Welcome home Chicago’s own, Matas Buzelis! | Chicago Bulls NBA Draft 2024

Welcome home Chicago’s own, Matas Buzelis! | Chicago Bulls NBA Draft 2024

[Music] with the 11th pick in the 2024 NBA draft the Chicago blll select matis buellis from Chicago and the NBA’s g-league team ignite this is so special for Matas buellis who grew up really just outside of the CH of Chicago you can already hear the Bulls theme song I get chills I get chills I’m not going to lie every time I hear single time and I imagine he is as well he played a myriad of sports growing up gymnastics swimming which is still a part of his workouts in soccer both of his parents played professional ball in Lithuania and he told our Adrien wowski that in Lithuania basketball is a religion he of course is coming from the g-league ignite who struggled a bit this season a 2 and 32 record but he said he picked the ignite because he wanted to play NBA rules he wanted to shoot NBA 3es here Andrea he wanted to play against NBA veteran competition he wanted to be challenged in other words and I talked to Anthony ml who was over G League ignite All Season he said modest buellis was the best one it came to professional habits he picked them up the easiest out of all of those young guys and you already see the emotion from Modis how special I mean can you imagine Jonathan he is going home in his home in the NBA Malika NBA Scout scour the globe searching for Wing players like Matas buellis 6’10 in shoes a friend frame that will F out significantly in time an NBA dunk contest caliber explosiveness he brings outstanding instincts as a rim protector developing playmaking creating off the bounce passing ability and all kinds of Versatility defensively on the perimeter now the big question is the jumper he Ma just 27% of his threes this year but there were some shooting indicators we’ve seen in previous settings he shot 43% for three as a high school senior Malika NBA teams will bet on Lithuanian G all day pound for pound it’s the best top it’s the top country in the basketball World Chicago Bulls president of basketball is our tourist Kish us who happens to be Lithuanian himself but he was born here he grew up in Chicago he was and that’s why look at the emotion that Mattis gelis has when he hears that he is heading to Chicago he also his father is a physiotherapist and this is his brother I me look at how emotional you’ve been in their shoes Richard it is emotional and it is just emotional for the entire family and this is also the love and the work that you’ve all put together to watch it happen Mattis is with Monica M I had an original question for you because I know you’re a big time trash talker but I want you to put words to the emotion you’re feeling first I’m blessed man this what I wanted I wanted to be here I just get thank you to the Bulls organization I’m ready to work man I was BN for this all right so you got that out of the way now as an elite trash talker do you have a message for anybody that thought you couldn’t be here and if not that’s totally fine too I don’t got to say nothing I think I thank everybody who who doubted me I’m thank you to everyone that doubted me cuz I wouldn’t be here without y’all I just I use it as fuel and everybody that’s supported me I I can’t thank you enough the support the support cast has has been insane so I thank you to everyone all right Matas congratulations you get to stay in your hometown of Chicago enjoy the rest of the night thank you so much you’re welcome that is so incredible getting to stay in your hometown and you can see the emotion that he his brother the entire family really had this right here Andrea this is what draft night is all about we started tearing up watching this yeah yes watching this and the interviews are absolutely tearing me to shreds I’m glad we are on video for a while so I can pull it together every time I’m just so happy for all of these guys and his brother it’s as if they’re share this is a moment for the entire family people don’t understand if you are one of the 30 that are selected your entire family had to send you to IMG there are players that had to lead their families and go to other countries the amount of commitment that is needed for you to get here and the amount of support and when you watch this how many players have we seen drafted that have family members Brothers other people involved it takes a community to make these things happen people are going to think he was the one that got dra the brother like that’s how excited he he did get draft right we saw the same thing with Alex R Alex R was emotional because he was here and saw his brother’s name not called he was emotional for his brother so it’s just I I can’t express enough he’ll cry multiple years after seeing this and remembering this moment he comes from a family of athletes his grandfather was a basketball player his grandmother was an all-time great Lithuanian handball player one of the all-time greats and you can see just how much this means to the entire family and this is something that you know we’ve been we’ve been sitting up here for several years now and I don’t mean this as hyperbole when I say it’s one of my favorite nights of the year and this is why because how often do you see what you work for for years and years come to fruition in a single in a dream that is realized and having a dream being realized so close to home I I can’t emphasize enough how special that is well I promise you on my draft day I get drafted by Houston then I get traded to New Jersey I was not happy I’m just not I’m be really honest I didn’t know much about Jersey the next day I get a phone call saying that they traded for Jason kid and there was other players to be named so in my brain I’m like I either get to play with Jason kid or I get to play in the with the Phoenix Suns so when you get the opportunity to play close to home to have your family that means you have even more support around you to help this journey because the journey is just beginning this is not this is not the end of the journey this is the beginning of it well speaking of emotion I got drafted in the fifth round by Dallas and they asked me if I spoke Italian so that I cried I cried heavy that night because you skipped those Italian L well these tears tears of joy as velis joins IO to Sumo Derek Rose as the only Chicago born players drafted by the Bulls in the lottery era since 1985

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