Nikola Vucevic recently appeared on the Jao Mile podcast to discuss the current state of the Chicago Bulls. In the interview, he claimed that the ghost of Michael Jordan continues to overshadow the current team, drawing unrealistic expectations from the fanbase.
“There will never be another Jordan. That era of the Bulls was unique, and it will be hard to repeat that type of success. I am not Jordan, and I never thought I was Jordan. It’s hard to expect that I will accomplish the same things. They still live in that era, thinking we are the Bulls from the ’90s. We live in 2024 now, and it’s a totally different thing,” Vucevic explained (translated to English).
“The fans really love the Bulls. The arena is always sold out. You see the retired jerseys of Jordan and Pippen, and it’s special. We all grew up watching those Bulls teams, and it’s an honor to play here,” he added.
Since their last NBA title in 1998, the farthest the Chicago Bulls have gone through was making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng leading the way. Chicago lost to Miami in five games in that series.
Nikola Vucevic opens up on being involved in trade rumors with the Chicago Bulls
In a separate interview with renowned NBA insider Marc Stein, Nikola Vucevic said he is used to seeing his name mentioned in trade talks because the Chicago Bulls are gearing up toward a rebuild.
“I’m used to it at this point. Since I’ve been with the Bulls, I’ve been in a lot of trade stories, especially last summer as well throughout last season. So it’s just part of it. If things were going well and we’re winning and everything was great, that wouldn’t be the case,” Vucevic said.
“Honestly, I know it’s a pretty basic answer, but you don’t have much control over it, so you kind of just wait and see. If they decide to change and trade me, it’s on them to do,” he added.
