Nikola Mirotic has had one of the more interesting individual seasons in the NBA this year. First, he took a punch to the face from teammate Bobby Portis that delayed his start to the season. And when he actually started to play, he thrived, so much so that Portis and Mirotic made up and were even seen having fun together on the court.
In what was supposed to be a lost season for the Bulls, Mirotic has helped the team string together some wins. As trade rumors and questions about Mirotic’s value have continued, he’s played well. As it turns out, that just might be because of all that trade talk.
Mirotic spoke to ESPN’s Nick Friedell on Monday and and said that he’s been motivated by the persistent trade rumors.
“This is kind of some motivation for me,” Mirotic told ESPN after Monday’s win over the Miami Heat. “I know it sounds weird. But people are talking, ‘OK, Niko be gone’ and ‘Bye bye, Niko’ or whatever. But for me, it’s OK, just do what you’ve got to do.”
Mirotic admitted that the topic of his trade has come up quite a bit, but he seems to be keeping a level head about it all.
“Play well and try to do your best until the last day and not be distracted,” Mirotic said. “I know a lot of people were asking me before this, ‘OK, Niko, Jan. 15’s coming, what do you think?'”
Mirotic said he wasn’t thinking about the January 15 date when he could finally be moved by the Bulls, and that he’s trying to enjoy the time he’s had with the Bulls. Wherever Mirotic ends up, it’s clear that he’s got plenty of mental toughness. It hasn’t been an easy season, but he’s somehow thrived.
