the NBA champion who prefers to take care of horses

We are used to following players who are clearly passionate about the sport they play. But, due to a joke on the internet, the Serbian Nikola Jokic he is now known for ‘hating’ playing basketball, even though he is so good. Jokes aside, the pivot of Denver Nuggets has established itself as one of the biggest names in NBA current, even showing that he preferred to be with his horses in Serbia.

Born on February 19, 1995, in the city of Sombor, the center arrived in the NBA in 2015, drafted by the Denver Nuggets with pick number 41 in the Draft. At the time, the player was practically anonymous and was far from the popularity of the first choices in that class, which contained names like Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker It is Joel Embiid.

On this day 9 years ago, Nikola Jokic was selected in the draft during a Taco Bell advertisement.pic.twitter.com/cTYVRYYd8Y

— B24 Dunk (@B24Dunk) June 26, 2023

However, the Serb’s choice drew attention for an unusual reason. When it was announced as a reinforcement of the Colorado franchise, an advertisement for the fast food chain was playing Taco Bell, showing all the relevance that the player had at the time. From a sporting perspective, Nikola’s choice had practically no repercussions, as he was a 19-year-old center who had recently started to gain minutes in the KK Mega Basketfrom his home country.

Chosen in the third round, he was treated as a ‘role player’, the famous player to make up the squad, even more so because he was a foreigner, given that many Europeans don’t even make it to the NBA – but that has been changing. Before going to the United States, Jokic played one more year in Serbia. Only in 2015 did he begin his career in the best basketball in the world, coming off the bench. But, with little time, his talent placed him in the starting five.

If you allow me to contribute to the matter, this is one of the most AMAZING scout reports I have ever seen in my entire life, done in 2014 about Nikola Jokic.

Kevin O’Connor did a SPECTACULAR job analyzing what would become Pick 41 in the 2014 Draft. https://t.co/GIq0bsjDiNpic.twitter.com/q0CxIeI6kJ

— Comrade Wood (@camarada_wood) April 18, 2024

Even though he was slow and heavy, very different from the North American center, who is strong and athletic, who protects the rim and attacks with vigor, Jokic began to attract attention and his good performance in his debut season earned him third place in the vote for Rookie of the Year (Rookie of the Year). It is worth remembering that, at first, Nikola had to compete for position with another European pivot on the Nuggets: Jusuf Nurkic. But, in the middle of the 2016/17 season, the Bosnian was traded and the Serbian took off.

Now, at 29 years old and almost 10 years into his NBA career, Nikola Jokic is a true winner. Twice MVP (2020/21 and 2021/22) and running as a big favorite for third in the current season, he was responsible for the Denver Nuggets’ impressive campaign in the 2022/23 playoffs, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in LeBron James in the conference finals and beating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the finals, being named Finals MVP.

Indifference to individual titles

Jokic has always made it clear that he doesn’t care about awards that establish him as an individual player, stating that the honors mean nothing to him and has always valued the collective achievements of his team. The contempt is so great that the Serb lost the finals MVP trophy and no longer knows where it is.

With a very calm celebration after becoming NBA champion, unlike many players who take the opportunity to let off steam, Jokic said in interviews as winner of the finals things like: “The job is done, we can go home now”, “Yes, I need to go home. On Sundays, my horses run.” It is “Basketball is not the main thing in my life. It’s just something I’m good at.”

Off-court passions

Being good at basketball doesn’t move Nikola Jokic’s heart, but other things off the court do. Romantic and very familiar, the Serbian is married to his compatriot Natalija Jokic since October 2020. But their relationship goes back further than that, because when the player moved to Denver in 2015, she accompanied him.

The star has played every basketball game with his wedding ring tied to the lace of his left shoe since the day the union was formalized four seasons ago. “I put my wedding ring on my sneakers simply because it’s family. They are always by my side, and I just want to give them love.”said Jokic.

Using dad’s trophy as drums 🥁

The Jokic family 💕 pic.twitter.com/wmLVUCEIHs

— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2023

While most of the Nuggets players celebrated the NBA title with their teammates, Jokic preferred to share a more intimate moment with his brothers, his wife and his daughter, Ognjenawho stole the show at the trophy presentation by standing next to his father.

Dream of taking care of horses

But, his true passion is far from the United States. Jokic usually spends his holidays in his hometown of 47,000 inhabitants in Serbia, where he can take care of his horses. Admiration for this type of animal dates back much further. In 2020, during an interview with “The Athletic”, Nikola revealed that he was 12 years old when he watched a horse race for the first time. The passion was immediate.

Surprise in Sombor✈️🇷🇸 We flew to Serbia to surprise the BACK-TO-BACK MVP! And, wow, this moment was special. pic.twitter.com/aFvIEDgnSj

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 11, 2022

“I like being close to them and noticing their different characteristics. You can tell as they work that they are basically just like us. They are athletes, runners. They are magnificent creatures.”said the Serb.

Nikola bought his first horse, the Dream Catcherafter starting his career in the NBA, who to this day is defined as a “friend” by the athlete. “He doesn’t talk, but we can talk, you know?”, stated the player. The Serbian was riding a horse when he received his second MVP award, being surprised by members of the Nuggets who traveled to Serbia to present him with the trophy, including Brazilian fitness coach and personal friend, Felipe Eichenberger. “My dream is to move back to Serbia and become a hazing coach after my basketball career”he revealed.

Nikola Jokic Is Too Busy Scouting Horses To Be Worried About Whatever The Hell Else Going On In The NBA https://t.co/Ej47APICxIpic.twitter.com/cW1L197V3n

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 17, 2023