By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic is currently in his 13th season in the NBA. Since being drafted in 2011 as the 16th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, he has consistently performed at a high level, establishing himself as one of the most reliable big men in the league over the years.
In addition to his successful NBA career, Vucevic has always made time for his Montenegrin national team. Last summer, he played five games at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, leading Montenegro to a historic 11th place, averaging 19.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
“It’s great for us; we are a very small country, only 650,000 people, so it’s not even easy for us to put a team together to play. To get to the World Cup twice in a row was a great achievement. This World Cup for us was definitely the best tournament we’ve played as a national team. We’ve really grown, and part of it was the experience from all the previous championships. We played really well; it was really fun for me. We ended up 11th, which was a big achievement for us. We beat some really good teams and played against the US in a close game, and we are all very happy with how we represented our country and the achievements we had. Our countrymen were really proud of us, which is why you do it,” Vucevic shared with Eurohoops.
Thanks to a successful World Cup campaign, Montenegro now has a chance to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, being part of the Qualifying Tournament in Riga, alongside hosts Latvia, Georgia, the Philippines, as well as Brazil and Cameroon. Vucevic doesn’t plan on missing out.
“That’s the plan, for sure. We never played in the Olympic tournament, and it’s a dream of mine to go to the Olympics, so this is the chance for us to do it. If everything goes well, and I’m healthy, I definitely plan to be there. Hopefully, we get past our group first, and then one game at a time. You never know what can happen.”
Since the 2020/21 season, he has been part of the Bulls organization, alongside stars like DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. However, they have only advanced as far as the first round of the playoffs once. This season, things are starting to look better for Chicago as they are slowly moving up in the standings, hoping for a playoff spot or at least a play-in opportunity.
“It’s been pretty good, up and down, started off so and so, and got better as the year went on. The team was playing better, and so was I. We’re happy so far; there’s room for improvement. We’re trying to continue to play well and help the team win. Most importantly, we have been playing better as a team lately, catching up to other teams in the standings, and hopefully, we continue to climb. Right now, we are in the play-in, so at least to stay there, maybe, hopefully, to get to the top six; we’ll see, but we take it one game at a time.”
The 33-year-old center has been at the top level for a very long time, amassing 866 NBA regular-season appearances with averages of 17 points and 10.5 rebounds. What’s his secret for staying at a high level for almost 13 years?
“There’s no secret. A lot of hard work every day, on the court, off the court, taking care of my body, preparing myself mentally, and studying the game. I dedicated myself to basketball, and that’s the only way to do it, especially at this level. And the older I get, there are new, younger players coming in, and you have to stay at the top level. You can never relax, never think you are established; you always want more. I’m never satisfied, and I’m always finding ways to improve. The game has evolved so much; I’ve had to evolve as well and change the way I play. You always have to be ready for that. I still feel like I have a lot to give to the game of basketball, and I still enjoy playing,” Vucevic concluded in his conversation with Eurohoops.