By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
Arturas Karnisovas has officially become the Chicago Bulls Vice President but his stamp in the Denver Nuggets won’t be forgotten. Especially by the players who he helped out, as was the case with Vlatko Cancar.
“I wanted to, first of all, say thank you to Arturas for being a true mentor to me since I became a part of the Nuggets franchise,” Cancar wrote on his blog at the team’s website and added. “I obviously knew of Arturas from his playing days in Europe. He’s is one of the best, if not the best, European players to not have played in the NBA. He played for huge clubs in Europe and was an icon on the continent. For me, considering that success, it made it all the more impressive how he treated me when I was drafted by the Nuggets.”
The 23-year-old Slovenian forward was drafted by the Nuggets in 2017 and signed his rookie contract two years later. He noted that Karnisovas was there for him every step of the way.
“He was an awesome guy and helped me with everything that I needed. He made me feel like a part of the family right away. Once I got here in Denver, he was talking to me all of the time and giving me advice. With all of the adjustments I’ve made over the past year, it helped me stay positive. Whenever there were negative situations, he would find a way to be uplifting. I will miss him here but I’m happy for him. I wish him the best of luck.”
Cancar also wrote about how the coronavirus outbreak affected him and what he has been doing in isolation: “In my attempts to stay sane during this period, I’ve started to learn how to play the piano and I’m taking lessons on my phone to pick up Japanese. Hopefully, when things get back to normal, I’ll finally get a chance to visit Japan. Kon’nichiwa Tōkyō! Call of Duty and Netflix have also been very helpful!”
Read Vlatko Cancar’s blog at nuggets.com