ORLANDO – Rewarded for his career-best production and nightly consistency all season, Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic was named an NBA all-star for the first time in his eight-year career on Thursday night.
Vucevic, 28 and the longest-tenured player on the Magic roster, found out that he had been named an all-star reserve on Thursday night just prior to the Magic’s 107-100 victory over Indiana Pacers at the Amway Center.
Just prior to the National Anthem, Vucevic learned of his spot in the NBA All-Star Game when Magic Chief Communications Officer Joel Glass and Director of Communications George Galante yelled out to the center while watching the all-star unveiling on TNT. Vucevic then turned to his parents in the Amway Center crowd and flashed a sign to them that he was an NBA all-star for the first time in his career.
``A great night, one of the best nights, obviously, that I’ve had in my professional career,’’ said Vucevic, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Magic’s defeat of the Pacers. ``It’s an amazing feeling being selected as an all-star.
``Obviously, I made it, but my team helped me so much get to this level this season,’’ he added. ``My teammates believed in me all year long and the new coaching staff pushed me every day to play even better. Once I started the season well, they all got behind me and kept pushing me to play even better. As much as it’s an individual award, it’s a team award. I’ll be there representing my whole organization and my teammates and I’m proud of that.’’
Vucevic will be joined by Indiana’s Victor Oladipo, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Detroit’s Blake Griffin, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons and Washington’s Bradley Beal as the selected reserves from the Eastern Conference. With Oladipo out for the season because of a quad injury, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will be responsible for naming a replacement. Brooklyn’s D’Angelo Russell appears to be the leading candidate to fill the vacant spot.
After being named an all-star and his Magic got a much-needed victory to stop a four-game losing streak, Vucevic’s teammates doused him with water and ice in the locker room.
``It was really, really cold, but it means a lot when your teammates are so happy for you,’’ Vucevic said. ``It just shows the type of guys that we have on this team and that we’re all together in this. Even though it hasn’t been easy for us the last couple of weeks, the happiness they showed for me was huge.’’
The NBA All-Star Game will be held on Feb. 17 in Charlotte. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Boston’s Kyrie Irving and Charlotte’s Kemba Walker were the top frontcourt and backcourt vote-getters in the Eastern Conference, while Los Angeles’ LeBron James, Oklahoma City’s Paul George, Golden State’s Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry and Houston’s led the way in the West. James and Antetokounmpo have been designated as the ``captains’’ of the two teams and will draft their rosters on Feb. 7.
Vucevic is the Magic’s first player picked to play in the NBA All-Star Game since the 2011-12 season. The last Orlando player to appear in the NBA All-Star Game was Dwight Howard, who was coincidentally traded away later that year in a five-team, 12-player deal that involved Vucevic coming to Orlando from the Philadelphia 76ers.
Vucevic admitted earlier in the day he didn’t know the emotions that he would be going through when the all-star announcement came. That proved particularly problematic with the Magic facing the Pacers minutes later. Minutes later, Public Address Paul Porter announced Vucevic as ``an NBA All-Star center’’ for the first time in his career to the delight of the 16,625 cheering fans at the Amway Center.
``There were about a billion emotions going through me,’’ Vucevic said of trying to calm his emotions. ``I’m glad we had the whole anthem and the introductions and everything so that I could calm down a little bit and focus on the game. I’m happy that I was able to control my emotions well and we played a great game and won so it makes this night even better.’’
Magic guard Evan Fournier, who led the way in pouring ice and water on his teammate of the past five seasons, said Vucevic earned the honor with his strong play and consistent focus all season.
``He was on the bench trying not to cry, but I kind of jumped on him. We’ll have a good night soon (to celebrate), but I’m just very happy for him,’’ Fournier said. ``I wanted that for him because he deserves it. He’s my friend and stuff, but like I’ve said, outside of (Philadelphia’s Joel) Embiid, he’s the best big out there.’’
In picking the reserves for the Eastern and Western Conferences, coaches had to select two guards, three frontcourt players and two wildcard positional players.
Vucevic was likely got a bit of help by serious injuries to former all-stars John Wall, Kevin Love and Oladipo. Also, Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie recently suffered a thumb injury, likely derailing his chances of making his first all-star team.
Vucevic said the all-star appointment meant even more to him because he was chosen by the coaches of the Eastern Conference.
``The thing I think that makes it more special when you are a reserve is that the coaches pick you,’’ Vucevic said. ``They’re the ones you play against. They coach against you every night and when I know that they saw what I’ve done this season and they respected that, it means so much for me.’’
Vucevic has been Orlando’s steadiest player all season, averaging career highs in points (20.7), rebounds (12), assists (3.8) and blocked shots (1.2). He’s scored 20-or-more points 29 times and 30-or-more points five times. He’s grabbed double-digit rebounds 35 times, including a season-best 24 against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 6.
``Well-deserved because Vooch has been playing great and he’s been carrying us this season,’’ Magic point guard D.J. Augustin said. ``I’ve been playing with Vooch now for three years and he feels like a brother to me. So, for him to get such a great award, it means a lot to me personally.
``Vooch plays the right way every night,’’ Augustin added. ``If he’s scoring for us, passing, rebounding or blocking shots for us to win, he does it every night no matter what. That’s why he’s an all-star. Not a lot of guys can do that every night.’’
In the days and weeks leading up to Thursday’s announcement, Vucevic has talked candidly about how much he hoped to be named as an all-star. He had seemingly been on track to be named an all-star back in 2014-15 and 2015-16 after posting stellar numbers early in the season, but those hopes were dashed by the Magic’s struggles in December and February.
This season, however, Vucevic has kept the Magic in the race by playing some of his best basketball in their biggest wins. He had 24 points and 12 rebounds in Orlando’s win in Boston on Oct. 22; he hung 30 points on Embiid and Philadelphia in mid-November; he had 36 points and 13 rebounds and 31 points and 15 rebounds in two victories against the Los Angeles Lakers; he scored 30 points in a home shocker against Toronto in December; and in addition to scoring 26 points against the Chicago Bulls in Mexico city, he buried the game-winning shot in the final minute.
Vucevic, who became a father for the first time back in December, said this will be a season he won’t ever forget. Garnering the respect of his teammates and the coaches throughout the NBA to earn all-star recognition for the first time is a joy he will savor forever, he said.
``It can’t get much better than this,’’ he said with a wide smile. ``Becoming a father, that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me and nothing will ever top that except maybe having more kids. That was the greatest feeling ever and now this (all-star announcement). After getting drafted (in 2011), this is one of the greatest feelings ever. And it’s a higher honor than just getting drafted.’’
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