Although trades happen all the time and are accepted as a part of the NBA experience, it certainly doesn't make them sting any less. This certainly was the case for 7'1" center Vlade Divac , whom the Los Angeles Lakers selected in the first round of the 1988 NBA Draft and had developed into a solid full-time starter, averaging 12.9 points on 51 percent shooting, 8.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in his first seven seasons with the Purple and Gold.
However, NBA history has shown the Lakers' affinity for big names and bright stars, and in their eyes, the crafty Serbian wasn't one of them. Regardless of how smooth he played or how nifty his playmaking ability was, the Lakers knew they weren't going to usher in a new era of glory if Divac was their man in the middle.
And so, with a deal to acquire the dominant behemoth Shaquille O'Neal and a chance to pair him with an audacious young wingman named Kobe Bryant in place, the Lakers pulled the trigger on a deal that changed the trajectory of the franchise forever.
Every player in the NBA knows how NBA teams work. No matter how much loyalty a player has shown to the franchise, they wouldn't hesitate to send him elsewhere if the right deal came along. And according to Divac, the news of his trade to the Charlotte Hornets hit him hard, leaving him stunned.
"I was in Europe, and my agent called me and told me I was traded," Divac recalled the memory of his trade away from the Lakers on "Bryon Scott's Fast Break."
"I felt like somebody was behind me with a baseball bat and hit me so hard. I couldn't move," he continued. "I wasn't happy, obviously. I loved LA. I loved the Los Angeles Lakers organization. It was really like a family to me."
At that time, the trade didn't make sense to Vlade. The Lakers already had a solid core in place with him, Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel, Elden Campbell and Cedric Ceballos. However, the Lakers love their superstars, and it was clear to them that this team didn't have any—the ones who could draw fans and celebrities to their games.
Nobody could blame Divac for feeling unhappy with the trade. After all, he was an established veteran with seven years of playoff experience—including the NBA Finals—who was being sent to Charlotte for a 17-year-old phenom from Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia .
History, though, has overwhelmingly shown that the Lakers absolutely made the right call in acquiring Bryant and Divac wholeheartedly agrees.
"Time goes by. And I would trade myself for Kobe Bryant ," he declared. "I'd trade the entire team for Kobe."
Kobe had a rough start to his pro career, but it didn't take long for him to get the hang of the pro game. He was already an All-Star by his second season, a member of the All-NBA team by his third, and an NBA champion by his fourth. He would add four more championship rings to his collection before retiring in 2016, his reputation as one of the game's greatest already set in stone.
As for Divac, he actually enjoyed his two seasons in Charlotte before becoming a significant part of those Sacramento Kings teams that gave Bryant, O'Neal and the Lakers a giant scare in the early 2000s.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
