By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Orlando Magic were eliminated by Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday in the first round of the playoffs, leaving behind a bittersweet taste for Nikola Vucevic.
The Montenegrin big man came from an impressive season to lead Magic with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists on average in the playoffs series vs. Bucks, and he explained how he found the motivation to grow as a player to reporters after Game 5.
“Last year, I know it was my eighth year in the league, but it was the first time I had a major role in the playoff series and I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be. It was a learning experience for me. Learning how to deal with adversity and stuff not going my way. This year I was very motivated to show that it was one bad series (last year)”, Vucevic said.
“I learned from that, it helped me mentally to grow and become stronger. This year I came out very aggressive, once I had a very good game I felt very confident. You learn a lot in your career through tough times, especially in games you don’t want to have, series, or whatever. You learn from that and I was able to do that.”
Vucevic also said he and the rest of the team plan to stay involved in social justice issues, even outside the bubble.
“We decided to stay in touch and keep doing what we can to help the community. I don’t know exactly how yet, but we’re definitely going to stay on top of it, because I think what we do sends a strong message in the communities and we’re gonna keep up the fight. We will stay involved”