Nikola Vucevic has spent the last three-plus seasons playing for the Bulls. So far, Vucevic says the experience has been fantastic. Despite the team's recent struggles, the support from the team has been unwavering, and the fans have been amazing.
However, the 6-foot-10 Montenegrin admits that the one thing he's noticed in the Windy City is that everybody still lives in the past and thinks that the Bulls are the same dominant force that they were in the 90s behind Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
"There will never be another Jordan," said Vooch during a recent interview with Jao Mile Podcast. "That era of the Bulls was unique, and it will be hard to repeat that type of success. I am not Jordan, and I never thought I was Jordan, and it's hard to expect I will accomplish the same things. They still live in that era, thinking we are the Bulls; we did this in the 90s, won six titles, and so on. We live in 2024 now, and it's a totally different thing."
Success has been hard to find in the post-MJ era
The Bulls have not won a championship since The Last Dance of 1998. Since then, they have not made it back to the NBA Finals and have been to the Conference Finals only once, in 2011. In fact, the Bulls have only made one playoff appearance in the last seven seasons.
Chicago's current team, led by last season's holdovers Vucevic, Zach LaVine, and Coby White, has made the playoffs just once in the last three campaigns. Lonzo Ball has not played since 2021. And despite all their struggles, Vooch says the fans' love has not wavered, and nostalgia remains strong at the United Center.
"The fans really love the Bulls," added Vucevic. "The arena is always sold out. When you enter the arena, you see the retired jersey from Jordan and Pippen, and that is special. We all grew up watching those Bulls and hearing that iconic intro music, the video with the Bulls. Wherever we go and play on the road, 30 or 40 percent of fans are Bulls fans. You see red Bulls jerseys everywhere."
Related: "I give my grandmother $400 a month, and she thinks it's $4 million" - Jason Williams shares what made his NBA journey so satisfying
High hopes for Lonzo's return
Vucevic's Bulls suffered two key losses during the offseason in DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. But Chicago landed Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith and drafted Matas Buzelis. They are also going to have Patrick Williams back from injury. But what has gotten everybody excited again in the Windy City is the likely return of point guard Lonzo Ball .
According to Vucevic, Ball's absence was the reason for the Bulls' constant struggles . At the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, the Bulls, led by their all-around point guard, resembled their former dominant self, boasting a 27-13 record and the top spot in the Eastern Conference before his injury. Since then, their performance has simply faltered.
Chicago might not be clinging to the past as Vucevic suggests; rather, there's genuine hope for the team's future. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented them from reaching their potential, and if their starting center is right, Ball's return could be crucial for their future success.
Related: "The only one I couldn't figure out" - Nikola Vucevic reveals why Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge are his toughest opponents
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