It was a very emotional night for Chicago native Matas Buzelis.
He was selected No. 11 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by his hometown Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. While draft night is a special one for all in attendance, this moment meant a bit more for the forward. When Buzelis heard his name called, the emotions were visible on his face as he got teary-eyed before hugging his family members in attendance who were equally as emotional.
“I’m blessed man,” Buzelis said immediately after being drafted. “This is what I wanted. I wanted to be here. Thanks to the Bulls organization. I’m ready to work, I was born for this.”
Buzelis is a 6-foot-9 small forward who played for the NBA G-League Ignite team this past season. He averaged 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Yahoo Sports’ NBA Draft analyst Krysten Peek gave the Chicago Bulls an A- grade for the pick.
“Buzelis shot the ball under 30% from 3-point range during his one season with the Ignite but has great size at 6-foot-9 and the ability to space the floor. He’s comfortable taking players off the dribble and has good footwork and ball skills in dribble hand-offs on the wing.”
Buzelis grew up in Willowbrook, Illinois, just a few miles away from Chicago. His freshman year of high school he played at Hinsdale Central High, suiting up for the school’s sophomore team as a freshman.
His parents, Kristina Jankauskaitė and Aidas Buzelis, played professionally in their native Lithuania. Buzelis’ father played in the Lithuanian Basketball League.
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