#thisleague UNCUT: Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis

The NBA's annual Summer League in Las Vegas is upon us, and so on this edition of this League Uncut, we have a special guest joining Chris and me. It's Bulls rookie Modest Basilis that's next here on this League uncut.

Welcome to this League uncut.

In the rule of twenty four hour NBA News.

This you lo.

Chris Hanes. It's co tull Work's time.

It's so nice. This League uncut is underway and on fire.

This should be a good one.

Let's bring him in now.

Bulls rookie Modest bozellis joining us here about to begin his NBA career, the Summer League portion of his NBA career, as a member of your hometown Chicago Bulls. It has to be surreal. I know you've already been practicing, but too has it sunk in yet that you are a Bull?

Yes, it has sunk in.

It really sunk in, like after the draft, Like as soon as the draft happened. You know, I think everybody saw it was emotional, but you know, just being at the training facilities like surrounded by you know, the championships and all that, it's just it really, it really got to me.

Were you a Bulls fan growing up?

Because I know in your generation it's not automatic that you just fall in love with the local team, But.

Is it safe to say you you grew up a Bulls fan.

I wasn't really a fan of any team, but I was like a fan of players. So de Rose was like that guy, like he was like the savior of Chicago.

Everybody thought that.

So, you know, watching him and that team, you know, joking, Nola, Taj Gibson, all those guys, it was.

That was like the most memorable thing for me.

But I was never really a fan of any teams.

That's how I am.

You know, I'm forty one now, and people that's usually my age they grew up fans of teams and me, I was one of the lone guys that I like players, and I would follow players wherever they wherever they went. Uh, this is not this is not particularly on your career right now, but this question, but do you find that people in your age group, do you find some more so that they like players more so than teams.

Yes, I could safely say that I think it's it's more of a like when a when a player gets traded or goes to a different team, they think they're not they're not really rooting for that team.

They're rooting for the player to win. They want him to win.

So I think that's the same that's the same case with me. I was, you know, rooting for Kevin Durant in ok See and then he went to the Warriors.

I'm rooting for Kevin Durant again. You know. It's it's kind of like that now nowadays.

Okay, So, so Kevin Durant, he took a lot of heat when he went to Golden State. So as a fan, as a fan of Kevin Durant, how did you process him going to go to State? Were you accepted? Did you accept that move to go to State? How was it for you as a fan?

Yeah?

You know, players can make whatever the moves they want, doesn't It doesn't matter to me. He goes out and earns it at the end of the day. You know, he's he's working hard every day and that's what you have to respect about players.

And so, Matts, I want to talk about your you know, what's about to happen right now.

We're about to start Las Vegas.

Summer League, and there's a documentary on Las Vegas Summer League and how it started and the careers that were catapulted from those summers, like from Lebron James. I mean, there's too many stars you can name that who have played in the Las Vegas Summer League. Some have some good stints, others did it. You know, Summer League is not always uh indicator if you're going to have success

I'm approaching it as you know every other game that I've played.

I don't see it differently.

It's just now I'm at a bigger stage, of course, But you know I'm going in there trying to win. That's that's what I That's what I want to be, and a two way player. I want to impact both sides of the floor defense, offense.

I want to be a good teammate.

When I'm you know, sitting on the bench cheering for my teammates, you know, stuff like that. It's it's like a normal game to me, but you know the intensity is going to be high.

Everyone's trying to earn a job.

I know you've done a lot of interviews all d even though you've only been in the NBA.

For a couple of weeks here.

So I want to ask this differently because I know you are probably sick of the questions of how emotional you and your family were, So I want to look at it from a different light. In a lot of pre draft projections, a lot of mock drafts had you going as high as number five to Detroit.

So just walk us through what that was like.

Detroit ends up picking your G League IGNIT teammate Ron Holland, but then at eleven you go to the team in your city, this historic franchise.

The Chicago Bulls.

Just that whole roller coaster of emotions and how much were you paying attention to the mock drafts going into the whole process.

