Why is Nikola Jokic in such a hurry to get back to Serbia?
Jun 13, 2023, 12:02 PM
DENVER—A dream came true Monday night in Denver but it’s a dream Nikola Jokic is trying to catch back in Serbia that has him antsy to go home.
Jokic has a few loves in life, his family, friends, teammates, basketball and of course horse racing. His horse stable Dream Catcher, named after his favorite equine, has a big race coming on Sunday. Of course at seven-foot tall horse racing for Jokic himself is not the best option, most jockeys are closer to five feet tall, but he’s still said it’s his favorite sport. Partially Jokic enjoys harness racing.
NBATV asked Jokic what his next few weeks look like.
“Thursday parade… I’m going to ask Josh (Kroenke) to give me a plane,” he laughed. “I did it on TV, yes. I put him under pressure. I did, I don’t feel bad at all.”
"On Sundays, I have my horse racing" ☠️
Even after being crowned champion, The Joker is only worried about one thing 🤣🏇 pic.twitter.com/n3VmVZzk3I
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 13, 2023
For all Jokic has done for Josh and the Kroenke family, you gotta figure they can gas up a private jet and get the greatest Denver Nuggets player ever back to where he wants to be. Plus the route isn’t unfamiliar, the team flew to Sombor last summer to hand Jokic his NBA MVP in person.
Coming off back-to-back MVP seasons Jokic’s Finals MVP gave Denver their first-ever title in over 50 years of playing hoops. He’s undisputedly the best Nuggets player ever and maybe a signature shoe is coming soon. Nike is now promoting Denver’s star. He certainly won’t care if he gets one or not, but his popularity is peaking, just like his play.
Jokic was the first player ever to score a 30-point triple-double with 20 or more rebounds in an NBA Finals game. He finished the five-game series as the MVP after playing 20 games with a 16-4 record in these playoffs, scoring 30 points per game on 55% shooting, 45% from deep with 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 helpers a night.
The Nuggets finished with the second-best playoff record since 2003, only passed by the 2018 Golden State Warriors.
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