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Matas Buzelis on Luka Doncic trash talking: I don't really want to get into detail because it was some really like nasty things said, but he just started he started baking me bad, like 12 in a row, bad, and I was like I don't care, keep doing that, I don't care what you doing, keep scoring, we'll see if you can keep scoring. I have 20 at half and he has 22. So I'm chilling. Vince Carter: I'm right back at you, my boy. Buzelis: Yeah. So I end with like 23... And he ends with like 50. And it's just man, he hit this one shot... And I'm not even trying to glaze or anything, but he shot it... He was isoing, and he does that step back, shot it. I feel like in midair he like points directly down at me, and I'm in the corner, and he like turns around mid shot and it just went straight back rim. I was like, 'Oh god, that's not good.' They beat us by like 20. In the media I was saying that I'm probably not going to trash talk again to him, but I really don't care. I'm going to do it again.
To this day, it still amazes Matas Buzelis that the Bulls drafted him in 2024 straight out of high school. “But I couldn't believe Chicago when they drafted me like they said my name. I don't know if you guys saw it, but I was crying like crazy. My whole family was; my little brother was in tears. But to put on the Bulls uniform and represent the city means everything to me.” Furthermore, Buzelis mentioned his ultimate goal. “I want to bring them a championship… I can't imagine playing anywhere else, man,” he said.
Lithuania has announced a preliminary 14-man roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifying window in August, which notably excludes several of the team's stars. The most prominent absences include Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings), Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls), Kasparas Jakucionis (Milwaukee Bucks), and Jonas Valanciunas (Zalgiris Kaunas).
Matas Buzelis: "To be honest, who I really want to work with is Deni Avdija. I've been talking with him. It's just, I feel like I was shooting too many threes. I need to get to the rim more. I want to know like how he lowers his shoulder, how he attacks. I seen him in Vegas. We're supposed to work out this weekend. He's somebody, Franz Wagner, probably him, KD, of course. That's who everybody needs to work out with, but I think right now Deni Avdija."
Matas Buzelis: "I hate how people were like, Matas went to the G League because of the money. People were making 2 million in college. I got offered some money to go to college, but it was never about the money. I couldn't really be in the college environment, to be honest. I knew I was going to the G League since I was 15. My coach kept telling me like, you going to Ignite, you going to Ignite. And it came to fruition."
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Appearing on the "Ball In The Family" podcast, Chicago Bulls star Matas Buzelis recently identified several players he hopes to train with during the offseason. When asked to name his preferred workout partner, the Lithuanian forward brought up Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija. "Who I really want to work with is Deni Avdija. I've been talking with him and I just feel like I was shooting too many threes. I need to get to the rim more. I wanna know how he lowers his shoulder, how he attacks. I've seen him in Vegas, we're supposed to workout this weekend."
Joel Lorenzi: Caleb Wilson said he got to know Matas Buzelis some before the draft, and that Matas was at his draft workout. "He's always been someone that I believed is a great guy." Continued: "I know Josh Giddey is a great guard, really unselfish. I'm excited to play with him."
Chicago Bulls young star Matas Buzelis will have help from his club to accommodate the transition to European basketball. According to Lukas Katilius from BasketNews.lt, Buzelis will arrive at the national team camp accompanied by the Bulls assistant coach Pete Crawford and strength and conditioning coach Justin Irwin.
Without the roster filled out, it’s unclear how Graham’s and Splitter’s shared vision will play out on the court. Among the few noteworthy assets he inherited, Splitter believes in Matas Buzelis. Not seemingly one to guarantee anything, Splitter still detailed prioritizing the 2024 first-rounder. “I’ve been studying him more and more, getting to know him,” Splitter said. “We’re gonna work every day to get him to be the best player he can be. I think nobody knows yet what is his ceiling. “He’s a guy that learns fast. That’s what people have said to me. He’s going to continue to get better physically, he’s going to continue to shoot better, he’s going to read better, become a better defender. We see him as a very complete player (on) both ends.”
Joel Lorenzi: Tiago Splitter on Matas Buzelis: "Nobody knows yet what his ceiling is. He’s gonna slowly show what kind of player he’s gonna be. … He’s gonna shoot better. He’s gonna read better. He’s gonna be a better defender.”
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The Lithuanian national team has revealed its shortened 15-player roster for the July World Cup qualifying window, with three NBA players making the list. The squad includes Matas Buzelis, Jonas Valanciunas, and Kasparas Jakucionis, giving Lithuania a strong NBA presence heading into the summer window. However, one major name is missing from the candidate list. Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis was not included in the 30-man roster.
Matas Buzelis, a member of the Chicago Bulls, will play for the Lithuanian national team this summer in the World Cup qualifying games. Buzelis revealed this news himself during an interview in Vilnius. “We had a good conversation. I will play for the national team this summer. It will be a lot of fun,” he said during an interview at the Buzelis Cup in Vilnius.
The Lithuanian national team has revealed its preliminary 30-player roster for the July World Cup qualifying window, with three NBA players making the list. The squad includes Matas Buzelis, Jonas Valanciunas, and Kasparas Jakucionis, giving the team strong NBA presence heading into the summer window.
KC Johnson: Matas Buzelis said he called Billy Donovan after dismissals of Arturas Karnišovas and Marc Eversley to address Donovan’s future: “I want him to stay. I’m riding with him forever. He’s a cornerstone for my career.”
