Speaking with the media for the first time since getting jawed by Bobby Portis during a practice altercation, Nikola Mirotic says he is ready to move on. When asked to give his side of the story Mirotic didn’t budge, opting for discretion over pettiness.
“I will not comment on anything in the past. I’m here just to support them,” Mirotic said. “If I’m here it means my team needs me.”
“Bobby & me, and the team, we’re doing what we’re supposed to do and being professional.”
When asked by the media if Portis was aware his apology has been accepted Mirotic responded,
“I guess he will know now.”
Full video of Nikola Mirotic addressing the media earlier today:
➡️https://t.co/0N5tkpSa9G⬅️ pic.twitter.com/3gQRYfQDQj
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 29, 2017
So much for Mirotic’s ultimatum I guess…
Mirotic accepts apology
Perhaps he came to his senses and realized that these things happen all the time in sports. Chicago’s own favorite adopted son Michael Jordan was known for berating and sometimes physically abusing his teammates– and he surely isn’t the exception. How about Kobe? He sure as hell would have called Niko soft as Charmin. Bottom line, athletics are emotional for everyone involved. That’s what makes them the fantastic spectacle they are.
So good on Mirotic for realizing that.
Or perhaps John Paxson, who is all too familiar with scuffles in his own right, (cough, Vinny Del Negro) put the kibosh on that in his own Paxson way. Who knows.
All that matters is that this nonsense is finally put to rest and none of us have to talk about or see it anymore.
So now, to this story I say,
“I missed the game a lot while I was watching my guys far from home. Very positive now…”
That’s about as good a response as we could have hoped for from good ol’ Niko.
