to all of us.”
Dražen Petrović’s death remains one of the most harrowing moments in NBA history. Vlade still holds regret to this day about the faltering of their relationship and wishes it could have been changed.
Following the Golden Generation, the Balkans had trouble in producing consistent talent on the NBA level. Besides Peja Stojaković, there wasn’t a single All-Star produced from the country till decades later. In 2003, Darko Miličić, a Serbian, was drafted second, ahead of Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. He remains one of the NBA’s biggest busts - unable to kick bad habits like partying, smoking, and drinking - he was similar to some other past Balkan players, like Zarko Paspalj. But his selection showed that NBA teams were still looking for talent in the area.
Vlade and Dražen, both relatively late draft picks - had given the Balkans the boost to translate their players into global stars. Slowly, but surely - talent emerged. Goran Dragić, Nikola Vucevic, Jusuf Nurkić, and then Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić - all hail from what used to be Yugoslavia. What caused this boom of talent? Following the war, Balkan players left the Federal Basketball League to play in other places, safe from civil unrest. Playing in bigger arenas, with better development programs, players started to develop skills more conducive to American basketball - all while keeping their European flair.
A few years ago, following the Bucks’ decision to protest for Black Lives Matter after the death of Jacob Blake - players from the area of Yugoslavia decided to grab dinner together. Dubbed the 'Balkan Boys' by Terry Stotts, they spent the evening dancing and playing Balkan folk songs. During a moment of civil unrest within the United States, the Balkans squashed their national differences and decided to have a good time. When the NBA resumed play, they continued these dinners, finding solace in each other’s company. Reported in the Athletic, Goran Dragić spoke about the dinners and how the group tries to move past its periods of unrest.
“We cannot go past the history,” Dragić said. “It means some bad things going on in the war and everything. But it’s over now, and we need to look to the future. I have a lot of friends in Croatia. I’m Serbian. I’m half-Serbian, half-Slovenian, and my grandparents, they were living in Bosnia. So I lived with a lot of different cultures — Christian-Orthodox, Muslims, Catholics. For me, it makes no difference.
Goran also spoke about the potential of a Yugoslavian team today, saying they would be “fighting for a gold medal”. This has been a question pondered for many years. How would a Yugoslavian team do now? Would they be able to win the gold?
PG - Luka Dončić (Slovenia)
SG - Bogdan Bogdanović (Serbia)
SF - Bojan Bogdanović (Croatia)
PF - Nikola Mirotić (Montenegro)
C - Nikola Jokić (Serbia)
6th - Nikola Vučević (Montenegro)
7th - Jusuf Nurkić (Bosnia)
8th - Vasilije Micić (Serbia)
9th - Dario Šarić (Croatia)
10th - Nikola Topić (Serbia)
11th - Nikola Jović (Serbia)
12th - Ivica Zubac (Croatia)
I can’t definitely answer that they would win a medal. There are powerful teams - the United States, Canada, and France all put out NBA talent for international rosters consistently. The team is quite amazing though.
Since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s - there have been many cultural attempts to reunite the country again. There is a term for it called Yugo-nostalgia. This form of nostalgia has been seen in other formerly socialist countries, such as East Germany, Hungary, and Poland. I have no political take here - but as far as basketball goes - I am a Yugo-nostalgic. While it is never going to happen, I would love to see the Balkan Boys take on their American counterparts on a global stage, as they did decades ago.
On the roster is Nikola Topić, who I did a scouting report on about a month ago. He was recently picked by the Oklahoma City Thunder. While I was scouting him, one of the things he said stuck out to me.
“We didn't talk about the role I'll play. Whatever he says I'll do. If he says to die on the court, I will die. Whatever coach needs, I'll try my best to do it...My dream for many years has been to play for Red Star. I grew up a fan of this club. It will mean everything for me to play in front of 20,000 Red Star fans.
Sometimes, as Americans, we forget how important local culture is to many of the global imports in the NBA. Topić, despite aspirations in the NBA, was willing to risk injury in the EuroLeague to fulfill a childhood dream. The NBA, while a fairy tale to many of the players in the Balkan region, is still secondary to playing as a local hero in front of their hometown. I had Topić as the #1 prospect on my big board this year - I believe he will be next in the strong crop of talent that the Balkan region is producing.
The region formerly known as Yugoslavia still produces NBA talent today - as a result of their strong development of fundamental skills and emphasis on teamwork. Despite civil unrest and broken relationships, the new generation of NBA stars has found ways to move past those differences and give each other support at basketball’s highest stage.