Hezonja's regret: Knicks move was a mistake / News - Basketnews.com

Real Madrid star Mario Hezonja does not know where he will end up next season, as there is more than one option on the table.

Credit: Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images) Credit Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images)

Since returning to the EuroLeague from the NBA, Mario Hezonja has made quite an impact with Real Madrid, catapulting himself to a higher level of playing after an underwhelming stint in the USA.

Free throws this season

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Owing to this recent success with Real, Hezonja seems to have increased interest in himself in the basketball market, and his future remains unclear, as he revealed in an interview with Croatian outlet Jutarnji list.

"I don't know how to answer that question because, at the moment, there is a big question mark in front of that..." Hezonja explained after being asked about whether he will stay in the EuroLeague or return to the NBA. "We will see what comes in the summer, where I am, and what I am.It's pointless to talk about it now," he said.

Being younger, the Croatian forward had clearer ideas about how his career would progress, but with the expanded market of today, he admits that times have changed.

"In the past, I would have known the direction in which my career could develop and how a certain story developed about me, but now it is not like that. I have no idea, and I must say that I am not even interested in what anyone is saying, what is happening because it is all around me somewhere," he said. "It goes in one ear, out the other."

I try to be in maximum control of my thoughts [and] my decisions about where I want, what I want, for how much I want. I am only focused on Real Madrid, and [at] the end of our season, we are on the attack for trophies. And maybe it's a good thing that I'm in that position because I don't let anything affect my games, nor would I let such things affect me [personally]. At the end of the day, those are nice worries," Hezonja admitted.

In his previous trip to the NBA, Hezonja was with the Orlando Magic for three years before spending a season with the New York Knicks, which was not a high point in his career. The forward admitted that it was the wrong decision to move to the Knicks.

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"They started pointing fingers at me, and this feeling, a great pressure, was created. I've never been the type to stress about it, but it's become something around [then]. The way I am, I started questioning myself, thinking [about] where my fault lies because, in such circumstances, you cannot be happy," Hezonja stated.

"I looked for reasons within myself, but I couldn't find anything. I couldn't talk about it publicly because everyone would say, 'Look at this guy, he doesn't see any problem in himself. It's never his fault.' However, I did not find answers to the questions of whether someone who plays is better than me, whether I am bad, and whether I am not training enough," he explained.

"Everything I did, I tried to do perfectly, but there was that label. [Moving to] the Knicks was the wrong decision. The story when I was coming there was that I was practically a future All-Star, not that I wouldn't play [at all]. And I'm glad at the end of the day to be back in Europe," the Croatian said with relief.

His decision seems to have paid off, too, as he won the EuroLeague in 2023 with Real Madrid and is currently assisting the team in remaining at the top spot with averages of 13 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 12.8 PIR.

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