Over the years loyalty has been a prime trait among players and when we speak about loyalty we simply cannot ignore Nikola Vucevic. The Montenegrin basketballer has been with the Orlando Magic for nine long years. In this time at the franchise, he has seen tremendous growth in himself as a player.
The veteran has been sensational this season and has been selected in the NBA All-Star for a second time. Despite all his efforts, the Magic have struggled this season. They are currently 14th in the East Conference and chances of making it to the playoffs looks bleak.
Vucevic was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers but he spent only one season at the franchise before moving out to Orlando Magic. He has been a crucial part for the Magic over the years. Recently in an interview with NBA Insider Shams Charania, he spoke about his legacy at Orlando Magic. He said, “It’s special when you can be with a team for a long time and build a legacy. What’s special for me is the last few seasons is that we’ve been winning a little bit more and we made it to the playoffs after really losing for a long time. So, it’s been rewarding.”
The 30-year old shares that how playing for one team for a long time has its own benefits as fans always remind the player how he is one of the best to don their franchise’s jersey. Also one has a lot of opportunities to climb the ladder of all time points, rebounds, records for that team.
“Not every player gets a chance to play on some of the best teams and play for a championship. … A lot of times it’s difficult to get in that situation. I think there is also something special about being with one team for a long time,” Vucevic added.
While Nikola Vucevic continues to lead the Orlando Magic this season despite their struggle some fans do believe that the Magic franchise may decide to retire Montenegrin’s jersey once he has retired from the sport or moved out of the franchise. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the 30-year-old but currently, he would like to help the Magic get through to the playoffs with a late surge in the back end of the season.
