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Who is Nikola Mirotic?
Nikola Mirotic is a well-known Montenegrin basketball player who was born in Spain. Nikola Mirotic now plays for FC Barcelona in the Liga ACB and the Euro League. He has garnered numerous accolades and trophies for his basketball abilities while playing in the NBA since 2014.
Not to mention, his efforts helped him win the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship and deliver the gold medal to Spain in 2011.
Furthermore, Nikola has twice won the Spanish King’s Cup with Real Madrid, in 2012 and 2014.
Nikola Mirotic | Childhood and Family
Nikola Mirotic, a Spanish basketball player, was born on February 11, 1991, in Montenegro.
Mirotic started off playing football, but when he was 13, his grandfather persuaded him to switch to basketball.
Nikola’s height increased dramatically as he developed, and his family recognized that he may be useful in other sports.
Everything else is history.
Similarly, he was trained at the Joker school in Podgorica by Coach Jadran Vujacic.
Mirotic selected basketball at the age of 13 and signed a contract with Real Madrid at the age of 14; despite this, he performed admirably.
Professional Background
Real Madrid
Nikola played for Real Madrid youngsters from 2006 until 2008.
Later, in 2008, he signed a senior contract with Real Madrid.
Similarly, his work and passion for basketball helped him become a valued player on the squad, and he was also named a EuroLeague Rising Star.
In addition, in April 2011, he renewed his contract with Madrid for another five years.
As a Real Madrid player in 2012, he won the Spanish King’s Cup and the Spanish Supercup.
On June 23, 2011, Mirotic was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
He was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and subsequently to the Chicago Bulls.
Not to mention, in the 2012-13 EuroLeague season, he was nominated to the All-Euroleague Second Team.
He was also nominated to the All-EuroLeague second team for the second consecutive season.
In 97 EuroLeague games with Real Madrid, Nikola averaged 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls
Nikola signed a three-year, $16.6 million contract with the Chicago Bulls on July 18, 2014.
Furthermore, he was forced to pay $3 million as part of his contract buyout.
Furthermore, on December 19, 2014, he averaged a career-high 27 points in a 103-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
In January 2015, Mirotic was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.
Nikola scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in the Rising Stars Challenge’s 121-112 victory over Team USA at the NBA All-Star Weekend.
On March 1, he scored 16 points in a loss against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Mirotic was scheduled to take on a more important role for his squad due to injuries to colleagues in March.
Similarly, in 82 games during his rookie season, he averaged 10.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
During that game, he received the Rookie of the Year Award.
Making History
Nikola scored a team-high 19 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the start of the 2015-16 season.
Furthermore, he appeared in 18 games and averaged 10 points in 22 minutes, including his first appearance off the bench against the Boston Celtics.
On December 21, he started as a small forward as a replacement for Tony Snell against the Brooklyn Nets.
Similarly, Mirotic prevailed against the New York Knicks, scoring 17 points and dishing out seven assists in a 108-81 victory.
Nikola was ruled out until after the All-Star break on January 27 due to acute appendicitis.
On March 5th, after missing 16 games, he made his return against the Houston Rockets.
In a loss to the Knicks, he scored a career-high 35 points against the Rockets.
Added to the Inactive list
Nikola 2016 averaged 20 points in 90-85 wins over the Indiana Pacers throughout his 2016-17 seasons after missing a few games.
Mirotic was also placed on the inactive list after declining to play due to the coach’s decision.
Similarly, after missing three games, he returned and scored 24 points in a 115-109 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on March 13th.
On March 22, he scored a season-high 28 points in a 117-95 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Furthermore, in a 109-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, he scored a season-high 28 points.
On March 30, he scored 28 points in a 99-93 victory over the Cavaliers.
He became the first Bulls player to make six three-pointers in back-to-back games against Milwaukee and Cleveland.
Injuries and altercation
Nikola agreed to terms with the Bulls for the 2017 season.
During practice, he was sent to the hospital after a physical incident with one of his teammates, Bobby Portis.
After recovering from multiple fractures, he made his debut on December 8th, averaging 6 points in 14 minutes in a 119-111 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Similarly, against the Boston Celtics on December 11th, Nikola scored 24 points in a 108-105 victory.
Furthermore, he averaged 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting in a 103-100 win over the Utah Jazz on December 13, and he scored 24 points in 28 minutes in a 115-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on December 26.
The Pelicans of New Orleans
On February 1, 2018, Mirotic was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a 2018 second-round selection.
Nikola averaged 18 points in his Pelicans debut, a 118-107 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In a 138-128 double-overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets, he averaged 21 points and 16 rebounds.
