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 / center | ||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||
| Born | 11 February 1991 Titograd, SR Montenegro, Yugoslavia |
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| Nationality | Montenegrin / Spanish | |||||||
| 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 was born in Montenegro and later became a Spanish citizen. He plays as a power forward or center for Olimpia Milano in Italy. He also plays in the EuroLeague, which is a top European basketball league.
Mirotić has been named to the All-EuroLeague Team five times. He used to play for Real Madrid in Spain and spent time in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, and Milwaukee Bucks. He was picked 23rd in the 2011 NBA draft.
Contents
- Nikola Mirotić: Early Life
- Nikola Mirotić's Basketball Journey
- Nikola Mirotić: National Team Career
- Personal Life
- Awards and Accomplishments
- Images for kids
- See also
Nikola Mirotić: Early Life
Nikola Mirotić grew up in Montenegro. When he was younger, his favorite sport was football. As he got taller, his family thought basketball might be a better fit for him.
When he was 13, his grandfather introduced him to basketball. Mirotić started playing at the Joker School in Podgorica. This school was run by a former professional player named Jadran Vujačić.
In the summer of 2005, at age 14, Mirotić signed a junior contract with Real Madrid. This was a big step in his basketball career.
Nikola Mirotić's Basketball Journey
Playing for Real Madrid (2008–2014)
Mirotić played for the junior teams of Real Madrid from 2006 to 2008. In 2008, he joined the senior 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.
In April 2011, he signed a new five-year contract with Real Madrid. With the team, he won the Spanish King's Cup and the Spanish Supercup in 2012.
On June 23, 2011, Mirotić was chosen by the Houston Rockets in the 2011 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and finally to the Chicago Bulls on the same night.
In the 2012–13 Euroleague season, he was almost named EuroLeague Rising Star again. He was also chosen for the All-EuroLeague Second Team. He made the All-EuroLeague Second Team for a second time in May 2014.
Overall, Mirotić played 97 EuroLeague games for Real Madrid. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Time with the Chicago Bulls (2014–2018)
First Season with the Bulls (2014–15)
On July 18, 2014, Mirotić signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Bulls. He had to pay Real Madrid $3 million to leave his contract there.
On December 19, 2014, Mirotić scored a career-high 27 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. He made all six of his three-point shots in that game. In January 2015, he was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.
During the NBA's All-Star Weekend, Mirotić played in the Rising Stars Challenge. He scored 16 points for the World Team. In March, he scored a new career-high of 29 points. He played a bigger role due to teammate injuries.
Mirotić averaged 20.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in March. In his first season, he averaged 10.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 82 games. He finished second in the voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Second Season with the Bulls (2015–16)
Mirotić 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 coming off the bench in December.
On January 1, he had 17 points and a career-high seven assists against the New York Knicks. In late January, he had to miss games due to appendicitis. He returned in March after missing 16 games. On March 23, he scored a career-high 35 points against the New York Knicks.
Third Season with the Bulls (2016–17)
On December 26, 2016, Mirotić scored a season-high 20 points in a win against the Indiana Pacers. He had been out of the team's rotation for a few games before this.
In March, he returned after missing three games and scored 24 points. On March 22, he scored a season-high 28 points against the Detroit Pistons. He matched this score four days later against the Milwaukee Bucks. He also had 28 points on March 30 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Final Season with the Bulls (2017–18)
Mirotić re-signed with the Bulls on September 25, 2017. He missed the start of the season due to an injury. He made his season debut on December 8, scoring six points.
On December 11, he scored 24 points in his first start of the season against the Boston Celtics. Two days later, he scored 29 points against the Utah Jazz. On December 26, he scored 24 points coming off the bench.
Moving to the New Orleans Pelicans (2018–2019)
On February 1, 2018, Mirotić was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He made his debut two days later, scoring 18 points. On February 10, he had 21 points and 16 rebounds in a double-overtime win.
On April 6, he scored a season-high 31 points and had 16 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns. Three days later, he helped the Pelicans make the playoffs with 24 points and 16 rebounds. In the playoffs, he scored a career playoff-best 30 points in Game 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
In the Pelicans' first game of the 2018–19 season, Mirotić scored 30 points. Two days later, he scored a career-high 36 points against the Sacramento Kings. On November 5, he had 16 points and 16 rebounds. He returned in January after missing 12 games due to an ankle injury.
Short Stay with the Milwaukee Bucks (2019)
On February 7, 2019, Mirotić was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He missed his first four games with the Bucks due to a calf injury. He made his debut on February 21. He later missed 11 regular-season games with a fractured thumb. He returned for the Bucks' first playoff game.
Return to Spain: FC Barcelona (2019–2023)
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First Season with Barcelona (2019–20)
On July 6, 2019, Mirotić signed a three-year deal with FC Barcelona. This team plays in the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. Reports said his contract was worth €26 million, making him the highest-paid basketball player in Europe.
On June 27, 2020, Mirotić won the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He was the fifth player in Liga Endesa history to win multiple MVP awards. He averaged 19.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game that season. He extended his contract until 2025 in September 2020.
Winning MVP with Barcelona (2021–22)
In the 2021–22 season, Mirotić won his first EuroLeague MVP award. He was the first Barcelona player to win this award in 14 years.
Final Season with Barcelona (2022–23)
On July 22, 2022, Mirotić injured his Achilles tendon. This meant he missed the start of the 2022–23 season.
He returned on December 1, 2022, against Alba Berlin. He scored 19 points and had 6 rebounds in an 88–86 win.
On May 15, 2023, Mirotić was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team. On May 19, Barcelona lost in the EuroLeague semifinal to Real Madrid Baloncesto. Mirotić took responsibility for his performance in that game.
On July 20, 2023, FC Barcelona announced they were ending Mirotić's contract. He still had two years left, but he became a free agent.
Free Agency and New Teams (2023)
After leaving Barcelona, there was a lot of talk about where Mirotić would play next. On June 28, 2023, Olimpia Milano coach Ettore Messina said his team couldn't compete with others to sign Mirotić.
On July 9, 2023, there were reports that Panathinaikos in Greece offered him a two-year contract. However, Panathinaikos' owner later denied these rumors.
On July 16, 2023, Serbian media reported that Mirotić was in Belgrade to sign with Partizan. It was said that Partizan's coach, Željko Obradović, played a big part in his decision.
However, on July 22, 2023, Mirotić said he would not join Partizan. He mentioned receiving insults and threats after the news came out. Partizan responded, saying his decision was not due to threats.
Later, on October 5, 2023, Partizan's coach Obradović claimed Mirotić received pressure from unnamed politicians and church members. However, on November 2, 2023, Mirotić denied these claims. He stated he had not met or spoken with Patriarch Porfirije.
Olimpia Milano (2023–present)
First Season with Olimpia Milano (2023–24)
On August 3, 2023, Mirotić signed a two-year deal with Olimpia Milano in Italy. This team plays in the LBA and the EuroLeague.
On October 19, 2023, Mirotić moved into the Top 10 EuroLeague All-Time scoring list. He scored his 3,242nd career point in a EuroLeague game against Real Madrid.
Nikola Mirotić: National Team Career
Mirotić played for Spain's junior national basketball team. He helped Spain's U20 team win a bronze medal at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
In 2011, he led Spain to a gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. Mirotić was the top scorer and MVP of that tournament. He averaged 27 points and 10 rebounds per game.
In June 2015, Mirotić 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 EuroBasket 2015 in September 2015. He also won a bronze medal with Spain at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
On January 19, 2023, Mirotić announced he was retiring from the Spanish national team. He explained that he wanted to focus on his club team and personal life. He also mentioned his age and past injury as reasons.
Personal Life
Nikola Mirotić is married to Nina Vujačić. They have a son named Aleksandar, who was born in May 2013. Nina is the daughter of Mirotić's former coach and mentor, Jadran Vujačić.
Mirotić is an ethnic Serb and a Serbian Orthodox Christian. He received the Order of St. Sava in May 2017. He has taken part in prayer walks and protests in Podgorica. These protests were against a religious law concerning the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Awards and Accomplishments
Professional Career
- Spanish ACB League Finals MVP: 2021
- 3× Spanish King's Cup Winner: 2012, 2014, 2021
- 2× Spanish Supercup Winner: 2012, 2013
- 2× Spanish ACB League Champion: 2013, 2021
- All-EuroLeague First Team: 2021
- 2× All-EuroLeague Second Team: 2013, 2014
- Spanish ACB League MVP: 2013, 2020
- 4× All-ACB Team: 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021
- Spanish King's Cup MVP: 2014
- 2× EuroLeague Rising Star: 2011, 2012
- FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship MVP: 2011
Spain National Team
- Senior
- EuroBasket 2015:
Gold
- 2016 Summer Olympics:
Bronze
- U-20
- 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship: Bronze
- 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship: All-Tournament Team
- 2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship: Gold
- 2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship: All-Tournament Team (MVP)
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 playing for FC Barcelona in 2022
See also
In Spanish: Nikola Mirotić para niños
