NBA legend Vlade Divac how football giants Real Madrid boast an equally successful basketball team
Think of European football and the first team that comes to mind is Real Madrid. Not many know that the club, which has won a record number of domestic and continental crowns, also boasts an equally successful basketball team.
Vlade Divac, who plied his trade in the NBA for 16 years, headed Madrid's basketball operations between 2006 and 2007. For all those of you know searching for answers to hypothetical questions like 'when will an Indian play in the NBA', Divac has this to say: “Before we can even start talking about NBA and Europe, one needs to see if India can match up to Asian standards.”
Divac, one of NBA's most revered centres, wants India to take on, and consistently beat, China, Japan and teams from the Middle East. He offers a viable solution, too.
Divac wants India to take a cue from the Real Madrid set-up. “This is a team known for football around the world. Football is huge in Spain. If they can do it, I don't see what's stopping India. Football makes money and that's how other sports like basketball flourished under one name,” he says. Simply put, Real Madrid FC backed Real Madrid Baloncesto in every possible way. And the results aren't bad. The basketball team has won 31 Spanish League championships, 24 Spanish Cup championships, eight Euroleague Championships and four Saporta Cups. These are all records, mind you.
Divac has a point. “Why can't cricket help raise the profile of less popular sporting disciplines in India? Having spent so many years on the court, working for Real Madrid gave me a chance to view the sport from the other side. It was one big family at Real Madrid where you did get to see the earlier Galacticos (yes, that team!) try their hand at basketball,” says Divac. Apparently, Raul was also a standout basketballer.
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