Vlade Divac running for president -- of Serbia’s Olympic committee

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Former Laker Vlade Divac plans to run for president of the Serbian Olympic committee.

Since retiring after a 16-year NBA career that started and ended with the Lakers, the Serbian-born Divac has gone into business and founded a nonprofit called Humanitarian Organization Divac.

HOD describes its mission as providing ‘financial, material and other resources necessary to fulfill physical, mental, social and other needs of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and uncared-for persons, regardless of nationality, race, religion, politics or any other background or orientation.’

Divac also has signed on as an advisory to the Serbian government on humanitarian and sports issues. FIBA (the international basketball association) recently reported that Divac is ‘the official candidate of the Serbian Basketball Assn. (KSS) for the presidency of the country’s Olympic Committee.’

The 40-year-old former athlete said he would work ‘with transparency, not just among sports associations, but as well towards the nation.’

‘I have a lot of work ahead of elections to do which must be done before Feb. 24,’ Divac said. ‘My first goal is to create a good program for the future functioning of OKS [Olympic Committee of Serbia], and my plan is to include people with the highest experience, such as [FIBA Secretary General Emeritus] Borislav Stankovic.’

Divac is a member of the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings have announced that they will retire Divac’s number during a ceremony on March 31.

-- Greg Johnson