Matas Buzelis

Matas Buzelis's Biography

Matas Arvidas Buzelis, born on October 13, 2004, is a prominently recognized Lithuanian-American basketball player. Buzelis presently holds a professional position within the renowned Chicago Bulls team, a prominent faction of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the history of the NBA drafts, the Chicago Bulls selected Buzelis as the 11th overall player in the 2024 NBA draft.

Buzelis emerged from the city of Hinsdale in Illinois. He inherited the basketball skills from both his parents, who played the sport professionally in Lithuania before relocating to the United States. Settling in the Chicago area, they introduced Buzelis to varied sporting activities, starting with gymnastics school alongside his siblings. After showing exemplary performance in swimming and most notably in under–10 and under–12 breaststroke categories in Illinois, Buzelis gradually ascended to basketball.

Receiving his education from Hinsdale Central High School, Buzelis made it to their sophomore team as a freshman. However, his basketball season suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, leading to his transfer to Brewster Academy. At this boarding school located in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Buzelis poured his basketball passion into the field, earning notable awards like the New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. He was commended for recording an average of 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. Further affirming his growing excellence in the sport, he was selected to play for Team World in the 2022 Nike Hoops Summit.

Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas became Buzelis’s next educational and sports hub. His senior year saw him achieve an average of 15.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, whilst maintaining a commendable shooting record of 54% from the field, 42.4% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free-throw line.

Buzelis’s exceptional rule on the court justified his selection to participate in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game. Moreover, he took part in the Basketball Without Borders camp during the 2023 NBA All-Star weekend, bagging the prestigious MVP title. His consistent performance and growing basketball prowess grasped the attention of major recruiting services, ranking Buzelis as a unanimous five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class. Bearing this recognition, Buzelis made the significant decision to play professionally for NBA G League Ignite, despite having options from esteemed universities like Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida State, and Wake Forest.

Buzelis cemented his NBA trajectory when, on May 31, 2023, he signed with the NBA G League Ignite officially. Throughout the 2023–24 NBA G League season, Buzelis maintained an average of 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. Climbing up the ladder to the NBA, he earned the 11th overall selection by the Chicago Bulls during the 2024 NBA draft.

Witnessing Buzelis’s unique size and impeccable gameplay, teams initially projected him as a top five player, particularly guessed to be picked by the Detroit Pistons. However, other teams passed on Buzelis, making way for the Chicago Bulls to scoop him up. Officially joining the Bulls on July 2, 2024, he ventured onto his first NBA game on October 23, 2024, against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Apart from his shining career in America, Buzelis also devoted himself to representing Lithuania in international basketball competitions. He officially committed to the Lithuania men’s national basketball team on July 21, 2022, earning recognition from the Lithuanian Basketball Federation as a member of the Lithuanian national team.

Hailing from a lineage of basketball enthusiasts and talented sportspeople, Buzelis’s family includes his grandfathers, both former basketball players. His mother, Kristina Jankauskaitė, a promising basketball player in her generation, and his father, Aidas Buzelis, a former basketball player and masseur for the Lithuanian men’s basketball team, contributed greatly to Buzelis’s passion for the game.

Fluent in both English and Lithuanian, Matas Arvidas Buzelis has not only been a beacon for basketball enthusiasts but also an embodiment of cultural diversity in sports. His journey from being a local player to a professional one in the NBA exemplifies hard work, passion, and commitment. Quickly ascending through the ranks, his star is anticipated to continue shining brightly in the years to come.