Wasn't really paying attention to the mock drafts? Of course, you know, you see them when you scroll down and you're looking, you know, through Instagram and all that.

But I'm a basketball player.

I don't really look into media and stuff like that. I know, like it's a business. As much as I hate to say it, but you know, yeah, I saw like all the projections going like five, I saw two, like four all that. No people thought I was a lot top five pick. But now at the end of the day, when you're on your team and you're on you're on your team and your about to compete against everybody, the pick doesn't matter. You know, it's it's zero to

I do wonder, though, now that you are a bull, how much have you reflected on your interviews with them, conversations working out for them When you look back, are there things that tip might have tipped you off to how interested they were in you that you can look back now and say, oh, yeah, they actually something they said in our sit down, let me know that these guys really like me.

Not really, they they they came to watch a workout in Vague and not in Vegas, La, and that's really it. And then I sat down at Combine with them to talk for like twenty minutes. So there wasn't really any indication you know that they that they well they said to my agent that they liked me, but they didn't They honestly didn't think I was gonna go like eleven.

Not low, I mean it's not low, but you know you know what I.

Mean, right, But they didn't think you'd be there.

Yeah, they didn't think I'd be there, and so as soon as they saw that I was still there, they decided to pick me.

But I didn't.

I really didn't think I was going to go to Chicago, you know, sitting there at draft nights. So I mean they believed in me the most, and that's what matters now.

So when when even is about to be picked, were you genuinely surprised?

Like what like?

For me?

Yeah?

Like I guess just explain to us the emotions when Detroit picked at five, did you think they were taking you? And then when when you heard your name called it eleven? How expected was that or how surprising was it?

Yeah?

So I mean, walking into I thought I was gonna be like top ten, but I mean it got to pick eleven and they picked me. And as I said before, it doesn't matter what pick you are. Yeah, it matters about the situation that you're in. And Chicago picked me and they they believe in me, and I'm gonna work.

As hard as I can. You know, so I was.

I was a little surprised, but I'm happy. It doesn't matter. You're in the NBA now.

So.

Let me let me talk. I want to talk about your path to get into the NBA. You took an unconventional path, and it's a path that's no longer available anymore. So obviously, coming out of high school, you want the top players in high school, numerous colleges, you could have picked any college you wanted to go to. You chose to go to the G League path the G League at night. Two part question please. The first part like, how was that experience for you? Would you do it all over again?

Definitely do it over again.

Uh, honestly, it was the best experience ever playing against the best players. I had, NBA coaches, NBA trainers, you know, just people who worked in the NBA. Also a therapists, you know, everybody, strength conditioning coaches. It's just really the NBA experience out there. And I couldn't thank them enough. They did an amazing job. And people think it was because of our record that got shut down, but it's not true at all.

It's it was a great experience. I would do it again.

Yeah, the record has For people that think that the record had nothing to do with it, it's just the fact that now the college landscape has changed, where the NIL deals, where players can actually get paid.

Uh, it's not even.

That, it's not even that.

Explain it to us from your seat.

Yeah, explain for us.

So ours got shut down because of the boosters didn't give us any more money like that, And it was it was tough. It's tough to drag you know, people out of Vegas to go watch teenage kids play, you know, outside of Vegas twenty twenty minutes away. So it was just tough, you know, getting fans there. And but you know, it was it was mainly that. It wasn't because the NIL or a record. It was just we we didn't you know, it wasn't a positive investment.

Okay, I understand.

I'm glad you said the record straight you and know more than any of us. I did want to ask if you did if the Gen League at Knight wasn't if that wasn't a scenario where do you think you might have played college ball.

At probably Florida State or Wake Forest?

Why those two in particular.

Florida State because the way you know, the power forwards played there. So after watching like Scottie Barnes, you know, even Patrick Williams, the way they developed and they played the right way, and the Wake Forest it was just, honestly, it just felt different than any other college. It was a Lithuanian connection with one of the coaches, Coach Forbes too, just really cool, really cool dude. And the way they said I would play for them, it fit perfectly.

