He could be Barça’s first number 1 in the NBA draft and preaching the values of La Masia: “It’s something you don’t hear”
Nikola Kusturica In February he became the youngest in Barça history to score a basket in ACB and now the kid who has turned the United States upside down as soon as he landed in the NCAA with his 17 years old.
The 2.03 Serbian forward is the new apple of the eye of the prestigious university of UCLA and has not needed much to attract attention in America: he did not stand out as much with 9 points in his debut against the Arizona Wildcats of Bryce James -LeBron’s other son-, but he broke out with 29 in UCLA’s beating of North Florida on Friday (114-63).
And as is normal, in the United States they can’t stop talking about the child prodigy trained at FC Barcelona. But precocity does not overwhelm or disturb Kusturica, a candidate for number 1 in the 2028 draft.
“What was going through my mind? Honestly nothing, just keep playing,” said the forward in statements collected by Yahoo Sports. “Shot after shot, shot and I don’t even think. I don’t think like ‘I’m unstoppable’. I just kept shooting,” highlighted the forward, remaining humble and with his feet on the ground to proclaim the values of La Masia that he learned in his three years at the Barça club.
The Balkan amazed with an almost perfect 10/12 on field goals and a 4/6 in triples and is marveling with his overall versatility, defensive ability and ability to generate shots. He signed a two-year contract worth 12 million dollars, more than what LeBron James will earn in his two years with the Sixers -8 million-, but there is already more talk about his talent than about his salary and even the demanding UCLA coach, Mick Cronin surrenders to him.
“He didn’t have turnovers with the ball in his hands all the time, which you don’t hear from a freshman. He has a maturity inappropriate for his age,” highlighted Aday Mara’s former coach.
Another Barça youth player making his NCAA debut as Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje He is also a candidate to be number 1 in the 2028 draft.
Playing for Duke alongside the former Barcelona player Dame Sarr, Boumtje Boumtje won the Junior Euroleague in May together with Kusturica, in which Barça beat Real Madrid. Now, the NBA is preparing to bid hard for them. La Masia products had to be.
