Only a few of the NBA trades changed the trajectory of the league quite like the Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to trade seasoned big man Vlade Divac for the draft rights to a skinny teenager named Kobe Bryant.
At the time, the trade was a massive gamble for the Lakers, but it served a dual purpose. Not only did it land them a future Hall of Famer in Kobe, but it also cleared enough cap space for Jerry West to lure Shaquille O’Neal away from the Orlando Magic.
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While it turned out to be one of the best roster moves in Lakers franchise history, it didn’t sit well with Divac. Looking back, the Serbian legend is glad the trade happened, but back then, Divac admitted to thinking about retiring rather than parting ways with his beloved team.
“It was a good trade (laughter),” Vlade told ESPN in 2010.
“Back then, a lot of people were skeptical about it because Kobe was very young and coming from high school. I was sent to Charlotte, first of all, to clear the cap for Shaq to sign, but they got Kobe in the deal. I wasn’t happy. I was actually at one point thinking to retire because I looked at basketball as a game of joy and I didn’t want to play basketball just because I had to play. I felt like going somewhere that I didn’t like, it wasn’t fun.”
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Vlade liked Charlotte
Eventually, the sting of the unexpected trade began to dull, but Divac remained skeptical about playing for the Hornets. For Vlade, moving from the glitz of Hollywood to the quieter environment of Carolina felt like a demotion in spirit.
Moreover, Divac had grown accustomed to the winning culture established by the Lakers. In his mind, the thought of adjusting to the ecosystem of an expansion team that lacked that historic pedigree felt somewhat exhausting and unfulfilling.
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However, a turning point arrived after Divac had a conversation with Hornets head coach Dave Cowens. Vlade gave it a shot and to his surprise, he found himself actually enjoying his time with the Hornets.
“[Cowens] He told me, ‘Why don’t you come here and give it a shot? If you don’t like it, you can always retire,'” Divac recalled.
“I went there and I fell in love with Carolina. Actually, that move extended my career. I found some other challenges in my life. That’s why I started thinking about when I became a free agent and I chose Sacramento, it was first of all to get back in California and second of all, I wanted to go somewhere where there was nothing and make it happen.”
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Why Vlade returned to L.A.
Divac only played two seasons with the Hornets, but his tenure with the team holds a special place in his heart. Speaking of heart, Vlade’s heart took him back to California during free agency, but this time, he joined the Sacramento Kings.
Even though Divac cherishes his respective stints with the Hornets and the Kings, he obeyed what the late former Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss once told him.
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“I remember like a year before we had a game in Vegas, Kings-Lakers and I went to say hi. He said, ‘Kid, I want you to come back and retire with the Lakers,'” Divac revealed.
Sure enough, Divac managed to make a strange yet meaningful return to the Lakers in his final NBA season (2004-05). Interestingly, Vlade wound up playing with Bryant, the player who was the reason why he had to leave L.A. in the first place.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.