SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Fourteen-year-old Isaija Pantic has hopes and dreams like most boys his age. He also has an oncologist, a 10-centimeter scar on his head and a cool story to tell his friends when he gets back to Belgrade in a few days.
Isaija was diagnosed with brain cancer in June 2016. He went in for a routine eye exam and left with a frightening diagnosis after doctors found a massive tumor on his brain. He was only expected to live for 12 more months, but more than 2 { years later, here he is _ in Sacramento _ laughing, smiling and developing a special bond with his favorite NBA team.
"It's really exciting for me," Isaija said. "I never met players from the NBA before. They really care for me and I want to say thank you."
Kings general manager Vlade Divac is a longtime friend of Isaija's father, Zeljko Pantic, the CEO and editor in chief of a Serbian television network that covers the Partizan Belgrade soccer club. Divac and Pantic met when Divac was playing for Partizan's basketball team in the 1980s.
When he learned Isaija needed brain surgery, Divac teamed with Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and other European sports figures to raise $128,000 in 24 hours to pay for the procedure. The tumor was 7 centimeters long, 7 centimeters thick and 6 { centimeters wide, the size of a large potato, Pantic said.
Doctors discovered Isaija's cancer was a rare mutation and determined he was a good candidate for a clinical study involving LOXO-101, an experimental drug that may kill certain types of cancer cells or prevent them from growing, according to the National Cancer Institute. Isaija started taking the drug in August. The results have been remarkable.
"Today, all tumors are vanished," his father said. "It's like you come to the Golden 1 arena and pick one seat _ this is life. All the rest are death. Isaija got the one that is life."
The cancer could return, but so far, there is no sign of it.
"It turns out that even if your chances are slim, you can win, kind of like the Kings," Pantic said.
The Kings have been the most popular NBA team in Serbia since Divac and countryman Peja Stojakovic came to Sacramento 20 years ago. Now working together in the Kings' front office, Divac and Stojakovic have assembled a team that has exceeded expectations, thanks in part to the contributions of two new Serbian stars, Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica.
"The Kings are part of our Serbian history," Bjelica said.
For many years, Pantic has been getting up at 4 a.m. to watch the Kings play on television. Now, he has passed his love for the team on to his sons.
"I believe in this team," Isaija said. "They're not exactly like the Golden State Warriors yet, but they have potential to maybe pull off a miracle."
Divac and Bogdanovic told Isaija when he got better he could come to Sacramento to meet the Kings. He attended Tuesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Thursday's game against the Denver Nuggets and Saturday's game against Golden State. He will also attend Monday's game against the Orlando Magic before returning to Serbia on Thursday.
Divac introduced Isaija and his 12-year-old brother Jeremiah to the team following Wednesday's practice at Golden 1 Center.
"Isaija is a warrior," Divac told the team, placing his giant hand on the boy's shoulder. "He is fighting with everything ... but he survived."
Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein reached out to shake Isaija's hand. Shooting guard Buddy Hield gave him a hug. Point guard De'Aaron Fox pulled him in close, offering a warm embrace and two encouraging words:
"Keep fighting."
Before Isaija left the Kings' practice facility that day, he threw alley-oop passes to Cauley-Stein and teamed up with his brother to beat Bogdanovic in a 2-on-1 game. As a result, Bogdanovic had to do five pushups while the boys watched and giggled.
"It's cool to see a smile on the kid's face," Fox said. "For him, with the fight that he's going through, it was great to see him out there having fun."
When practice was over, the boys posed for a team photo. Kings coach Dave Joerger then asked Isaija to lead the team break. The players gathered around Isaija at center court and put their hands together.
"What do you want to say today? Kings?" Joerger asked.
Isaija paused for a moment.
"Kings for the title," he said.
"Yeah, OK," the players said, smiling and nodding with enthusiasm.
"Kings for the title on 3," Joerger said. "1-2-3 ... Kings for the title!"
Isaija has hopes and dreams, for the Kings and himself.
"Before the surgery, I trained a little bit of soccer," Isaija said. "I wanted to be a soccer player and I played soccer for a little while. Then the surgery came and that didn't work out, but I still have some other stuff I want to do _ something related to sports or soccer or filmmaker, maybe."
He also has an inspirational story to tell.
"It's a hard battle, but I have won," Isaija said. "I want people to learn from my example, to fight and to never surrender. When all seems lost, it's not lost. Just keep fighting."
