Nikola Mirotić facts for kids
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Mirotić with Barcelona in 2022
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| No. 33 – Olimpia Milano | ||||||||
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| Power forward | ||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||
| Born | 11 February 1991 Podgorica, SR Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia |
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| Nationality | Spanish / Montenegrin | |||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||
| Listed weight | 237 lb (108 kg) | |||||||
| Career information | ||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23rd overall | |||||||
| Selected by the Houston Rockets | ||||||||
| Pro career | 2008–present | |||||||
| League | Lega Basket Serie A EuroLeague |
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| Career history | ||||||||
| 2008–2014 | Real Madrid | |||||||
| 2009–2010 | →Palencia | |||||||
| 2014–2018 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||
| 2018–2019 | New Orleans Pelicans | |||||||
| 2019 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||
| 2019–2023 | FC Barcelona | |||||||
| 2023–present | Olimpia Milano | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||
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Medals
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Nikola Mirotić Stajović (born February 11, 1991) is a professional basketball player. He plays as a power forward for Olimpia Milano in Italy. He also plays in the EuroLeague, which is a top basketball league in Europe. Nikola has been named to the All-EuroLeague Team five times. Before joining Olimpia Milano, he played for famous teams like Real Madrid in Spain. He also played in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Contents
- Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
- Professional Career Highlights
- Playing for His Country
- Personal Life
- Awards and Achievements
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Nikola Mirotić grew up in Montenegro. When he was younger, his favorite sport was football. But as he got taller, his family thought basketball would be a better fit. When he was 13, his grandfather introduced him to the sport. Nikola started playing basketball at the Joker School in Podgorica. This school was run by a former pro player named Jadran Vujačić.
In the summer of 2005, at just 14 years old, Nikola signed a junior contract with Real Madrid. This was a big step for his basketball career.
Professional Career Highlights
Playing for Real Madrid (2008–2014)
Nikola played for Real Madrid's junior teams from 2006 to 2008. In 2008, he joined the main Real Madrid team. During the 2010–11 Euroleague season, he became one of the team's most important players. He even won the EuroLeague Rising Star award, which is given to the best young player. In April 2011, he signed a new five-year contract with Real Madrid. With Real Madrid, he helped them win the Spanish King's Cup and the Spanish Supercup in 2012.
On June 23, 2011, Nikola was chosen by the Houston Rockets as the 23rd pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and later to the Chicago Bulls on the same night.
In the 2012–13 Euroleague season, he was almost named the EuroLeague Rising Star again. He also made it to the All-EuroLeague Second Team. In May 2014, he was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team for the second year in a row. Overall, in 97 EuroLeague games for Real Madrid, Nikola scored about 10.8 points and grabbed 4.5 rebounds per game.
Time with the Chicago Bulls (2014–2018)
First Season in the NBA (2014–15)
On July 18, 2014, Nikola signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Bulls. He had to pay Real Madrid some money to leave his old contract.
On December 19, 2014, Nikola scored a career-high 27 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. He made all six of his three-point shots! In January 2015, he was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. During the NBA's All-Star Weekend, Nikola played in the Rising Stars Challenge. He scored 16 points, helping his team win. In March, he scored a new career-high of 29 points. Nikola played in all 82 games in his first season. He averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds. He finished second in the voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Second Season and Challenges (2015–16)
Nikola started the 2015–16 season as a starter for the Bulls. He scored 19 points in the first game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He started the first 18 games before playing off the bench. In January, he had 17 points and a career-high seven assists. Later that month, he had to miss 16 games because of appendicitis. He returned in March and scored a career-high 35 points against the New York Knicks.
Finding His Rhythm (2016–17)
In December 2016, Nikola scored a season-high 20 points against the Indiana Pacers. After missing a few games, he returned in March 2017. He scored 24 points with five three-pointers against the Charlotte Hornets. He continued to play well, scoring 28 points in games against the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. He even made six or more three-pointers in two games in a row, which was a first for a Bulls player.
A Fresh Start (2017–18)
Nikola re-signed with the Bulls in September 2017. In October, he had an unfortunate incident with a teammate that caused him to miss some games. He made his season debut in December, scoring six points. A few days later, he scored 24 points in his first start of the season. He continued to play well, scoring 29 points against the Utah Jazz and 24 points against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Moving to New Orleans (2018–2019)
On February 1, 2018, Nikola was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He played his first game for the Pelicans two days later, scoring 18 points. On February 10, he had 21 points and 16 rebounds in a win. In April, he scored a season-high 31 points and tied his best with 16 rebounds. He helped the Pelicans reach the playoffs. In the playoffs, he scored a career-high 30 points in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
In the first game of the next season, Nikola scored 30 points with six three-pointers. Two days later, he scored a new career-high of 36 points! He also matched his career-high of 16 rebounds in November. He missed some games in January due to an ankle injury but returned to play.