I don't know, c ch I heard cal State Fullerton was in his top three. That was what my sources were telling me.

I don't know if he's even heard of cal State.

They were in his top they were in they were they were in his top three, really top ten. You know you mentioned the record though, and I don't just want I mean obviously, what was that like to go through? I mean, you guys really took a lot of lumps this season with the Ignite. What do you think that experience is going to do for your career going forward? Because you guys, I mean, you were playing against men who are These guys are all desperate.

To get back into the NBA.

And I mean, I'm sure that was an experience you're not gonna forget.

You know, it's tough losing. Of course, everybody knows. Nobody likes to lose, no one wants to be a losing person. I mean it really shaped us into the people that we are today. Like everybody that came to Ignite is from winning programs. So like Ron, I think I saw a stat on Ron. Ron, I think lost six games totally high school career, something like that. Cherry Baba, all them guys they were killing in the bl You know, me, I came from Sunrise. I was competing for a national championship,

Man, makes us better.

So that's what I was gonna say.

On the flip side, it has to make you more NBA ready, right than had you played even at a top college. I mean, you have played a level closer to NBA than most other rookies at this point.

Yeah.

I mean, with all due respect them, some guys are not even gonna touch the G League that played in college who they're competing against.

No, that's just real.

And those guys that we play in the G League, like Lance Stevenson, Kenneth forar Reid, they're like they're trying to get back into the NBA, you know, and they won't they won't lose the chance, uh and the opportunity to try to get back in.

And that's why I said, like just when I was talking about the record, not mattering, like you guys are young kids. You're seventeen eighteen, nineteen years old. And one thing about you guys is that you come into the G League at night as a target. You guys are a target because everybody is looking at you guys.

Oh, you guys are the future.

You guys are the anointed ones. Okay, you guys are going to have a as you mentioned NBA TV, you guys want to have a platform, right, so when we play you guys, that is our time to show and showcase what we And so that's a level of let me see, that's a level of being targeted that you wouldn't face in college. Because you're going into college, you're going to be the guy, you know what I mean. People still know you're the guy. Even though you're a

He's the one that you know.

And so I think that's going to help you when you're when you are playing your rookie season for the Chicago Bulls. And that's what I wanted to ask, Like I wanted to ask because you know, a lot of the money that's being paid to college A players now and people may say, well, if you can, if you could do it over again, maybe you would go to college and experience that. Did you feel any type of

Nah? I didn't.

I mean, of course, you know, I'm watching March Madness, all the fans going crazy, But I mean I'm playing NBA rules and using an NBA ball, playing against NBA players, and that's what you want to be at the end of the day, you know, And that's what I picked. Also, getting back to the you know, the target thing. Like everybody, once I made my decision, everyone's like, modest, You're gonna have an X on your back. They're going you know,

You know, I expect that.

So how if I don't have an X on my back, I'm They're not going at me and I'm not. I'm not, you know, getting better as a player. So that's that's what I want to. I want to I want to compete and play against the best always.

But I always ask incoming rookies this question.

And for the regular fan, they may not know the difference or understand that there is a difference. Minus, tell me the difference between the balls that are used high school and college and then the balls that are used for the NBA. And tell me how much of an adjustment period is that to use those balls.

Man, big adjustment. I mean there's like there's way more grip on a college ball.

Yes, you can.

It's easy to palm. You can control the ball, like.

And then the the NBA ball is like rough, the new one, especially as soon as you get it like out the package and you don't you don't have it broken in. It will a little slip out your hand even when like and like look at like look at my finger right now. This is from shooting NBA balls.

Like that's how rough. That's how rough it is.

He's holding up a blister, America.

That's what it is.

