The NBA G League docuseries The Break is in its second season, and one of the players featured this year is Matas Buzelis. The 19-year-old Buzelis, a 6’10”, 204-pound small forward from Chicago who plays for the G League Ignite developmental team, is featured in the top five or six of many current NBA mock drafts.
Buzelis recently spoke to AA on choosing the G League and on his involvement in The Break, which is part of a larger G League sponsorship from The General. There, he said he really appreciates the chance to take on pro players.
“You get to play against the best players, professionals. That’s why I chose it.”
He said it’s quite something to be playing with and against people who have been professionals for a decade or more in some cases, and they have a lot of little tricks that he can learn from.
“They know the game really well. It’s kind of difficult at first. But once you get the gist of it, you can get into the role.”
Buzelis said he’s also learned a lot about the importance of taking care of himself off the court from those veterans.
“It takes a lot of dedication. Every day I have to be 100 percent ready to practice. You have to take care of your body and your recovery. It’s not just the practice; you have to take care of your body and eat good food. It’s like a full-time job.”
Buzelis said the G League also lets him fully focus on developing as a basketball player rather than trying to balance that with academics.
“You get to put your 100 percent focus into basketball. College, you have to go to class, and I feel like you’re only 80 percent basketball, 20 percent school, you’re not fully in playing basketball. But also, you get to play against professional players, and you don’t get to do that in college.”
And he said the overall experience has been quite beneficial for him.
“It’s been a good experience. I love it here, and I wouldn’t pick any other path.”
As for his involvement in The Break, where he’s one of the key featured figures in for season two (alongside Juan Toscano Anderson of the Mexico City Capitanes and Rip City Remix player development coach Eugene “Pooh” Jeter), Buzelis said he appreciates that platform.
“It’s honestly a blessing, having my own show people can watch. It’s pretty cool. I can brag to people that I have my own show.”
And while that role comes with a need to provide a lot of access for the documentarians, Buzelis said he’s fine with the spotlight.
“I’m used to that. Since high school, the camera’s been on me, so it’s not really that crazy.”
Through the rest of the G League season, Buzelis said he’s looking to grow both physically and mentally.
“It’s just getting stronger and learning the professional game,” he said. “I’m just trying to progress and be the best player I can be and get drafted to the NBA. That’s my goal.”
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.