Once Brothers: Basketball and Politics.

Once Brothers: Basketball and Politics.

The "30 for 30: Once Brothers" documentary was a tragic story. The war could have broken up one of the greatest international basketball teams. The fall of communism in a nation led to the breaking of relationships. A nation made up of different ethnic groups, such as Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia. Along with having different beliefs, such as Islam, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians, A strong communist government led the diverse regions. So when the Soviet Union fell, it was no surprise that it spilled over to the Balkans. They were one of the best teams in the world. Three halls of Famers led them. Vlade Divac is Serbian. Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc are Croatian. The Yugoslav basketball team transformed the presentation of Euro basketball.

Vlade Divac was ahead of his time. He was a center who could run, pass, and shoot. This made him ahead of his time. We've watched Nikola Jokic win three MVPs with the same skills. Vlade Divac opened the door for European players to be more than `guys who play inside. Vlade's transition into the league was easy. After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired, Vlade was able to fill the void he left behind. While it was harder for Drazen Petrovic to transition to the league, The Trailblazers were very talented. This made it hard for him to get minutes. The talented scorer was feeling hindered, which frustrated him. He was not getting the break that he was hoping for. During that time, we see Divac and Petrovic remain close. They would confide in each other about the league. But it all changed for the worse.

As Yugoslavia was falling apart, the rise of nationalism became prevalent. Croatian flags were at every sporting event. Tensions in the Balkans were at an all-time high. It was the war that was getting worse. When it was Team USA and Team Yugoslavia playing against each other, Yugo was able to pick up the victory. The complete underdogs defeated a team considered superior. Croatian nationalists filled the stadium. So when everyone was walking onto the court, when Vlade saw someone waving it around, he took it and threw it. Vlade didn't mean to disrespect the Croats. He wanted to keep Yugoslavia's identity. Because of this, it was a moment that would change the relationship between them forever.

Drazen Petrovic finds himself a new home with the New Jersey Nets. Now, his talent was coming out. It showed the world that Europeans could play basketball. Vlade Divac helped the Los Angeles Lakers make a run to the finals, which they lost to the Chicago Bulls. While both players were playing at a high level in their careers, we've seen their friendship come to an end. Drazen took pride in being a Croat, so he's seen what Vlade did as a form of disrespect. Two friends who used to relate their time in the league to being strangers. With the split of Yugoslavia, it led to the split of two deep friendships. Politics back home made it tough for Croat players to take to the Serbian star. Due to pressure back and the sensitivity of the Balkans, The flag incident made Vlade enemy number one in Croatia and a hero in Serbia. The war made it us vs. them, which was not the case when both played for the same team. Politics had now divided brothers of different ethnicities.

Unfortunately, both former countrymen and friends were never able to fix their relationship. Petrovic died due to a car accident in Germany. It's sad to know that the two legends were not able to fix their relationship. Both had their come-up together. But they could not enjoy each other's success due to politics. Drazen finally hit his prime, having the best season of his career. Vlade was able to become a legend with the Sacramento Kings. Where they retired his jersey. The Hall of Fame honors both players. Due to the war and conflict, Vlade couldn't show respect to his friend. This is a basketball documentary. But it is also a political one. It's about how politics ruined a once-great friendship.Once Brothers: Basketball and Politics.

The "30 for 30: Once Brothers" documentary was a tragic story. The war could have broken up one of the greatest international basketball teams. The fall of communism in a nation led to the breaking of relationships. A nation made up of different ethnic groups, such as Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia. Along with having different beliefs, such as Islam, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians, A strong communist government led the diverse regions. So when the Soviet Union fell, it was no surprise that it spilled over to the Balkans. They were one of the best teams in the world. Three halls of Famers led them. Vlade Divac is Serbian. Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc are Croatian. The Yugoslav basketball team transformed the presentation of Euro basketball.

Vlade Divac was ahead of his time. He was a center who could run, pass, and shoot. This made him ahead of his time. We've watched Nikola Jokic win three MVPs with the same skills. Vlade Divac opened the door for European players to be more than `guys who play inside. Vlade's transition into the league was easy. After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired, Vlade was able to fill the void he left behind. While it was harder for Drazen Petrovic to transition to the league, The Trailblazers were very talented. This made it hard for him to get minutes. The talented scorer was feeling hindered, which frustrated him. He was not getting the break that he was hoping for. During that time, we see Divac and Petrovic remain close. They would confide in each other about the league. But it all changed for the worse.

As Yugoslavia was falling apart, the rise of nationalism became prevalent. Croatian flags were at every sporting event. Tensions in the Balkans were at an all-time high. It was the war that was getting worse. When it was Team USA and Team Yugoslavia playing against each other, Yugo was able to pick up the victory. The complete underdogs defeated a team considered superior. Croatian nationalists filled the stadium. So when everyone was walking onto the court, when Vlade saw someone waving it around, he took it and threw it. Vlade didn't mean to disrespect the Croats. He wanted to keep Yugoslavia's identity. Because of this, it was a moment that would change the relationship between them forever.

Drazen Petrovic finds himself a new home with the New Jersey Nets. Now, his talent was coming out. It showed the world that Europeans could play basketball. Vlade Divac helped the Los Angeles Lakers make a run to the finals, which they lost to the Chicago Bulls. While both players were playing at a high level in their careers, we've seen their friendship come to an end. Drazen took pride in being a Croat, so he's seen what Vlade did as a form of disrespect. Two friends who used to relate their time in the league to being strangers. With the split of Yugoslavia, it led to the split of two deep friendships. Politics back home made it tough for Croat players to take to the Serbian star. Due to pressure back and the sensitivity of the Balkans, The flag incident made Vlade enemy number one in Croatia and a hero in Serbia. The war made it us vs. them, which was not the case when both played for the same team. Politics had now divided brothers of different ethnicities.

Unfortunately, both former countrymen and friends were never able to fix their relationship. Petrovic died due to a car accident in Germany. It's sad to know that the two legends were not able to fix their relationship. Both had their come-up together. But they could not enjoy each other's success due to politics. Drazen finally hit his prime, having the best season of his career. Vlade was able to become a legend with the Sacramento Kings. Where they retired his jersey. The Hall of Fame honors both players. Due to the war and conflict, Vlade couldn't show respect to his friend. This is a basketball documentary. But it is also a political one. It's about how politics ruined a once-great friendship.

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