No, And I tell people that all the time, Like, you know, I play you know, I played college basketball. Never no, no pro, didn't sniff pro. But uh, you know that's and I still play rec league. But I know when I go to an NBA practice and sometimes the NBA team will let us shoot around before players. Are you ready to come in and speak to us? And I hate the feel of that ball. It feels like an outside ball. It feels like a ball that should be used outside. And but for me, the struggle

Do you feel comfortable with it right now? Are you comfortable?

Yeah? I've been comfortable with it.

And really the pens when you get it like right out the box and it's not broken into, it's very it's very tough to play with, like, but when it's broken into, it's not bad. Your hands get used to it probably, And I mean if you're working out three four days to really to really adjust to the ball, But.

When it's right out the packaging, it's nasty.

Yeah, And you can't go back even like when you go back to college, like say you go play, say you want to play a pickup or something like that, it's like you don't want to go back to another ball.

Because then you gotta adjust again. And that's exactly that's why I'm I'm like very superstitious like with basketball.

So when i I'm never using another ball like ever, Like if.

My homie Saint comes to the gym, I need to bring I need a break. I'm not going because I'm not using a different ball. It'll mess you up really fast.

By the way, just to clarify, the media is really not support to shoot even if the court is open, but Chris loves to just rip the ball off the rack and get a few shots to whether he's allowed to or not. If I read right, I hope I did because this this will be a question no other

So my so my numbers really thirteen, Like that's that's really my number. I was born October thirteen, two thousand and four, so like that, that's why I picked that. And they didn't have thirteen Tory Craig is actually the took that one. And my dad's birthday is the fourteenth, right after mine, and it was also close as the thirteen.

So that's that's why I picked it.

And I guess maybe when you play for Lithuania you could also wear fourteen, so your national team number could be same as your NBA number.

That's gonna it's probably gonna transition between thirteen and fourteen, I feel whatever.

The So this is a lecture that Chris has been subject to before. So when I was when I was a youngster in the seventies, there was an amazing TV show called The White Shadow and it starred a former NBA player named Kenny Reeves fictional, but he played for the Bulls and he wore number fourteen, and in the intro song of the show they show him running up and down the floor for the Bulls in number fourteen.

Has not watched yet.

But so number fourteen, that is a magic Kenny. You know, most people would say Michael Jordan, but Kenny Reeves is my favorite bull of all time. So I love that you have brought number fourteen back.

A faith player is your favorite.

Bullway, if you watch this show in the seventies, you would understand this. This was a time you gotta understand. In the seventies, NBA was not on TV. You had a better chance of seeing basketball watching this show than you could see the game. So trust me, anyone my age holds Kenny Reeves in the highest esteem. So number fourteen has some magic.

I'm check it out.

Yeah, you have to check it out.

You have to watch some clips of this show on their are clips on YouTube. This show is legendary and number fourteen for the Bulls is magical.

So I'm really glad you brought it back.

Were you hoping that Modest actually knew about that?

No, no, come on, I'm not gonna expect I'm not gonna expect.

I expect you to know you're You're not nineteen, you're forty two.

Man.

I wasn't bored in this. I was born in the eighties. I wasn't bored in seventies, so I wouldn't know that. But Modest, that would be something. Hey, you should do this. You don't have to give us no credit, but we know where it comes from. When when you when you're doing your press conference, when training camp starts, you know, media they're going to be asking you all type of

You Beloved.

I bet when you watch some clips, if you check out some clips, you're gonna go this.

This show is something else. That show was ahead of its time. All right, I've I've done my old man rambling enough. Let's get back. Let's get back to serious stuff.

I know that Yonis Valanciunas is a mentor of yours, and just tell us what's that like, because you know, just looking at him on TV, he he casts such an imposing presence, like what is it like to be mentor by mister Valentiunis?

It's good, it's good. Of course.

My dad's a physical therapist for him. He travels around wherever he goes. He also works with the national team. But I mean getting to talk to him is good because you know, he's in the NBA, he's been in the NBA for a long time.

He like never misses games.

