Vlade Divac started his basketball career at the age of 16, for the team Sloga, in Yugoslavia's top basketball league. In five years, Divac became one of the most dominant players in the league and attracted the attention of the Los Angeles Lakers' general manager, Jerry West. In 1989, the Lakers picked up Divac as the 26th overall draft pick. Divac spent seven years with the Lakers, was awarded NBA All-Rookie First Team Honors, and participated in the 1991 NBA Finals. He was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, but was sidelined for 18 months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair his left knee. In 1998, he was signed as a free agent by the Sacramento Kings, where he continues to be a strong presence in the NBA as a center. Divac and his wife, Ana, have adopted an infant daughter, Petra, from Belgrade, Yugoslavia.