Vucevic validated with 2nd All-Star selection
Nikola Vucevic knew what to expect when he arrived at State Farm Arena for the NBA All-Star Game.
But the Orlando Magic center still felt a wave of pride rush over him as he began to soak up the atmosphere amid his second All-Star selection.
Nikola Vucevic, two-time All-Star.
That has a nice ring to it. “I think once you get here it’s when it kind of really sinks in,” Vucevic said during a media session Sunday. “Before, you’re playing all the time, you have practices when things are always happening, so you don’t really have time to think about it or reflect on it.“Once I got here, and you see everything that’s going on, even though this year is a little different, obviously, because of all the protocols, you still see all the other players in the NBA all day, you know, All-Star signs and everything and so you definitely realize, you know, how big it is to be part of this and so huge an honor.”
Vucevic made it a memorable trip to Atlanta by finishing second to Pacers center Domantas Sabonis in the Skills Challenge, where competitors must throw a pass into a basket, make a layup and then knock down a 3-pointer.
Vucevic beat Portland forward Robert Covington in the first round, then knocked off Phoenix point guard Chris Paul, whom Vucevic listed as one of the favorites, in the second round.
Both Vucevic and Paul successfully completed the required pass challenge, and Paul pulled ahead of Vucevic as the two dribbled to the other end of the floor for their layup attempts. But Paul’s shot went off the back of the rim, giving Vucevic a chance to catch up.
Both missed their first two 3-point attempts before Vucevic knocked down his third to win the round.
In the final, Vucevic pulled ahead of Sabonis on the layup portion before Sabonis caught up and the two started firing off their 3-point tries. After four misses between them, 2020 Skills Challenge runner-up Sabonis drained the winning shot on his third attempt.
Vucevic proved prophetic when he said before the Skills Challenge that it would be great if he or Sabonis could win the event to show how skilled big men in the NBA can be.
Vucevic said making the All-Star team for the second time validates his place among the best players in the game and shows his first selection was not a fluke.
“You belong with the best players in league, so it’s special. And then hopefully it’s not the last one,” Vucevic said of the All-Star game.
From strict health and safety protocols to daily testing to empty or mostly empty arenas, the coronavirus pandemic created an NBA season like no other. The All-Star Game was no exception, with the event condensed from three days to one.
Vucevic acknowledged the COVID19 protocols tamped down the buzz that normally surrounds the All-Star Game. He remembers the non-stop activities and events when he was in Charlotte two years ago.
Now players are much more restricted in their movements.
“It’s obviously very different. It’s just not the same energy as it usually is and that’s, you know, it’s unfortunate because this is such a great event,” Vucevic said.
Still, all of the changes don’t diminish the amount of talent on the State Farm Arena floor Sunday night. Vucevic finds it a little easier to recognize and appreciate the significance of his selection this time.
Unfortunately, Vucevic’s family wasn’t able to attend Sunday’s festivities. He said his parents, Borislav and Ljiljana Vucevic, were unable to make the trip from Europe because his mother’s visa expired and the pandemic made it difficult to secure another one.
While he was disappointed, he understood the circumstances.
Vucevic said with the All-Star Game being a one-day event, it would have been challenging for him and his wife, Nikoleta, to bring their young sons to Atlanta. In particular, Vucevic said his oldest son, 2-year-old Filip, normally goes to bed at 8 p.m. — when Sunday’s game was set to tip off.
“He’d be very, very grumpy, so we decided it was better that he stays home,” Vucevic said.
But two close friends — one from Los Angeles and one from Virginia — passed the health and safety protocols and were going to be in attendance.
“It was good for me to see them because I haven’t seen them in a while, either,” Vucevic said.
And his All-Star exploits will be the subject of a conversation he looks forward to having one day with his children.
“Tonight, one of the most special things will be to share the court with the best players in the world,” Vucevic said. “I’m sure once I retire, one day I’ll look back at it and when I talk to my kids I can tell them, ‘Hey, for All-Stars, I played with Dirk Nowitzki. I played with Dwyane Wade. I played with LeBron [James]. I played with all those guys.”