Who is Nikola Vucevic? Here are Facts You Need To Know About The NBA Star

Nikola Vucevic has proven to be a significant part of the Orlando Magic franchise, thanks to his consistent performances on the course, where he has averaged a near-double-double throughout his professional career. The Swiss-born, two-meter-tall Montenegrin center was initially selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2011 NBA Draft after a three-year college career at the University of Southern California.

Who is Nikola Vucevic?

Nikola Vucevic was born in Morges, Switzerland, on October 24, 1990, the son of his parents Borislav and Ljiljana Vucevic, who raised him in Belgium before moving to Montenegro. Even at a very young age, Vucevic has considered the next big thing in basketball thanks to his outstanding height and considerable talent.

In 2007, the young Montenegrin was named the best young player in Montenegro. In the hope that their son would one day play in the NBA among the world’s best basketball players, Vucevic’s parents sent him to high school in the United States. He was enrolled at Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley, California, where he played basketball in his final year of high school. Vucevic averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds per game this year to earn a scholarship to the University of Southern California.

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Other Facts About The NBA Star

College Career

In his first year, Nikola Vucevic struggled to make an impression as he averaged only 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 23 games. In his second year, however, Vucevic found his way to his game when he started all 30 games of his school with an average of 10.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game and led the Pac-10 conference in rebounds and blocks.

The following year, Vucevic was selected for the All-Pac-10 First Team after averaging 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game during his college career. At the end of the season, Vucevic announced that he would give up his last year of college to participate in the 2011 NBA Draft, where he was ranked 16th in the Philadelphia 76ers.

Nikola Vucevic NBA Career

Nikola Vucevic spent the first months of his professional career due to the lockout of the NBA 2011 in Montenegro. Later he returned to the team when the lockout was lifted and played the rest of the 2011-12 season, where he averaged 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

At the beginning of his second professional season, Vucevic was the subject of a four-man swap, which saw him end up with Orlando Magic. This year he averaged 13.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in 77 games. Orlando has since signed a long-term contract that sees him on the team at least until the 2018-19 season.

Family – Parents

Nikola Vucevic comes from a very athletic and basketball-playing family, as both his father and mother played the game on a professional level. Vucevic’s father, Borislav, played professional basketball for 24 years in various teams throughout Europe and also for the Yugoslav national team. Borislav was especially part of the KK Bosna team from Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which won the European Cup of Champions in 1979. His mother Ljiljana, on the other hand, also played for the Yugoslav national team and then for another club from Sarajevo, Zeljeznicar.

Nikola Vucevic Wife

Nikola Vucevic is married to his childhood sweetheart, Nikoleta Pavlovic. The two are said to have met in their early teenage years in Montenegro before Vucevic moved to the United States. Her older brother, Aleksandar “Sasa” Pavlovic, who played in the NBA for teams such as the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and Boston Celtics, acted as a mentor for Vucevic, further strengthening the bond between the couple.

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Nikoleta Pavlovic was born on December 9, 1989, in Bar, SR Montenegro. She is an outstanding volleyball player who attended Queens College and graduated in graphic design. The couple will certainly pass on strong sporting genes to their offspring if they decide to start a family.

Body Measurements

Nikola Vucevic, with a height of 2.13 m (7 feet 0 inches), is one of the taller players on his team. He also weighs 118 kg (260 pounds) and has a wingspan of 2.23 m (7 feet 4 inches).

Contract and Salary

In October 2014, Nikola Vucevic signed a four-year $53 million contract extension with Orlando. This brought his average annual salary to approximately $13.2 million. The former Philadelphia 76er previously earned about $1.9 million a year from his first four-year contract for $7.9 million, which was signed in 2011.