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Nikola Vucevic was let down by Nikola Jokic's ejection

Originally posted on Chicago Bulls on SI
By Stephen Beslic | Last updated Dec 14, 2023 9:22 AM ET

You know an ejection was unwarranted when even the opposing big man disagreed with the official’s call. This was the case on Tuesday night when Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic got tossed from the game against the Chicago Bulls for using profane language in protesting a non-call. After the game, the Bulls’ All-Star center Nikola Vucevic said he was disappointed with the referee’s decision to eject Jokic.

Likes playing against Jokic

The Bulls and the Nuggets only play against one another twice this season, which means Vucevic no longer has the chance to go toe-to-toe with one of the league’s best big men.

“I really like playing against him,” Vooch said.

“It was disappointing to me because I was looking forward to us battling for 48 minutes.”

Unbeknownst to many, the two players have a special bond as they hail from the same region. Vucevic was raised in Montenegro, while Jokic grew up in Serbia.

“It’s very special for us because we come from the same region,” Vucevic shared in a talk with NBC Sports Chicago in October.

“We grew up watching a lot of the same players, idolizing a lot of the same people, wanted to be like them. And we have a chance to do it at the highest level.”

Ejection fired up the Nuggets

Vucevic added that he felt the official’s ruling to eject Jokic was excessive. The Bulls, though, were not able to take advantage of the versatile big man’s absence as several Nuggets players stepped up in his absence to help Denver pull off the 114-106 win.

“You never want to see that happen whether it’s a teammate or not. A lot of times with a player like that, it fires up the rest of the players, and they have a lot of good players, and that’s what happened,” Vooch said.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bulls on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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