PRISONERS OF WAR
Alexander Wolff
June 03, 1996
NINE YEARS AGO, AS YUGOSLAVS AND FRIENDS, THEY BEAT THE U.S. TO WIN THE WORLD JUNIOR BASKETBALL TITLE. NOW, AS BOSNIANS, CROATS AND SERBS, THEY'RE STILL STARS—BUT POLITICS HAS DRIVEN THEM APART
Military victories celebrated with basketball players. Basketball victories celebrated with gunfire. There is little difference.
Still Alibegovic hopes. "I guarantee you, every one of us would love to play a game together. The only obstacle, I think, is the name. If we played under the name NBC, the name XYZ, the name Jerks—whatever—it might be possible. But under the name Yugoslavia it would be pretty difficult."
This talk of names and labels causes Alibegovic to fall silent for a moment. Then he delivers himself of a thought: "You know, I never knew what nationality anyone was when we were playing with each other. And I bet you they never knew what I was."
All of a sudden he seems very old. "Well, now we know."