By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Vlade Divac traveled to Athens, Greece, on the 5th of October in order to attend the celebration of “Serbs in Greek sports”. He said to the Greek media that he feels Greece like a second home, he underlined the good spirit in Serbian-Greek relations, he thanked the Greek nation for its supports to Serbs during the last war and after that he talked exclusively about basketball to Eurohoops.net.
The president of Serbian Olympic Committee and one of the most influential personalities in world basketball shared his opinion about the new anti-flopping NBA rule – many in the American league have accused him of being on of the first players to take advantage of it – asked the championship from the Lakers and still believes his country’s national team can produced big results in next year’s Eurobasket, despite a mediocre showing in the qualification games.
– During the Olympics you have met with NBA commissioner David Stern in order to discuss the matter of flopping. How do you comment the new anti-flopping rule?
“They started overdoing it, I think it was bad for basketball and it was a great decision to make basketball more clear”.
– What’s your opinion about the new Lakers team? Can they go all the way?
“I think they have the best team. They have the best chance to win the championship, but they have to prove it on the floor. Hopefully, I will be rooting for them and I hope to see them winning the championship”.
– And what about the Serbian national team? What do you expect from them at Eurobasket 2013?
“Well, there were a lot of expectations for them, I think it was maybe pressure, or it was just difficult to play qualifications games, because they are not used to. They qualified, not the way we wanted to, but they will take part in European championship and I am sure they are going to play better”.