Number 33 is in Milan. Nikola Mirotic has a beautiful story to tell, starting with the dream of becoming a striker in football moving on to the love at first sight he had for basketball, the love that led him in world-record time to go from nothing to the Real Madrid “cantera”. Then he met Ettore Messina who gave him a chance very early, entrusted him with responsibility because he had seen enough, in practice, and finally preferred him, at 18, to the legendary Jorge Garbajosa. In the EuroLeague, Mirotic made his debut in Siena. Real Madrid won that game coming back late. In the first half Real Madrid was down by double figures, in the third period started to rally and in the fourth all the hell broke loose. Mirotic scored 13 points in that period. In one evening, he went from a rookie enjoying his first European points to a revelation, a star in the making. Since then, he hasn’t stopped. Not one bit.
Nikola Mirotic, is it true that you dreamed of becoming a great football player?
“Yes, it’s true, I started playing football when I was six years old. I used to play with my brother who is three years older than me, and I was good too. I was a tall kid, but not too tall. I played for seven years, until I was 13. Then I grew up a lot in one summer, and one day I decided to skip the soccer practice to give it a try and see how basketball was.”
And you met the coach that proved to be crucial for your career.
“I met Jadran Vujacic when I had the first basketball practice of my life. I didn’t tell my soccer coach why I was skipping practice. My idea was to gibe basketball a chance. Then if I liked it, I would have stayed and I would have left football. As soon as I met Jadran I felt an amazing connection with him. I was so humble, so nice, he really wanted to teach me how to play. I had never played before; I didn’t know how to make a one-two step and a lay-up. But I was good with the hands, handling the ball well, and the legs were good too. I immediately loved it. And so, I made my decision: I left football”.
How was it possible to go from the football field to Real Madrid in such a short time?
“Jadran, who was my first coach, but he is also the coach who still works with me today in the summer, did an amazing job with me from day one, individual workouts, team workouts, we worked so much already in the first year, and in the second I had already become good. I went to a summer camp in Zaragoza for six days. The Real Madrid scouts saw me and then followed me to Montenegro for some extra workouts, to make sure I got the right tips. After another two years, I went to Madrid.”
You were very young, how difficult was it to move from Montenegro to a big city like Madrid?
“I was lucky because my parents came with me the first year. It was a hard step; I didn’t want to go alone. I had to learn a new language, meet new teammates, adapt to a new life. There were times when I seriously thought about going home, back to Montenegro, because it was really hard. I was going to school, from nine in the morning to five, and after a quick snack I took the bus to go to practice. I was skinny. And that was every day. But I made it through and in the second year my parents went back to Montenegro, and I moved to the residence. Step by step I did it.”
From the youth academy to the Real Madrid first team: it’s an important and very rare step.
“When I started to work with the first team, they told me that the last one to be able to do it, had done it twenty years earlier. I was told it would be difficult, almost impossible. But when someone tells me something is impossible, I take it as a challenge. I did everything I possibly can, I worked hard, I dedicated every summer to basketball, to work on my body and my game. I was 17 when I was added to the first team, the coach was Joan Plaza. I practiced, every now and then I played for two or three minutes, but nothing special. Then I met Ettore Messina”.
Was he the one who gave you a chance?
“I went to the second division for a year, but I was always part of Real Madrid, to get some minutes and gain some experience. I was 18 when Ettore showed he really believed in me. I remember he said to me “Kid, I see you work hard, I don’t have minutes to give you but be ready for when the opportunity comes”. I pushed even harder, morning and night, I was always the first to arrive and the last to leave the gym. One day, it was late November, early December, we lost a game, and the Coach came to me and said: “The next game you play, I need you”. I started shaking, seriously I shook. But I scored 17 points in one game in the Spanish league, replacing Jorge Garbajosa, a super player, a legend. Even the media didn’t quite know what to do with it. There were doubts. Then we went to Siena in the EuroLeague. And I destroyed them. We won that game, I scored 18 points, 13 in the fourth quarter. And from that moment… it took off, I played for him, I was lucky to have a coach who trusted me and gave me the chance. One of the reasons why I’m here as a player is Coach Ettore Messina because where I’m from, from a small country like Montenegro and getting to play for Real Madrid, believe me, is really unlikely.”
You have been a two-time EuroLeague Rising Star.
“Winning the Rising Star Award helped me prove what I could do, players need to prove what they’re capable to do not just for themselves. They want to prove it to others too, to the club. It happened not once, but twice, and it was important for Real Madrid, because we had already done a lot, won in Spain, played in the Final Four. Everything was going right.”
