Nikola Vučević

Vučević missed the first eight games of the season while waiting to have his amateur status confirmed by the NCAA Clearinghouse. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 23 games in three starts. Vučević played in his first game with USC on 15 December 2008, against Pepperdine, and had two points, two blocks, and two rebounds in six minutes. He made his first start of the season on 24 January 2009, at Washington State in the Trojans' 46–44 win with a season-high eight points and five rebounds. He also scored eight points on 9 February 2009 at UCLA, and in his second start of the season on 19 February against Washington State. Vučević had a season-best seven rebounds in that game and matched that total on 5 March 2009, vs. Oregon. Vučević scored six points and had four rebounds in the NCAA second-round loss to Michigan State on 22 March. In all, he made 57.8 percent of his shots from the field (26-for-45).

Vučević with the USC Trojans in February 2011

Vučević began to excel in his sophomore season. He scored 18 points and had eight rebounds in the first game of the season against UC Riverside on 17 November 2009, both totals better than any of his freshman games. Vučević had 18 points and 14 rebounds at Texas on 3 December 2009. He scored a career-high 19 points and had 11 rebounds vs. Loyola Marymount on 21 November 2009, for his first career double-double. He matched his career high with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting at UCLA on 16 January 2010, scoring 17 points in the second half. By the end of the year, he had led USC in scoring five times and in rebounding 20 times, including the last nine games.

Overall, he was the second-best scorer and leading rebounder on the Trojans, with 10.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Vučević led the Pac-10 with 283 rebounds and offensive rebounds per game (6.3) and his 39 blocks were the fourth most in the conference. Vučević's .504 shooting percentage (126-for-250) led USC and was seventh best in the Pac-10. Vučević was named the 2009–10 Pac-10 Most Improved Player, and earned all-Pac-10 second team and Pac-10 honorable-mention all-defensive team honors.[8] He had the second-most blocks ever in a season by a Trojan sophomore and the third-most rebounds. Vučević started all 30 games for USC and posted 10 double-doubles.

As a junior, Vucevic was picked to the Fourth Team All-America by Fox Sports[9] and was named to the All-Pac-10 first team. In March 2011, Vučević announced that he would give up his senior year to enter the NBA draft. The website NBAdraft.net projected him as the 23rd pick in the draft.[10]

During his stint with the Trojans, Vučević averaged 11.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.[11]

On 23 June 2011, Vučević was drafted with the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.[12] During the 2011 NBA lockout, Vučević played for Montenegrin team Budućnost Podgorica. Following the conclusion of the lockout, he returned to the United States and signed his rookie scale contract with the 76ers on 9 December 2011.[13] On 22 February 2012, Vučević scored a season-high 18 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets.[14]

Vučević in December 2012

On 10 August 2012, Vučević was traded to the Orlando Magic in a four-team trade involving Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, Arron Afflalo, Andre Iguodala, and other players.[15] On 31 December 2012, in an overtime loss to the Miami Heat, Vučević set a franchise record with 29 rebounds.[16] On 10 April 2013, he recorded his second straight 20/20 game with a career-high 30 points and 20 rebounds in a 113–103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.[17]

On 6 November 2013, Vučević recorded a career-high tying 30 points and 21 rebounds in a 98–90 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[18] Vučević's strong play over the second half of the 2013–14 season was noticeable on 28 March 2014 when he dominated the Charlotte Bobcats. He overcame a slow start shooting the ball to finish the game with 24 points and 23 rebounds in an overtime victory. Vučević made nine of his last 11 shots to lead a Magic rally in the second half, while also grabbing 16 first-half rebounds and 10 offensive boards in the game, marking the sixth 20-point, 20-rebound game of his career.[19]

On 23 October 2014, Vučević signed a four-year, $53 million contract extension with the Magic.[20][21] On 3 April 2015, he scored a career-high 37 points in a 97–84 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[22]

