Advertisement - scroll for more content
Nikola Vucevic retiring from Montenegro national team
Montenegro national team star and Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic announced his retirement from the national team, following an upset loss against Great Britain. "It sucks for me to finish [international career] this way. I would have loved to play more in Riga, but it is what it is," Vucevic said after the game. "I'd like to thank my teammates, coaches, and most importantly, the fans for everything they did throughout my career with the national team. It was an honor to play here, but that's sports. I enjoyed playing here, but it's time for a new generation to leave its mark," the 34-year-old added.
Before the matchup against Lithuania, Matas 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."
"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.
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.
Advertisement
The 29-year-old sharpshooter of FC Bayern Munich ended up with 5/6 triples and 18 points, including 12 in a 33-12 run for his side in the third quarter. Schroder put up 21 points. Standing out with 12 points in the first half, Franz Wagner combined a game-high 22 points with a team-high eight rebounds.
Alperen Sengun records 26-point double-double in final warm-up game before EuroBasket
Alperen Sengun posted 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead Turkey past Montenegro 96 – 85 in their last preparation game before the EuroBasket. During the 27:26 he spent on the floor, Sengun shot 10-15 2-pointers and 6-9 free throws to make short work of Montenegro’s defense. This was the third straight game with 25 points or more for the Houston Rockets center
You said in mid-July that the next European Championship would likely be your last with Montenegro. Where do you stand on that decision? Nikola Vucevic:Maybe I’ll change my mind, but for now, I think it really will be my last. The next one is only in two years. I’ll be 36, 37. I’d also like to focus more on my NBA career. With age, I have to think about my body and recovery before starting another season. During the year, I’m often away because of travel, practices, and games. Summer is the time to catch up with my three kids and enjoy being with them. Right now, that’s my biggest priority.
Montenegro continued their EuroBasket preparations with an 88-76 win over Israel in Bar. Nikola Vučević was at the center of the victory, recording a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Advertisement
Former Timberwolf Nikola Pekovic reportedly tied to criminal group
A request has been filed against a member of the Montenegrin Army, Boris Dragaš (45) from Pljevlja, to initiate misdemeanor proceedings under the Law on the Prevention of Drug Abuse. The Police Directorate, under its initials, announced that BD was driving an armored BMW X5 owned by NP, who they said was a high-ranking member of an organized crime group from northern Montenegro. "Vijesti" has been confirmed by several sources that this is the famous basketball player Nikola Peković and that, according to police records, he is a member of the Šarić brothers' criminal group. According to the same information, there were two other people in that car, one of whom was an employee of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Pekovic, 39, has been identified as a member of the Saric brothers’ criminal group. It remains unclear whether his latest connection to the organization will result in any further actions. Items recovered by the police during the search of the vehicle included illegally possessed firearms and more military technology, marijuana, and opiate pills, per a press release. Playing days of the Montenegrin center featured 271 NBA games with the Minnesota Timberwolves between 2010 and 2016. From 2005 to 2011, he also made his way to 98 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games, including a championship campaign with Panathinaikos in 2009. Following a decorated junior career with Serbia and Montenegro, his jump to the senior level was highlighted by representing Montenegro in the EuroBasket 2011.
Nikola Mirotic opened up about his international career with Spain, specifying his relationship with the country. “I never felt like a Spanish guy,” the 33-year-old power forward of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague mentioned in a preview of an interview with SKWEEK to be released on Wednesday, “I am a Montenegrin and Serbian orthodox guy even though I played with Spain. But I did feel Spain as my second home. Because Spain was very good. Spain gave me that opportunity. I am always going to be thankful to Spain.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement