Bulls Star Nikola Vucevic Says What His Critics Don't Want to Hear

Nikola Vucevic Feels Young on a Young Team

In an interview with Sam Smith and the Chicago Bulls media, Vucevic revealed that he still feels very young, despite being an older player on a young team.

“I still feel very young, actually,” Vucevic said. “I enjoy the energy these (young) guys bring. I enjoy being the oldest guy here and helping them develop through the ups and downs they go through; like I went through."

"We have some very good young talent on this team, and the best part is we all want to do it the right way, get better and improve and try to win," Vucevic added. "That’s enjoyable for me. I had a good year, played well with them trying to be the best leader I can be and pass down the wisdom I have. We’ll see how it goes.”

Vucevic's game doesn't necessarily rely on athleticism. Outside of defense and physical explosion, the way he plays at 34 years old can be quite similar to how he played at 29 years old - a statement he agrees with.

“I don’t necessarily feel different than (when I was) 28 or 29,” Vucevic said. “Actually, I feel better.”

Nikola Vucevic Does Not Sound Ready to Leave the Bulls

For as much as Chicago Bulls fans may have wanted to move on from Vucevic and get younger, it doesn't sound like that'll be happening anytime soon. Based on Vucevic's conversation with Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, his role won't be changing, either.

“As a competitor, no, I feel I can still play the minutes I played and still can compete at the level I have,” Vučević insisted. “From all the conversations I’ve had with Billy, he hasn’t mentioned my role is going to change. So I don’t expect it to happen. I understand at some point in my career it’s going to happen."

Despite Vucevic's confidence, he knows that a diminished role is inevitable. Other than LeBron James, it seems to happen with every single player in NBA history.

"Just knowing that (aging) is part of it and when the time comes you have to accept it and see what happens," Vucevic added. "That’s a long way from now. I feel really good. My game is not necessarily based on athleticism or anything like that. Luckily, I’ve had no major injuries, either. So I’ve been good at keeping my body in shape. I can still play at a very high level even for many more years."

Players like Nikola Vucevic are rare to come by. At 34 years old, he's still a walking 18 points and 10 rebounds on basically 50% shooting from the field. While Bulls fans may want to move on, they should be enjoying their big man while they have him for now.