Once Brothers

October 17, 2010 3:50 AM

ESPN screened this great documentary about the rise of the Yugoslavian basketball team in the late 80s, and the breakdown of relationships within the team, in particular Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic, as the country disintegrated in the 90s.
posted by jedro (15 comments total)

Fuck yeah Vlade Divac!

Ok going to watch now.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:07 AM on October 17, 2010

I'm waiting for the repeat showing this wednesday on ESPN. It's supposed to be fantastic.
posted by dig_duggler at 6:38 AM on October 17, 2010

It is one of the best (and saddest) sports documentaries I have ever seen. Even if you have no interest in sports its worth watching.
posted by D_I at 7:23 AM on October 17, 2010

thanks, as a blazers fan growing up in the 80s and 90s, this was engrossing... there's something captivating about ethnic nationalism thru the lens of basketball and sports in general, which is why i suppose the olympics and world cup are as popular as they are. it was heartbreaking to see vlade mourn the loss of his friend and country, but i'm glad he shared it with the rest of us; good on you, vlade.
posted by kliuless at 7:33 AM on October 17, 2010

So that's what that was. In the pub I was sitting in last night, we'd look up at the TV every so often expecting to see men on skates (it was after 8 on a Saturday and the Leafs have proven that they're pretty much a lock on the Cup this season) and instead we'd see the wall coming down, planes flying overhead, dead bodies in the street, or Siobhan Milosevich. We could see the TSN logo in the corner, but couldn't figure out how it was sports.
posted by TimTypeZed at 7:46 AM on October 17, 2010

saw it. it's really great. can't recommend it highly enough.
posted by Kwine at 7:58 AM on October 17, 2010

The Two Escobars is also amazing.
posted by sachinag at 8:03 AM on October 17, 2010

Saw it, now crying like a baby. Thanks so much for posting.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:12 AM on October 17, 2010

The Two Escobars is also amazing.

hey, i was just reading a review of that...
posted by kliuless at 8:17 AM on October 17, 2010

A lot of the 30 for 30 documentaries have been really good, and even the bad ones have had their moments.

The Onion AV Club has been running reviews before they air.
posted by box at 8:23 AM on October 17, 2010

So amazing. So sad. Thanks for posting this.
posted by stagewhisper at 2:08 PM on October 17, 2010

This documentary made me: really resent not being able to see Petrovic play; hate Toni Kukoc a bit less; laugh heartily at the Divac/Magic stuff; feel very old; understand why The Dream Team had to happen, instead of another team of college kids who rarely played together; and most importantly, RESPECT Vlade Divac. (And Kukoc, Rajda, Petrovic and everyone else. It was another story that reminds you that truth really is stranger than fiction. If it'd been scripted, people would have complained about how unbelievable it was.)
posted by DigDoug at 3:04 PM on October 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

I saw Petro play for the Nets several times-- flat out amazing. His death set the Nets back 10 years. I saw Jordan, Magic & Bird in their prime. None of them, even Magic, (who as far as I'm concerned, is the greatest basketball player who ever played the game) made me dumbstruck while watching a game. Petro did. It was like he could tilt the court; when he got his hands on the ball, it was like the defense was running uphill. He made everyone around him better, which is about the highest compliment I can give an athlete.
posted by KingEdRa at 9:11 PM on October 17, 2010

sat here and watched the whole thing. Thanks for posting this.
posted by thisisdrew at 9:25 PM on October 17, 2010

There have been several really good documentaries in the 30 for 30 series, but Once Brothers has to be ranked among the top.
posted by drezdn at 6:31 AM on October 19, 2010