Nikola Pekovic definitely isn't the best-known basketball player, but the Minnesota Timberwolves center has been working on changing that since being inserted into the starting lineup. Despite his rough demeanor, however, the Montenegran maintains that he's a pretty good dude.
In fact, according to a feature on Pekovic in Monday's Star Tribune, he's just a big teddy bear.
"Sometimes people get the wrong impression about me," he said. "I'm just a normal guy."
His teammates attest to that.
"Pek is a big teddy bear," forward Anthony Tolliver said.
Pek, a teddy bear?
"He has two personalities," Tolliver said. "One on the court, which is a big brute, big monster. Off the court, he likes to have fun, likes to laugh, jokes around a lot."
Looking at his tattoos, the gnarly beard and everything else, it's tough to think of Pekovic as a teddy bear. If he's able to flip a switch and take on that demeanor off the court, though? That's awesome.
For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NBA hub at SB Nation's NBA page.