Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic reveals he tried to convince his Lithuanian teammate, Matas Buzelis, to play in EuroBasket 2025.
EuroBasket 2025 is filled with NBA talent, with the majority of teams having at least one player in the best league in the world.
Montenegro / Schedule
There could have been significantly more NBA players in the tournament, as multiple high-profile names decided or were forced to miss EuroBasket.
One of those players is the young Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, who decided not to help Lithuania in this tournament.
Before the matchup against Lithuania, Buzelis' Bulls teammate, Montenegrin center Nikola Vucevic, talked to BasketNews, where he revealed he was trying to convince Buzelis to play in EuroBasket, saying it would have been a great experience for him.
"I was trying to convince him to play," Vucevic revealed. "I thought it would have been really good for him to get some FIBA basketball experience, to play in EuroBasket, and to practice against all the other players from Lithuania every day. It would have been great for him."
Credit Getty Images via AFP-Scanpix
"The NBA and FIBA are very different games, and I think it is especially good for young players to experience both and learn from them," he explained.
"I think it would have helped him a lot, and it would also have been valuable just to play in big games. Obviously, Lithuania is going to try to compete for a medal—that is their goal—so for him, it would have been huge. But he decided not to play this summer. Hopefully, he will play in the future," Vucevic added.
The two-time NBA All-Star says he has a great relationship with Buzelis, also praising his work ethic and saying he has a bright future both in the NBA and with the national team.
"We have a really good relationship," the Bulls center revealed. "He is a great guy and a willing learner. He asks a lot of questions, works hard, and wants to improve. I thought he had a very good first year."
Matas Buzelis
Matas Buzelis
Position: SG, SF
Age: 20
Height: 208 cm
Weight: 93 kg
Birth place: Chicago, United States of America
Credit ZUMAPress.com/Scanpix
"I think he has a very bright future in the NBA and, hopefully, also with the Lithuanian national team. For whatever reason, though, he decided not to play this summer."
Talking about his mentality, Vucevic believes Buzelis is a bit more American than European, as he was born in America.
"Yeah, he is probably a little more American," the 34-year-old noted. "But he was born and grew up there, so that is normal. He is a good guy—a very good guy."
"He is still young, like a kid, so he likes to have fun and joke around. At the same time, he is pretty smart for his age and has a good understanding of what he needs to do."
"Even Jonas Valanciunas calls him 'the American,' saying, 'Tell your American guy to play,'" Vucevic added.
"But I think in the future, if he decides to play for Lithuania, it will be great for the team and for him as well."
Credit Instagram
Vucevic thinks playing in FIBA competitions is great for young NBA players.
"It is a big adjustment when you come from the NBA," Vucevic said. "The spacing is different, the three-point line is further, and the three-second rule on defense and overall style of play are different."
"It takes time to adjust, even for me, after all these years of playing FIBA games and even in Europe when I was younger."
"But I think it is great, especially for young players," he stated. "It helps you develop different skills and read the game differently. You can take some things from the NBA to FIBA, and then use FIBA experiences when you go back to the NBA. It is a good mix."
"For him, it was his first year. Maybe he wanted to work on different things, but I hope he does play in the future," Vucevic concluded.
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Lukas Katilius
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