NIKOLA Mirotic entertained NBA fans for years before deciding to return to Europe and never looking back.

The 32-year-old former NBA big man continued his basketball career in Europe and revealed the moment that impacted his decision to return.

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Nikola Mirotic spent five years in the NBACredit: Getty

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Nikola Mirotic shared why he walked away from the NBA for EuropeCredit: Getty
Mirotic spent five seasons in the NBA, jumping from city to city and playing for three teams.

He expressed displeasure with his role in the NBA and detailed in an interview with Eurohoops when he decided to return to Europe while sitting at the airport.

"I felt that time was passing, and I had not played the best basketball of my life, although it was very good," Mirotic said.

"As soon as I didn't feel that joy and happiness to improve. I said it was time to go back and do something bigger in Europe."

"For me, the most important thing has always been enjoying the game, being happy, an important piece, trying to win the titles and, if I'm not in that environment, I don't care about all the money. I'm going away."

Mirotic was a standout athlete growing up. He joined Real Madrid at 14 in 2005 and spent several seasons there before entering his name into the NBA draft.

The Houston Rockets selected him with the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 draft.

That draft was loaded and featured superstars Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, and several other NBA All-Stars.

However, Mirotic didn't come to the NBA until 2015 after electing to stay in Spain for a few more seasons — by this time he had been traded to the Chicago Bulls.

He would go on to make the All-NBA rookie in his first season and spent the three with the Bulls, but a nasty fight in practice with a teammate ended his tenure with the team.

In 2017, Mirotic and teammate Bobby Portis got into an altercation, resulting in multiple facial fractures for Mirotic.

He would go on to play for the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks before heading back home to play.

Mirotic made over $41million during his time in the NBA and continues to play in Europe.

He's expected to sign with Partizan Mozzart Bet of the EuroLeague, where he averaged 15.9 points a game last season.

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He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 2011 NBA draftCredit: Getty

The Palace has be warned that a potential move could spark backlash from the public if it’s given the go ahead.

A royal expert has claimed that it’s unlikely that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be stripped of their titles.

Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty Magazine, told The Royal Beat that it’s unlikely Meghan, 42, and Prince Harry, 39, will be stripped of their royal titles by King Charles III, even though they quit their royal duties in 2020.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception for young people at the Palace of Holyrood House on February 13, 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo: Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool/Getty Images.
“I don’t think anything will happen to the titles because, if they lose their titles, Harry is still a prince of the blood and Meghan, instead of being the Duchess of Sussex, [would] be Princess Henry,” Seward said, according to The Mirror.

She went on to suggest that were the Palace to strip the pair of the titles it could be seen as “unkind” move by the public.

“That really would [confuse the Americans],” she added. “I think [it’s] probably best just to leave it because it looks unkind, it looks unnecessary.”

Prince Harry was born Prince Henry Charles Albert David, but goes by Harry. If Meghan lost her title as Duchess of Sussex, she would technically be called Princess Henry, since it’s royal tradition that a princess takes an official title with her husband’s name.

The same rule applies for Kate Middleton, who is technically Princess William — but is referred to as the Princess of Wales.

A royal expert has claimed it’s “unlikely” that the Palace would take such a step. Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images.
Seward said Harry and Meghan will likely be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex forever.

“The Queen gave them the titles, let them keep them – they’re going to be ‘H and M’ anyway,” she said.

“I think the best thing is to leave them, ignore them, and let them get on with it – which is really what the Palace and the Royal Family are doing.”

Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior working members of the Royal Family in 2020, and they now live in California with their two children Archie, four, and Lilibet two.

Royal author Tom Quinn recently claimed that Charles, 75, and William, 41, “have had lengthy discussions about stripping” the couple of their royal titles.

However, he doesn’t believe the king and his heir will make the move.

“They are terrified this would backfire and make the situation worse,” Quinn told The Mirror last month. “The last thing they want is to give the renegade royals something else to complain about.”