Mike Wise of the New York Post reports that the Yugoslavian National Team is so desperate for change, that Vlade Divac has actually quit smoking. Vlade?s roommate and teammate Predrag Stojakovic said that Divac quit on Monday and "Vlade wants to win very much now."

The Yugos have posted a 3-2 record in the tournament thus far. Considering the team is loaded with NBA talent, that has to be a disappointment. Monday?s 85-83 loss to Puerto Rico featured a blown 11-point lead by Yugoslavia. They were able to bounce back against Brazil with a 90-69 victory.

Divac and Stojakovic, players with All-Star pedigrees from the Sacramento Kings, did not even start for their country in that game. Their coach, Svetislav Pesic, defended his decision. "The players we start are not inferior to the N.B.A. players," he said. "That's just my theory and I'm sticking with it."

The world championships are big news in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where a local following is heartsick about its lethargic team. "I don't know why this has happened," said Predrag Mrmack, a reporter for Vecernje Novosti, the largest daily newspaper in Belgrade. "We have five N.B.A. players; there is no excuse."

Yugoslavia meets Turkey on Wednesday, so there is still hope. An expected victory would pit Yugoslavia against the United States in either the quarterfinals or the semifinals. But its visions of challenging the Americans for the gold medal on Sunday ? and thus becoming the first international team to beat a United States team featuring N.B.A. players ? are pretty much gone.