Asking young players what their goals are for the NBA usually yields straightforward answers. They want to become All-Stars and hopefully win multiple championships. Some will say they hope to achieve greatness, building a legacy they and their children would be proud of. Matas Buzelis thinks differently. Sure, he wants all of those things, too. However, his aspirations don't stop there. Chicago Bulls fans still haven't grasped how confident the former 11th overall pick is and how high he's aiming. Buzelis spoke to K.C. Johnson recently, who asked a simple, if profound question.
"What's your ceiling?"
The 20-year-old didn't dance around it. He admitted his true thoughts. The best ever.
Saying that at all takes some serious guts. Saying that while playing for the franchise that Michael Jordan built is another thing entirely. That should tell you how much swagger Buzelis has. When he uttered those words, he wasn't even thinking about Jordan's shadow. His goals won't change just because he wears the red and black. He believes he can be the best ever to play.
Matas Buzelis has a tall mountain to climb.
Now, will he actually reach those heights? Probably not. There is a strong possibility no one ever will. Jordan was a unicorn. People are lucky to see an athlete like that maybe once in multiple lifetimes.
- Five MVPs
- Six championships
- Six Finals MVPs
- Ten-time scoring champion
- Nine-time All-Defensive team
- Eleven-time All-NBA
Remember, he did all that in the span of less than 13 seasons. LeBron James has played 22 and still not achieved as much. Matas Buzelis has all the tools to become a great player. He certainly has the confidence. For him to reach those heights, he will have to embrace a level of work that very few ever reach. We're talking obsession levels. Is he ready to make those kinds of sacrifices? We'll see soon enough.
