Vasilije Micic reacts to his Hornets debut and best NBA game, reveals main goal / News - Basketnews.com

Vasilije Micic shines in debut with Charlotte Hornets, breaking NBA career records in points, assists, and minutes. Post-game, he reflects on a trade and his purpose in NBA.

Credit: AP - Scanpix Credit AP - Scanpix

Vasilije Micic recently made a move from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Charlotte Hornets just hours before the February 8 trade deadline. The trade involved Micic, along with Davis Bertans, Tre Mann, and draft compensation, being sent to Charlotte in exchange for Gordon Hayward.

Points this season

46%108,7Points made:108,7Accuracy:45,9%Place in standings:28Record max:129Record min:82Best scorer:Terry RozierTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

This trade seems to have quickly paid off for Micic. In his debut game with the Hornets, he achieved NBA career-highs in points (18), assists (9), and minutes played (25), helping Charlotte end their 10-game losing streak with a 115-106 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I knew what kind of situation happened in the last two days for me particularly, but it just gave me another boost because, as a player, you always like to play," Micic reacted to his trade during the post-game conference.

"That's always a priority, I believe, for everyone and what I tried to use today," he added. "I didn't really expect that I was going to have a decent game."

During his time with the Thunder, the Serbian guard averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 assists over 30 games, with an average playing time of 12.0 minutes per game.

"I came to the NBA with a purpose, not to be here just a member of any team," he said. "I came here to try to prove myself on the court. That's the main goal for me, and it will stay the main goal until I have an opportunity in the NBA, just because I did that all over Europe previously.

"Right now, I am learning through the experience," Micic went on to say. "Everything that I gathered as experience in Oklahoma was really useful. Of course, it wasn't easy to handle the minutes on the court and the role, but in the end, I was really aware of what was surrounding me over there, and that was one of the best perimeter players in the NBA right now.

"I just tried to stay ready, in shape, and that's how I'm going to continue whether it's here or somewhere else, but I'm really happy people over here realize that I have that potential, and they helped me to come over. And I try to prove that I'm capable of playing at this level."

Last July, Micic signed a three-year contract worth $23.5 million with the Thunder, including a team option for the third year.

His journey to the NBA followed a successful EuroLeague career, where he earned league MVP honors in 2021 and contributed to Anadolu Efes Istanbul's EuroLeague championships in 2021 and 2022.

"In the NBA, there are a lot of individual talents for most of the teams, but if you don't have that much potential individually, you have to find a way to contribute and help the team," he said of being the playmaker. "I always believe that basketball is beautiful when everybody plays together.

"I don't think we are all like Steph Curry or Luka Doncic, whoever is on top of the level, but that doesn't mean we are not able to play," Micic continued. "So, there are a lot of ways to play basketball as long as you believe in that, as long as you help each other, and one of the things is passing. That means that we can find a way to play together."

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