Similarly, Mirotic set a season-high with 31 points and 16 rebounds in a 122-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Furthermore, during his Pelican season, he totaled 30 points on 6 of 8 three-point attempts in a 131-112 victory over the Houston Rockets on October 17th.
Nikola scored a career-high 36 points in a 149-129 victory over the Sacramento Kings two days later.
In addition, after missing twelve games due to an ankle injury, Nikola returned to action on January 9th against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Milwaukee Bucks
Nikola was moved to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal that included Jason Smith, Stanley Johnson, and Thon Maker in 2019.
Nikola missed the Bucks’ first four games due to injury, but he made his debut on February 21 against the Boston Celtics.
Furthermore, after sustaining a fractured left thumb on March 19, he missed his last 11 regular-season games against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the Bucks’ first postseason game, Mirotic made his comeback.
Barcelona
Mirotic signed a three-year contract with FC Barcelona of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague on July 6, 2019, with the option of an extension until 2023.
Furthermore, it was stated that the contract was for €26 million, making him Europe’s highest-paid basketball player.
Furthermore, on June 27, 2020, he received the Most Valuable Player Award, making him the fifth player in Liga Endesa history to receive multiple MVP honors.
Similarly, at the end of the season, he averaged 19.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in each game. His contract has been renewed till 2025.
A career in the National Team
Mirotic led Spain’s U20 national team to a bronze medal at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.
Furthermore, following his performance in the 2010 FIBA Championship, Nikola was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Similarly, Nikola’s national team participation benefited him in bringing a gold medal to Spain in 2011.
He averaged 27 points and ten rebounds each game, finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer and MVP.
The head coach, Sergio Scariolo, named Miroti as one of 17 candidates to try out for the senior Spain men’s national basketball team, which would compete in EuroBasket 2015 in 2015.
Furthermore, Miroti was picked to Spain’s final 12-man team in September 2015, and he went on to win a gold medal at the competition.
He also competed for Spain in the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal.
Recognition and Awards
- 2 MVP of the Spanish League (2013, 2020)
- All-Rookie First Team in the NBA (2015)
- 2nd place in the Spanish League (2013, 2021)
- MVP of the Spanish League Finals (2021)
- 3 Spanish Cup victors (2012, 2014, 2021)
- MVP of the Spanish Cup (2014)
- 2nd place in the Spanish Supercup (2012, 2013)
- First Team All-EuroLeague (2021)
- Second All-EuroLeague Team (2013, 2014)
- 4 ACBC All-Stars (2013, 2014, 2020, 2021)
- 2nd Domestic Player of the Year in the Spanish League (2014, 2020)
- Leader in three-point field goal percentage in Liga ACB (2021)
- Catalan League winner (2019)
- 2 Rising EuroLeague Star (2011, 2012)
- MVP of the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship (2011)
Salary and Earnings
Nikola has earned a lot of money over his basketball career despite starting at a young age and gaining such recognition.
Mirotic’s actual net worth is unclear, although it is speculated to be approximately $42 million.
Furthermore, his NBA salary after his final contract with the Chicago Bulls is $46,631,175.
He has surely been playing and making a good living for his family.
To more about his previous salary history, visit Hoopshype.com.
Nikola’s personal life includes his marriage to Nina Mirotic in 2012.
Aleksandar, the couple’s first child, was born in May 2013.
Nina, Nikola’s wife, is the daughter of ex-coach Jadran Vujacic.
He lives happily with his family and enjoys his son.
Nina has kept a low profile when it comes to discussing and revealing their personal lives, making learning about her tough.
Nikola has always been an outspoken Serbian.
He was also awarded the Order of St.Sava in May 2017.
Mirotic has also taken part in a protest and prayer walk against the religious law affecting Serbian orthodoxy.
Despite the fact that no documents exist of Nikola’s parents or upbringing, he mentioned in one of his interviews that his father was strict and that the fear of punishment spurred him to work hard on the basketball court.
Furthermore, he added that his priority while away from home, focusing on his job, was his family, which is why he opted to return to Europe in the summer of 2019.
Also, read Albert Belle, Paul Sherwen, Louie Barry
Presence on Social Media
Nikola uses social media networks such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Most of the entries are about basketball.
He has a verified account and a large number of followers across all social media platforms, with 544 posts on Instagram, 227k followers on Facebook, and 2568 tweets on Twitter.
FEBRUARY 11, 2022 — NIKOLA MIROTIC (@NIKOLAMIROTIC33)
Follow the link below to connect with Nikola Mirotic on his social media accounts.
227k followers on Facebook
Twitter has 19,3k followers.
280k followers on Instagram
