Vasilije Micic: 'Every match was like a final to prove myself'

VM: I think the idea is about the hunger and the desire that, first of all, whoever ends up in the NBA has to have something special. That's my first impression when I'm there and it's especially hard to care for. So if you're already there, you have to have something that makes a difference, and honestly I'm not looking at Doncic or Jokic, but I understand the concept of those two guys because I know them both. I believe that my difference in Europe compared to Americans or other Europeans was actually a mindset. How you handle pressure, how you handle challenges, how you handle defeat, and how you handle honor. Like fame is perhaps the most difficult of all the negative sides of being professional and successful, and that's something I can say as the first impression of those guys in the NBA who are now leaders. They can handle this so easily.

I mean, you can see Doncic. He is only 25 years old. I mean, because he was 18 years old when he won the Euroleague, people don't understand how difficult it was when he was in Real Madrid, a big name in Europe or maybe Top 10 in the world. He was the main man, and for him the experience, to bring something very useful on top of his talent, and then you have Jokic, humble but extremely strong mentally… Giannis Antetokounmpoextremely devoted.

So, there are three different profiles of players, but that mindset is something that I believe creates a difference in the American people. However, Americans are, in general, talented and gifted. I was playing with him, let's say, Jalen Williams, in Oklahoma. This guy is very talented, but I am sure that this is the current situation that now it seems that the international or European guys are benefiting more and more advanced compared to the Americans, but I don't know if it will be forever. . As you said, now we have a lot of Europeans coming and playing really well, and especially the French kids are really, really good, because they have that genetic mix, and they're really mature. So I think hunger is the key to being honest like that. That's what keeps you moving forward all the time.