Did you already think about moving to the NBA by then?
“It was planned. I had been drafted by the Chicago Bulls, Houston traded the pick to Chicago actually, and it was on purpose because they were really interested. The idea was to be chosen but without going there right away. I waited three years before going to Chicago. I wanted to go at the right time, I didn’t just want to go, I didn’t want to go and sit. That’s why I waited. I went when I was more experienced and in fact, I immediately played more than twenty minutes per game.”
You played for an iconic franchise, the Chicago Bulls.
“It was a dream come true, it was another challenge for me because they had so many great players. Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler had just arrived, Pau Gasol was with me. It was a crazy-good team. Being a part of it and playing around 20-21 minutes was remarkable. Adapting to a new role hasn’t been easy, especially for their style and the mentality that they have. But it was a happy time. I stayed more than three years in the end”.
You played with Derrick Rose in Chicago when he was in his prime, with Anthony Davis in New Orleans and with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.“
I have played with many superstars, they are all special players, incredibly gifted, but if I had to choose one, it would be Giannis. He’s a guy who always shows his character not only in the game, but every day. He’s a superstar but he’s also super humble. When he travels, he is always available, to take pictures, sign autographs, he is never in a hurry, he stops to talk to the fans, he drives a normal car. He’s a guy like any other. But when he plays then it’s insane, he’s so talented, he’s so athletic and he works every day to improve, for example his jump shooting. There is a reason why he’s been MVP twice.”
You were at the top of your career when you left the NBA to return to Europe.
“I wanted to live my life in Europe. In my last year in U.S. I was traded from New Orleans to Milwaukee, my son was just born, he was two months old and I needed more stability, I wanted to be in the right place, a place where my children could go to school and grow up. And then I also wanted a more important role on the court. In the NBA I was important, but never the first, second or third option. I had minutes, I had shots, but sometimes I didn’t feel comfortable. I wanted to step out of that type of comfort, feel motivated, under pressure. I wanted to be a leader. The impact of the family and the professional desire to be important were the deciding factors. I was at the top of my game, I know, but family comes first.”
Have you found a different EuroLeague upon coming back?
“A little bit changed. It is trying to be a little more like the NBA in terms of style of play, pace. My first year at Barcelona was unlucky because it was the year of Covid and we didn’t finish the EuroLeague season. But I adapted quickly, I was playing well and so was the team, Barcelona.”
You spent many years in Madrid, then more than three years in Chicago, four in Barcelona and now you have a long contract in Milan.
“Stability is important for a player, for any player. Especially when you realize what you really want out of life, especially if you are a family guy, then stability becomes something you are searching for. But it is important that stability is not confused with the comfort zone. They are two different things. I’ve always gone to a club to stay there for a long time, even where they then traded me. In Barcelona I lived some amazing years, I met beautiful people, and I had a good time. And now I hope to give a lot to Milan too. That’s why I signed this contract, I didn’t want a short-term thing.”
How do you see Olimpia from your perspective?
“I like feeling under pressure, it’s important to be under pressure. I believe in what I see. Milan is a big organization. The players like this place, there are many people who work for you, the city is beautiful, the arena is great, so is the coach. Now the time has come to take a step forward, become a team that is truly great, that takes and embrace challenges. The potential is huge. We can have a great season, I think looking at the size we have, the talent that we have, the coaches we have. This team is built to be special.”
After many battles you will finally play along Nicolò Melli.
“I’ve known him since we were kids. I will love playing with him, it will be fun. He’s a great guy. I’m happy that we will play together after so many years spent going against each other. I think we will improve each other. It’s hard to play against him, because he’s always on top, he’s athletic, he’s smart. And now that I no longer have to play against him, it’s beautiful. Together we can compete against anyone. I’m looking forward to it.”
With Melli and also with Kyle Hines.
“As soon as I saw Kyle Hines walking into the arena, I had a flash back to when he was at Olympiacos, and I was in Madrid. I was on a fastbreak, and he came from behind and blocked the shots. It was the first thing that came to my mind. No, it’s a great pleasure to have him as a teammate, I have great respect for him, for how he approaches the game, on and off the court, for his leadership. He is a perfect example for young players. Everyone should look at him. I’m looking forward to getting to know him better, we already have a good connection. When you have someone like him next to you to protect you, it’s better for everyone.”
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