Nikola Mirotic picks EuroLeague MVP, rates his first season in Milan / News - Basketnews.com

Nikola Mirotic draws parallels between Milan and Barcelona, highlights his familiarity and comfort playing at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, and discusses the challenges Emporio Armani face in securing a spot in the EuroLeague play-in.

Credit: Dainius Lukšta Credit Dainius Lukšta

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan star forward Nikola Mirotic showcased his usual brilliance at Zalgirio Arena on Thursday night, extending his successful streak in the heart of Lithuania.

Player of the Game EFF 28 Edmond Sumner Points 17 Accuracy 6-6 Rebounds 3 Assists 5

Mirotic finished with a team-high 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 23 PIR over 25 and a half minutes, marking his first appearance in Kaunas wearing Milan's jersey. His familiarity with the arena dates back to his time with Real Madrid (2008-14) and FC Barcelona (2019-23), when he averaged 17.1 points per game here.

"It's one of the best gyms in Europe, probably the best one. Amazing fans and just an amazing feeling to play here," Mirotic tried to explain his phenomenal play there to BasketNews. "I remember coming here in my first years with Real Madrid; it was beautiful as a rookie in the EuroLeague. But still trying to hoop, to do the best I can, and, obviously, it's not easy, but it's always a pleasure to come here and play against Zalgiris."

Despite his solid performance, Mirotic and his teammates left the gym with heads down as Zalgiris Kaunas defended their home court with an 87-73 win.

This loss complicated Milan's chances of making the EuroLeague play-in. Currently ranked 12th, Milan (14-18) faces an Italian derby against Virtus next week and will wrap up the regular season with a trip to Belgrade to face the in-form Maccabi.

"Obviously, not good," Mirotic commented on his team's post-season prospects. "There are some very important games left. This is a team [Zalgiris] that is also fighting, so we gotta see how they gonna finish to see if we still have a chance or not. I don't know, we gotta see."

Before the current season, Mirotic's transfer saga was arguably the hottest topic of the summer. Each day seemed to bring a new rumor about his potential new team.

Nikola Mirotic

MIN:26.61PTS:17.21 (63.08%)REB:5.47As:0.89ST:0.84BL:0.37TO:1.74GM:19ProfileEuroLeague2023/2024

Eventually, Mirotic ended up signing a three-year deal with Emporio Armani after enjoying three consecutive EuroLeague Final Four appearances with FC Barcelona and securing four major domestic titles.

His first season in Italy has been marred by a flare-up of his left Achilles tendinopathy, which kept him sidelined for two months of EuroLeague action.

However, when healthy, Mirotic has proven to be highly productive for Milan, averaging 17.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 18.9 PIR over 19 EuroLeague games this season.

"Well, it's been a challenging season with some injuries, with some big expectations, not doing it, but it's part of basketball," Mirotic evaluated his first season in Milan. "Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. In the end, it's not always how you want, how you approach some things, but you gotta be thankful for what you have and continue fighting.

"Regrets? No way," he assured. "I am not that type of guy who has regrets. I am always trying to be positive and to get the best out of what life gives me. I am very blessed to have this job, to be in a team I am, and that God gave me this opportunity to play the game that I love, so no regrets at all."

Credit Vincenzo Del Negro/EuroLeague Basketball via Getty Images

Mirotic went on to share the similarities between Milan and Barcelona, highlighting their esteemed reputations and the caliber of presence on the bench.

"Both are great organizations. Both have great coaching staffs," he noted. "I had Saras [Sarunas Jasikevicius] in Barcelona, here Ettore [Messina], one of the best in the EuroLeague. So, even with my age, I am continuing to learn, to get better each season. So, I can tell many, many good things about both organizations."

As a very positive person, Mirotic seems not to be holding any specific grudge against Barca, even if his exit was not the smoothest one.

As a former EuroLeague MVP, meanwhile, Mirotic holds special recognition for the player, who tried to recruit him to AS Monaco before this season. Mirotic needed just four words to confirm the MVP of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

"Mike James, for sure," he said with complete confidence of the guard, who leads the league in scoring.

James averages 18.8 points per game and ranks second in PIR at 20.1, adding to his recent historic achievement of becoming the all-time leading scorer in the EuroLeague.

Game recognizes game, leaving little more to be said.

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