Ever, he works extremely hard and you know, again to get to learn even.

If we don't play the same position. You know, I get to learn post moves from him. I haven't talked to him about that. I need to pick his brain.

But you know, just having somebody in the NBA that's close is always an advantage.

Miss.

I want to ask you about you know, you're a guy plays the wing, play outside, shoot, you can kind of do whatever inside out. I know Kevin Durant was your favorite player growing up. Is there a player's game established NBA players game that you probably your game probably resembles.

Yeah. I really wouldn't even say Kevin Durant is my favorite player. I've never really had a favorite player either. It was I'm just a basketball head, so I watch a lot of guys. And one thing my coach always told me is you see some nice you steal that. You steal it, you know, and that's how that's how the NBA is. If you see somebody they gotta move or something defensively, you go and steal it. That's how that's how players level up. But a player style, i'd

Is there a NBA vet or that is a Bulls player that has reached out to you since you've been drafted?

Any teammate.

I think the first one was Kobe White. Probably Daleen Terry was up there too. I think he reached out pretty close to when Kobe did. But I really everybody really reached out. Damar Zach I texted those guys, Lonzo.

So what did what did Damar tell you?

Without getting into me, what did Damorrow tell because obviously he signed with the Sacramento Kings this summer, but what what was a conversation like with him, somebody who pretty much people knew was probably on his way out.

I just I just texted him like, hey, uh, you know, just got drafted by the Bulls.

Excited to play with you? And you know I didn't.

Of course I knew like trades were happening and stuff, but I still reach out. As I said before, I'm a basketball ahead, So me again, to pick any player's brain, I think is a great, you know, great.

Thing to do.

But I texted him that, and he's just He's just like, yeah, I'm here for you whatever you need. And I texted him, I ask a lot of questions. I hope you don't think I'm annoying. So but you know, I texted every player you know, mess Josh Giddy also. But yeah, as I said before, I'm just I love basketball and I feel like I could steal a lot of things from a lot of players and learn a lot of new things.

That's the start. I wonder how that text really went started. That's pretty cool, man, Like you're texting one of your teammates as if like they don't know who you are. Hey, you know, I'm here, I'm my test I just got drafted. I'm your new I'm your new teammate.

Here's my number.

Said, that's pretty cool man for you to reach out man and do it like that.

Yeah, you know, some some guys, some guys you know, might not know who you are. So yeah, I always even if people, even if people think they know me, I still I'm still gonna say how I'm madis Bezel's you know, it doesn't it doesn't matter to me. I'm always gonna introduce myself.

I think some players really want to play at home, and then some players don't want to play in their hometown.

How do you think it will.

Be for you to play in Chicago, where you already have such a deep association.

I think it's I think it's going to be amazing. The fans are amazing there. I mean, me, me, even walking around just I'm getting noticed everywhere. It's it's honestly surreal for me.

But and three weeks ago it wasn't like that.

I mean, it was like that, but it's just a it's really another level. It was always like that because I'm from Chicago. But I mean it's I feel like it's gonna be amazing, and I want to play at home.

Ticket request, all that type of stuff. Have you ready for all that?

When you're in the NBA, you got to learn to say.

No, that's real, that's real. I still have a problem with that today.

But yeah, me too, me too.

I guess though, if you're six ' ten walking around, even before you were officially a bull, I guess that makes you stand out a little bit if you're just walking down the street. So a bit you said, I think you've said that you internationally, you do want to play for Lithuania.

So walk us through what that means to you.

I know both of your parents played played basketball in Lithuanian and you know, I've I've been really lucky in my career to be able to cover the Lithuanian national team so many time times. No team historically has given in the United States more problems. I still will never forget being at the Sydney Olympics in two thousand, early in the tournament and Lithuania nearly beat the United States and just all the journalists who blew that game off

I'd mean a lot.

My parents are from there, so I think representing where they came from, it's gonna mean a lot.

To me. I also just as I not I didn't say this before, but I just.