Short Time with Milwaukee (2019)
On February 7, 2019, Nikola was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He missed his first four games with the Bucks due to a calf injury. He played his first game for them on February 21. He later missed the final 11 regular-season games because of a fractured thumb. He returned for the first game of the playoffs.
Return to Spain with Barcelona (2019–2023)
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Becoming a Star in Europe (2019–20)
On July 6, 2019, Nikola signed a three-year deal with FC Barcelona. This team plays in Spain's Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. Reports said his contract was worth a lot of money, making him one of the highest-paid basketball players in Europe. In June 2020, Nikola was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was only the fifth player in Liga Endesa history to win multiple MVP awards. He finished the season averaging 19.5 points and 5.7 rebounds. He extended his contract until 2025 in September 2020.
EuroLeague MVP Season (2021–22)
In the 2021–22 season, Nikola won his first EuroLeague MVP award. He was the first Barcelona player to win this award in 14 years!
Injuries and Farewell (2022–23)
On July 22, 2022, Nikola hurt his Achilles tendon. This meant he missed the start of the 2022–23 season. He returned to play on December 1, 2022, scoring 19 points.
In May 2023, Nikola was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team again. However, on May 19, 2023, Barcelona lost in the EuroLeague semifinals to Real Madrid Baloncesto. Nikola had a tough game, scoring only 3 points. He took responsibility for the loss, apologizing to the fans.
On July 20, 2023, FC Barcelona announced that they were ending Nikola's contract. He became a free agent, even though he still had two years left on his deal.
Free Agency and New Team (2023)
After leaving Barcelona, there were many rumors about where Nikola would play next. Some reports said he might join Olimpia Milano or Panathinaikos. There were also rumors about him joining Partizan in Serbia.
Nikola later said he would not join Partizan because he received insults and threats. Partizan responded, saying his decision was not about threats but "other things." The Partizan coach later claimed Nikola received pressure from unnamed politicians and church members. However, Nikola denied these claims in November 2023, saying he had not spoken to the Serbian Patriarch.
Joining Olimpia Milano (2023–Present)
On August 3, 2023, Nikola Mirotić officially signed a two-year deal with Olimpia Milano in Italy. He now plays in the LBA and the EuroLeague for his new team.
On October 19, 2023, Nikola reached a big milestone. He moved into the Top 10 EuroLeague All-Time scoring list. He scored his 3,242nd career point in a game against Real Madrid.
Playing for His Country
Nikola Mirotić played for the junior national team of Spain. He helped Spain's U20 team win a bronze medal in 2010. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team. In 2011, he led Spain to a gold medal. He was the top scorer and MVP of that tournament, averaging 27 points and 10 rebounds per game.
In June 2015, Nikola was chosen to try out for the senior Spain men's national basketball team. He made the final team and won a gold medal at the EuroBasket 2015 tournament. He also played for Spain at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal.
On January 19, 2023, Nikola confirmed he would no longer play for the Spanish national team. He explained that he wanted to focus on his club team and spend more time with his family.
Personal Life
Nikola Mirotić is married to Nina Vujačić. They have a son named Aleksandar, who was born in May 2013. His wife is the daughter of his former coach, Jadran Vujačić. Even though he plays for Spain, Nikola has said he is proud to be Montenegrin.
Nikola is a Serbian Orthodox Christian. He received the Order of St. Sava in May 2017, which is a high honor. He has also taken part in religious events and protests in Podgorica. These protests were against a law that affected the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Awards and Achievements
Nikola Mirotić has won many awards and achieved a lot in his basketball career:
Team Championships
- 3× Spanish King's Cup Winner: 2012, 2014, 2021
- 2× Spanish Supercup Winner: 2012, 2013
- 3× Spanish ACB League Champion: 2013, 2021, 2023
- LBA Champion: 2024
- Italian Supercup Winner: 2024
Individual Awards
- EuroLeague MVP: 2022
- 2× All-Euroleague First Team: 2021, 2022
- 3× All-Euroleague Second Team: 2013, 2014, 2023
- EuroLeague Final Four Top Scorer: 2022
- 2× EuroLeague Rising Star: 2011, 2012
- LBA Finals MVP: 2024
- 2× Liga ACB MVP: 2013, 2020
- 2× Liga ACB Finals MVP: 2021, 2023
- 4× All-Liga ACB First Team: 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021
- 2× All-Liga ACB Second Team: 2022, 2023
- 5× Liga ACB Domestic Player of the Year: 2013, 2020–2023
- 2× Spanish Cup MVP: 2014, 2022
- Spanish Supercup MVP: 2013
- NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2015
- FIBA U20 EuroBasket MVP: 2011
National Team Medals
- EuroBasket 2015:
Gold
(with Spain senior team)
- 2016 Summer Olympics:
Bronze (with Spain senior team) - 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship: Bronze (with Spain U20 team)
- 2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship: Gold
(with Spain U20 team)
Images for kids
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Mirotić with Barcelona in 2022
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Mirotić playing for Real Madrid in 2013
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Mirotić with FC Barcelona in 2022
See also
In Spanish: Nikola Mirotić para niños