On 11 November 2015, Vučević didn't start for the Magic against the Los Angeles Lakers, returning to action after a three-game absence with a right knee contusion. Vučević, who had started all 223 games for the Magic over his four-season tenure, came off the bench for the first time and scored 18 points, including a fallaway 18-footer at the buzzer to lift the Magic over the Lakers 101–99.[23] Vučević averaged 18.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his first 12 games of December (1–23 December).[24] Shaquille O'Neal is the only other Magic player to reach those numbers in one month in franchise history.[25] On 7 February 2016, he scored 22 points and hit an 18-footer at the buzzer to lead the Magic over the Atlanta Hawks 96–94, winning for only the third time in 18 games in 2016.[26] On 23 February, he scored a season-high 35 points in a 124–115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[27] On 31 March, he returned to action after missing the previous 13 games with a right groin strain.[28] He subsequently came off the bench for just the second in his Magic tenure, as he scored 24 points in a 114–94 win over the Indiana Pacers.[29] He came off the bench for a further three games before returning to the starting line-up on 8 April against the Miami Heat, where he scored a game-high 29 points in a 112–109 win.[30]

Vučević started in all 16 games for the Magic to start the 2016–17 season, coming off the bench for just the sixth time in his Magic tenure on 27 November 2016 against the Milwaukee Bucks.[31] Vučević continued to come off the bench throughout December, while also missing three games between 10 and 14 December with a back injury.[32] On 20 December, he had a season-high 26 points and 12 rebounds off the bench in a 136–130 double overtime win over the Miami Heat.[33] He regained his starting spot in mid-January, and as a result, he hit 13 of 18 shots, scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Magic to a 115–109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on 13 January.[34] On 7 February 2017, he had 14 points and a season-high 19 rebounds in a 128–104 loss to the Houston Rockets.[35] On 11 March 2017, in a 116–104 loss to Cleveland, Vučević had a team-high 20 points and 16 rebounds after missing the previous four games with a sore right Achilles.[36] On 10 April 2017, he grabbed 10 rebounds against Chicago to move ahead of Shaquille O'Neal into second place in franchise history, trailing only Dwight Howard.[37]

On 20 October 2017, Vučević scored a career-high 41 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 126–121 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.[38] On 9 December 2017, he recorded his first career triple-double with game highs of 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 117–110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.[39] He became the first Magic center to record a triple-double with assists—Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard each accomplished it with blocks.[40] On 23 December 2017, he suffered a fractured left hand against the Washington Wizards and was subsequently ruled out for six to eight weeks.[41] He returned to action on 22 February 2018 against the New York Knicks after missing 23 games, recording 19 points and six rebounds in a 120–113 loss.[42] On 14 March 2018, he recorded 22 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a 126–117 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.[43]

On 20 October 2018, Vučević recorded his second career triple-double with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a 116–115 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.[44] On 17 November, he had a season-high 36 points and 13 rebounds in a 130–117 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[45] Eight days later, he had 31 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in a 108–104 win also against the Lakers.[46] Prior to the second match-up against the Lakers, Lakers coach Luke Walton described Vučević as a "nightmare to matchup [sic] with" because of the versatility of his offensive game.[46] Following the 108–104 win, Lakers forward LeBron James noted that "He's (Vučević) got our number this year. All you can say."[46] On 6 January, Vučević had 16 points and 24 rebounds in a 106–96 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[47] On 31 January, he received his first All-Star selection in his eight-year career, earning Eastern Conference reserve honours.[48] He became the Magic's first All-Star since Dwight Howard in 2012.[49] On 17 March, he scored 17 of his 27 points in the first eight minutes of the game and added 20 rebounds in a 101–91 win over the Atlanta Hawks.[50] Vučević helped the Magic go 22–9 over the final 31 games of the season to clinch their first playoff berth since 2012.[51] In game one of the Magic's first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors, Vučević scored 11 points in a 104–101 upset victory.[51] They went on to lose to the Raptors in five games.[52]

Vučević entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.[53] On June 30, 2019, he signed a four-year, $100 million contract to remain with the Magic.

Though largely credited to a balanced attack, Vučević has played a key role in the hot start by the Orlando Magic.[54]

On February 5, 2021, Vučević scored a career-high 43 points, grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds and dished out 4 assists in a 123–119 win over the Chicago Bulls. He succeeded in two free throw shots with 2.6 seconds left to play, ending the Magic's fourth losing streak.[55][56][57]