Vlade Divac receives Montenegrin citizenship / News - Basketnews.com

Serbian basketball legend and Hall-of-Famer Vlade Divac has now dual citizenship after Montenegro handed him the country's passport.

Credit: Dritan Abazovic Credit Dritan Abazovic

Vlade Divac, one of the first Europeans to play in the NBA, has been granted Montenegrin citizenship.

Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic personally handed the former basketball star, who also holds Serbian citizenship, his Montenegrin passport at a ceremony on November 1. Divac won two FIBA world cups with Serbia, as well as two Olympic silver medals.

The 54-year-old former center started his basketball career in Sloga, later played for Partizan and Crvena Zvezda, and in the NBA he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings. He ended his NBA career in 1998 and now spends much of his time in Montenegro, where he says his family's roots are located.

"It is a great honor and pleasure for us to have the opportunity to present the Montenegrin passport to a legend of world basketball, which Vlade Divac certainly is," Dritan Abazovic wrote on Twitter.

Vlade Divac stated that his ancestors come from Montenegro, as well as the fact that in the last couple of years he spends most of his time in Lustica, and because of this he sees Montenegro as a second home.

The law on Montenegrin citizenship stipulates that a person can acquire the citizenship if their admission is "of particular importance for the state, or serves scientific, economic, cultural, economic, sports and other interests of Montenegro."

In that case, the person does not have to fulfill other obligations, which refer to the discharge from other citizenship, continuous stay in Montenegro for ten years and more. Honorary citizenship is granted solely on the basis of the recommendation of the highest officials of the state authorities.

Since the restoration of Montenegro's independence, the state has awarded between 20 and 40 honorary citizenships per year.

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