By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid prevailed in the first “El Clasico” of the 2019-20 EuroLeague season on Thursday, previously defeated FC Barcelona in the 2019 ACB Supercopa final on September 22nd. From Nikola Mirotic’s standpoint, those were a couple of losses in his first two games against the team he played at youth level and afterward began his professional career in 2008.
“They will come, they will come. We will see who has the last laugh when I finish my career in Barca,” he mentioned after the EuroLeague Regular Season Round 8 affair, Spanish outlet “Sport” relays. He was indeed upset about the outcome of the second “Clasico” of the 2019-20 season but held himself for better days in the future.
Back in Madrid as a visitor
Mirotic competed in 359 NBA games between the Chicago Bulls, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Milwaukee Bucks. Before his five-year NBA stay emerged from Real Madrid’s youth team to the senior side and ultimately to a star player for the Whites. In 2013, his MVP season led Real to the ACB championship, captured a couple of Copa del Rey and Supercopa titles as well.
As for his EuroLeague run, he played in 97 games with his first professional club averaging just over ten points per appearance and was included twice (2013, 2014) in the All-EuroLeague Second Team. Move forward six years, Mirotic returned to Spain but for Real’s arch-rival and on Thursday evening was booed by the WiZink Center crowd.
There is no need for added stipulations in games between the two powerhouses to attract the interest of fans in Spain and beyond the borders of the European country, but Mirotic moving sides undoubtedly increases the temperature. Also, the team doctor of the Whites, Miguel Angel Lopez Andrades, seen and heard calling Barcelona the “biggest band of rats in the EuroLeague” further warms up the already-heated rivalry.
The last laugh
Despite being prompted by a pushy TV reporter, the Barca forward avoided commenting on being called a “rat”. However, his statement on “who has the last laugh” made his intentions clear. He will attempt to exact his revenge in future “Clasico” confrontations, likely to be plenty.
In July, he signed a three-year contract. Seeing it through will reportedly secure him 26 million euros, also the opportunity to face Real many more times in various competitions. The “last laugh” every year will be mostly determined towards the end of every season in Europe’s premier competition and Spain, and Mirotic seems more than ready for the challenge.
First blood
His former team got the better of him in the first two meetings despite Mirotic’s solid outings. He posted 14 points and six assists in the Supercopa final followed up with 19 points and five rebounds on Thursday night.