Matas Buzelis has already started carving out a reputation with the Chicago Bulls, and a big part of that comes from the way he carries himself. Since beginning in 2024, the young forward has flashed the kind of confidence that turns heads fast: the acrobatic plays, the viral moments, the constant sense that he’s willing to put in the extra work.
That edge, according to Buzelis, is tied in part to Kevin Durant - along with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. He told those NBA legends that Durant is the model he wants to follow as he keeps developing.
“I'd say it gives me even more confidence,” Buzelis said. “But he's so real, man.
Like he cares so much about basketball and you can see it. I actually saw him recently.
So I've been, you know, I talked to him about some of my routine stuff that I do and how he approaches the game. Talked about the mid-range, but he's so real, man.
Like he really tells you the truth. He loves basketball.
You can really see that and you have to appreciate somebody like that, man.”
Durant is heading into his 19th NBA season and his second with the Houston Rockets. Buzelis, meanwhile, is preparing for his third year with the Bulls, and he’s been attacking the offseason with a very specific goal in mind: getting bigger and stronger.
He told Carter and McGrady that he hired a chef and added 12 pounds, all in the effort to build himself into his own version of Durant.
The target is clear: athletic, versatile, and stronger than yesterday.
Buzelis backed up the progress last season, when he averaged a career-high 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds across 77 games.
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Bulls Rebuild Comes With A Timeline Fans May Hate
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Nohs outlook points to a team that could eventually climb back into the playoff mix, but only after more roster building and another major round of flexibility arrives in 2027. The idea is that Chicago would still be waiting to turn that groundwork into something more stable by the end of the decade, with a younger core and enough resources to keep adding around it. [Read more 🡒]