Vlade Divac is beloved in Sacramento as a Kings player. It’s quite the opposite as GM

When the news broke Friday afternoon that Vlade Divac had stepped down as vice president and general manager of the Sacramento Kings, I felt no joy. I simply felt relief.

Despite the fact that I called for Divac’s resignation just over a week ago, I was shocked that it actually happened. I’m relieved Divac will no longer be making decisions for the Kings, but I’m sad that his reign ended as it did.

When Divac joined the Kings from office in 2015, it was billed as an advisory role. Divac brought the pedigree of being the Kings’ biggest free-agent acquisition in his playing days, and the glue that brought together the Greatest Show on Court. Prior to 2015, you would have been hard-pressed to find a Kings fan willing to speak ill of Divac.

As Divac assumed more control of the front office and Pete D’Alessandro departed as the team’s GM, it was widely assumed Divac’s role as lead decision maker was a stopgap until the Kings could bring in someone more experienced to handle day to day operations. Any skepticism was mostly viewed by Kings fans through purple-tinted glasses.

While hiring Divac as GM was not wise, but it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t shrewd. His status as a Kings legend earned him leeway with fans that any other GM wouldn’t have enjoyed.

That leeway extended beyond just casual fans. Anyone who has met Divac will tell you that he’s a delightful man to be around. He’s affable and charming, funny and self-deprecating.

The gulf between Divac’s quality as a GM and his quality as a person is enormous. That’s why I take no joy at Friday’s news. Divac was not just a beloved player, but a truly lovable character who loved Sacramento and the Kings just as much as the fans. The genuine love that he exudes surely bought him credit from all but the most jaded of fans and reporters.

However, Divac made a lot of mistakes while at the helm of the Kings, none as glaring as passing on Luka Doncic in favor of Marvin Bagley III in the 2018 NBA Draft. Still, I never doubted that Divac wanted what was best for the Kings and for Kings fans.

Divac often spoke of having unfinished business in Sacramento. It’s the reason so many former players flocked to the organization, with Peja Stojakovic as his assistant GM, Doug Christie providing color commentary on broadcasts, Bobby Jackson serving as an assistant on the coaching staff, and former Kings like Mike Bibby and Brad Miller frequently appearing in the halls of Golden 1 Center.

Divac and the others all wanted to see the Kings enjoy the championship they fell short of delivering during their playing days. It was an admirable goal and as pure a reason as any to remain in charge of the Kings.

The effort fell short, just as the Kings did in the early 2000s. But there are no conspiracy theories to fall back on. No refs for fans to blame. Just the missteps of the front office.

It would have been wonderful if Divac could have been as beloved as an executive as he was as a player, but this story fell short of the Hollywood redemption ending.

With time, hopefully the Kings can find success, and with that success we can bury the bitterness that exists for Divac the GM.