When Matas Buzelis, a star of the G League Ignite, was selected by his hometown Chicago Bulls with the 11th overall choice in the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday. It was an emotional time for him. The inhabitant of Windy City wore a Bulls snapback and had wet eyes.
After the news that Buzelis was the team’s eleventh selection, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped up on stage to hug him. At the Barclays Center, applause broke out for Buzelis as the famous Sirius theme by Alan Parson played.
Buzelis is now the newest member of a club that gained notoriety lately after Josh Giddey was traded for Alex Caruso in an unexpected deal that sent Caruso to the OKC Thunder. Scouts were fixated on the 19-year-old, making him the center of attention.
He was ranked No. 5 in the 2023 class after demonstrating his supremacy during his high school career. Matas Buzelis briefly gained attention in the run-up to the 2024 Draft as a possible first-round selection.
Matas Buzelis Reflects on What He Feels After Joining the Chicago Bulls
Before the draft, rumors circulated that the Bulls preferred Ron Hollan. At the same time, Matas Buzelis was predicted to be the eleventh pick.
A youthful team will likely start for the Bulls in the upcoming campaign despite the trade rumors involving Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. After being selected, Buzelis spoke with ESPN about his thoughts on the series of events. He expressed gratitude to the Bulls front management for believing in him.
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Buzelis said, “I’m blessed. This is what I wanted, I wanted to be here. Thank you to the Bulls organization. I am ready to work man, I was born for this. I thanked everybody who doubted me because I wouldn’t be here without y’all. And everybody who supported me, I can’t thank you enough.”
However, he will now play with a youthful team captained by Julian Phillips, Dalen Terry, Ayo Dosunmu, and Coby White.
