Nikola Vucevic grateful for his unexpected source of motivation

Nikola Vucevic found out he was going to Boston about a half hour before everyone else did. The message came courtesy of a phone call around 2 p.m. CST from Artūras Karnišovas, the Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations.

When Karnišovas informed Vucevic where he was heading, it was an answer that took the two-time All-Star by surprise.

"A team that's aiming for the top, trying to win it all," said Vucevic at what functioned as his introductory press conference with the Celtics. "It's a very unique opportunity for me. I didn't expect it to happen."

And while fans of his new team, whether he was roaming the city's streets or at a local restaurant, had told him for years that they'd love to see him come to Boston, as time passed, the possibility of that occurring dwindled.

Now that it's a reality, he's excited that his departure from Chicago is taking him to not just a franchise, but a city and a fan base that he's fond of.

"I always liked Boston," said Vuceic, who likes to sightsee and explore the cities basketball has brought him. "I always felt people here were very proud of being from Boston. You just feel it. Big sports town, obviously. And when [Tom] Brady was here, I liked to watch the Patriots and them," he shared. "It's a great city. A lot of a very European feel as well."

Nikola Vucevic's newfound motivation

Speaking at the Auerbach Center before his team's new arrival walked to the podium, Brad Stevens conveyed about parting with Anfernee Simons, a player and person the organization gained great admiration for while working together, to acquire Vucevic, "that was a move done in large part to balance out our positional needs."

They can get comparable production from their new center, who is averaging 16.9 points and 3.8 assists this season and is knocking down 37.6 percent of his 4.5 attempts from beyond the arc.

Vucevic, who has spent much of his career suffering through first-round exits with the Orlando Magic and postseason participation that didn't last beyond the play-in tournament, now brings his abilities as a passer, floor spacer, and contributions on the defensive glass to a team tied with the New York Knicks for second in the East.

For a player who hasn't reached the playoffs since the 2021-22 campaign, the change from a Bulls team that just dropped to 11th in the standings provides a source of motivation as he looks ahead to ending a drought that kept growing as his career aged into the mid-30s.

"It motivates me a lot," expressed Vucevic. "[I'm] very excited to have a chance to be in the playoffs again. Something you know that — the thing every player wants to get a chance to do and make deep runs, and unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to do that in my career. So, I'm excited to be here, [to] be around a championship team. Around players that have done it before, a coaching staff as well, and the Celtics, throughout their history. So, excited to have that chance, and hopefully, I can help the team have a lot of success."