Mirotic anticipates 'emotional' game against native Montenegro at FIBA EuroBasket 2017

CHICAGO (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - Spain have received a big lift from Nikola Mirotic since the former Real Madrid star joined the national team for EuroBasket 2015.

One of the most talented players to ever come out of Montenegro and the Balkans, Mirotic elected several years ago to compete for the country where he spent his formative years in the sport.

Now in his third season with the Chicago Bulls, Mirotic will go up against Montenegro this summer if he plays for Spain again. He has spoken to FIBA.com.

FIBA EuroBasket 2017 - have you thought about it?
Right now, I'm just focused on the season and then we'll see after, but I had a great experience the last two summers. Playing at the EuroBasket in Germany and France - it was great, and then the Olympics was a great experience. I was blessed to have the opportunity to play at the Olympics and especially winning the bronze medal. That was our goal (to get a medal). And now we're going to have the EuroBasket next summer and I saw the group. It's very competitive. They're thinking that just one (naturalized) player can go, either (Serge) Ibaka or me. Whoever plays, me or him, it's going to be good for Spain. 

You grew up in Montenegro but then went to Spain and played for Real Madrid, first as a junior. What led you to ultimately decide to play for Spain and not Montenegro?
Very good question. Listen, I was very young when I came to Spain so in the beginning, I was fighting to be in the (Real) first team and it was very difficult to do so with a Montenegrin passport because in that moment, Montenegro was not part of Europe. So I was counted like an American and just two players (with that eligibility) could play in that team. That kind of team always had amazing American players. They came and asked if I wanted to play with Spain and I knew that if I decided to play with Spain, it would open a lot of doors and especially my first goal was to get a chance to play with Real Madrid, the first team, to prove, to take that step.

Was it tough to leave your country and play in Spain?
It was a very hard decision to leave my country. My whole family was there but I had their support. I was just looking out for my career, what was best for me and at this point, I'm very glad and I'm happy with the decision I made because I had a great career at Madrid, I played at the EuroBasket and I won it. I played at the Olympic Games and won the bronze medal. There is nothing I can complain about. The only thing of course I'm sorry about is [leaving] my country. I go there every summer. I have a great time. My family is there. But this was a professional time and I was looking out for what was best for my career.

What's it going to be like if you get to play against Montenegro in Group C in Romania in the first round of EuroBasket? 
It's probably going to be a special game if I play against them. It's very emotional, obviously, playing against your country. But I played against them at the U20 European Championship in 2010. It was very hard for me to play because I knew all those guys. But it was just another game and we won and I moved forward. But this is different. This is the first team and I don't know what to say. I am kind of looking forward to it but I want the best for my country and I want the best for Spain.

Do you feel a close attachment to Spain?
My son was born in Spain and has both (Spain and Montenegro) passports. A very important time of my life I spent in Spain. Those eight years were a crucial eight years, from (the age of) 15 to 23. A lot of good things happened in my life - winning titles, getting married. So those are great memories.

You must have been pretty bold to marry the daughter of your former coach in Montenegro, Jadran Vujacic. It's already brave to date the coach's daughter but to marry her?
Yes, I did (laughs). It was a little bit scary, but that's life. I knew that she was the perfect woman for me, even though I was young.

How did her father, your coach, react?
It was hard for him at the beginning to adjust. He wasn't used to it. I was the best player on his team and there was a great relationship between my parents and her parents. And once they found out that we were in a relationship, there was a little bit of surprise but they accepted it and said if, 'you're happy, we're happy'. We got married three years ago and had a son. They're happy with us. Especially now (that they're grandparents).

You were blinded by love.
Yes. I thought, Niko, are you sure you want to do that (tell him I was dating his daughter) it was like 'oh my gosh'. We had been friends and our families knew each other and it just happened. I think it was destiny. We were born for each other.

Back to Spain, they're going through a transition, certain players are retiring.
I was very blessed to in addition to having the experience of the Olympics, to have the chance to play with that generation, with Jose Calderon, Pau Gasol, Felipe Reyes, Juan Carlos Navarro. They are at the end of their careers.

Given that you weren't Spanish-born, did they embrace you?
Yes, since the first day they have been very kind to me, firstly because I had been living there for eight years and I knew all of those guys having played for Real Madrid. There were Spanish national team players in that Madrid team: Sergio Rodriguez, Sergio Llull, Felipe Reyes, four or five guys, and then I had Pau Gasol as a teammate with the Bulls. So it was great for me and those guys are big time family. We are like family. Since the first day, the fans loved me. That's one of the keys why they are a very successful generation, all those years, they are so together and I felt like just one more. You should see the training camp. We practice hard against each other but then at the end of the day, we go every night to have some dinner, to have some fun, staying together. You are not used to that here (in the US) going to dinner but in Europe, we're doing it basically every day.

Is it good to have so many Spain teammates in the NBA?
Yes, it's great to see them, especially when you see them you remember the times you spent together, the successful years. I had a great dinner a couple of weeks ago with Pau when we played them (San Antonio) in Chicago. I had him with me in my first two years and that was a very important guy for me, a European guy, a guy who had great success in the NBA. He really helped me to adjust in those first two years. And there were a lot of guys now who came this year, Rodriguez, the Hernangomez brothers (Willy and Juancho), so it's great.

FIBA