Vucevic: I want to make all the people in Montenegro happy

In an interview with the French basketball portal basketusa.com, Nikola Vučević spoke about Montenegro's ambitions at the Eurobasket and his desire to give his best in the national team jersey, in order to fulfill the goal - placing in the round of XNUMX.

"Our goal is to pass the group and we are focused on that. This is my third Eurobasket and I want us to pass the first stage. If we succeed in that, everything is possible. We have done good preparations, but the hardest part, the final part, is ahead, so that we can be maximum ready to start," said Vucevic.

As the first star of our national team, Vucevic is aware of what is expected of him, but he does not feel pressure.

"Basketball is first of all my passion. It's also a job, but a job I love. I'm used to something like that in Orlando, but this is still a little different. The whole country is with you, everyone is waiting for you to do something big, to make a difference and you do your best for the team to win. I am ready, I can have a good competition. In the first championship, in which I participated, I was young and did not play much. The second Eurobasket was complicated because of the relationship with the coach, and then we did not qualify to the end. I hope this one will be the most successful, for my team and me. I want to make the people of Montenegro happy, to return the trust they have in me," said Vučević.

The Orlando ace feels the difference between playing for the club and the national team.

"In the national team, you represent the country, the nation... You don't get money for it, but your love for your country drives you to do your best on the court. I know that everyone expects us to do everything to win as many games as possible. For a small country, like being Montenegro, it's a big deal to be a participant in a big competition. With all the changes in the qualifications, it will be difficult to reach the final in the future, so this might be our last Eurobasket. And that's why it's important to give everything we have. It's different in the NBA "Some people play in teams where the pressure is less, and rarely do players spend their entire careers in the same club. When you play for your country, you play for the rest of your career," Vučević said.

Like every top athlete, Vucevic dreams about the Olympic Games.

"When I was younger, there was Yugoslavia, with brilliant players, who made great results. Later, the country became Serbia and Montenegro, then only Montenegro. As a younger man, I watched Divac and Stojaković, and all those players who shone at the world championships and the Olympic Games, and I had one wish - to be in that place one day. Those were magical moments. I know that it will be very difficult with Montenegro to reach the Olympic Games, but I dream about it," he said. is Vucevic.

He also spoke about whether it is right for naturalized players to play for national teams...

"It's a difficult question to answer. I understand why some people are against it. We have Tyrese Rice, and I know some people think that because we're not from the same country, he doesn't feel the same passion. However, his presence gives us a higher level in the competition aspect. Some countries do not have a wide selection of players, which is a problem. As long as the naturalized basketball players play well, give everything to win the game, there is nothing to complain about and we are left to enjoy the game with good players, who help small nations to survive." , Vucevic said.