I want to represent where my parents came from. But I think I'm always going to play for Lithuania. Some players switch. I just I want to be in the Lithuanian culture and represent that, and you know, they always put up a fight, so I feel like.

Their fans our next level.

I mean, obviously just losing in the Olympic qualifiers in Puerto Rico, but getting from Lithuania to Puerto Rico is not a It surely could not have been an easy journey.

And I was obviously not there.

But I've actually talked to some people who were in Puerto Rico for that qualifying section and they said the Lithuanian fans traveled in huge numbers and were absolutely insane with the noise. And Puerto Rico managed to get that Olympic qualifying players too.

Yeah, so miss and Bozellis.

And me Valenteer and this wasn't there, so it was no. I honestly feel like we can win it for all, for all.

In it.

You know, Miss, we got a few more than we're gonna get you out of here, and you know you got a busy day ahead, busy week coming up.

I gotta ask you this.

So the NBA schedule is going to come out, you don't know who you're going to see first or whatnot. Two questions. Number one, what is the player you're looking forward to finally meeting or playing against? And number two? Who if you? I don't know if you're gonna engage in this, but if you do do a jersey swap, who is the first person you would want to do a jersey swap with?

First player I'd like to meet is probably KD or Paul George jersey swap ron.

Okay, you gotta do that.

Well, actually, I'm glad you mentioned him because I was gonna say I looked at the Bowl schedule. Of the four guaranteed games you have in summer League, I was hoping the Lakers were on there so we could ask you a Bronnie James question. But the Lakers are not currently on your schedule. But you guys are playing Detroit. So you're gonna play ron here in summer league. What do you think that'll be?

Like? We're we're gonna go at it. I already know what it's gonna be like.

We actually talked yesterday about I mean, honestly, the media is gonna think that we hate each other, and when we play like that's what's I feel like it might be one of them summer League games that it's gonna be like memorable because me and Ron are hyper, hyper competitive people, so I think everybody, well, the media might portray that we hate each other, but it's just us be so competitive.

So it's we're gonna go at it. That's what I'll tell you.

As it pertains to your rookie season. I know winning.

I've listened to a lot of your interviews already. Winning is a number one priority for you.

Number one.

When your rookie season is said and done, what do you want us? How do you how do you want the story to be told about your rookie season when it's all said and done.

I just want to portray to people how hard I work and how serious I take this game, and that I'll never stop learning on and off the court, and I'm a positive person.

But I want to I just want to show growth, you know.

The people, and in many different ways, defense, offense, shooting the ball, getting steals on defense, stuff like that. I want. I want to show that I could do everything, and I'm a person that's not going to stay in the same spot.

For a long time. I'm gonna get better every day.

That's one thing about me that I feel like I could separate myself from a lot of people.

You're an ambassador for a sports tech company called Better Guards.

How has their product helped you in your journey this far?

It helped me a lot, so I was never I was never really dealing with injuries until this past season, and it was extremely tough on me. But I think it made me better as a person and better guards really, I think my dad was the first one to show me, you know, how how the better guards work and the technology and how comfortable the guards are for your ankles, but also just the mobility of my ankle. It feels like a sock and it protects you in a lot of ways. But I think the main thing is the

Honestly, Madus bosellis Bulls rookie, It's been a pleasure to be here with you. We've kept you way too long, but we really appreciate it. Wishing you great luck here in Vegas in your first summer league, great luck in your debut season with the Chicago Bulls. And just since you said you have said it many times you are a hoophead. I know you're probably thinking, who is this crazy old guy asking me on all these questions.

But just do me a favor.

Some night you can't sleep, check out those clips on YouTube with a white shadow. Look up, Kenny Reeves. I think you will be surprised and you will find it. You will, you will, you will feel even better about your decision to wear number four. It is a magical number in Bull's history.

Appreciate you, guys, and that'll do it for us. See you next time. This league.

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Suck a Lockup

Chris Haines and Mark Stein