To truly get Nikola Jokic, the uncanny nuances of his skill-set and genuine personality that’s rare among today’s All-Star caliber players across the NBA, you have to travel more than 5,000 miles to his hometown Sombor, Serbia. That’s where the 22-year-old cut his chops as a self-anointed “fat point guard,” and started to develop into one of the more unique players both on and off the court that has ever graced the professional ranks.
There, you’ll find a city tucked away in Serbia’s northwest corner pressed up against Croatia and Hungary’s border. Sombor’s population is approximately 1/10th the size of Denver and with just a few main roads and not much else, it’s a no-thrills locale that exemplifies their native son.
Take a glance around the semi-circle that makes up the Nuggets’ plush locker room that’s a little over two years old and you’ll see Gary Harris rocking a head-to-toe BAPE ensemble or the latest underground clothing line to hit the streets. To his left is Will Barton, donning a Protect The Family jacket and chain (Barton’s clothing line) that’s shining so bright he needs the latest Tom Ford-brand sunglasses to shield his eyes.
Across the room, Jamal Murray and Malik Beasley pull their matching Givenchy sweatshirts over their heads and Kenneth Faried takes a minute to align his Cartier frames just right before speaking to the assembled group of reporters ready to banter ‘The Manimal’ about the half-court alley-oop he seemingly pulled out of mid-air an hour ago.
The guy who threw Faried that pass sits to his left. Jokic will answer Harris’ fit, Barton’s ensemble and Faried’s flare every night with a Nike sweatsuit. Sure, he’s still on a rookie contract that pays the third-year pro $1.47 million this year and has to be mindful of his investments at the ripe age of 22. But it’s hard to see ‘The Joker’ changing his getup even when he signs what will likely be a max-level contract next summer or in 2019.
Like his hometown, Jokic isn’t flashy and doesn’t seek attention. He’d rather slip out of the arena to play video games instead of a night out on the town.
He’s a no-thrills NBA star — something that’s incredibly rare in today’s social-media driven, virality-reliant and 24/7 media-crazed world that professional basketball players live at the forefront of.
The team-first Jokic isn’t a hard guy to please. He requires a court, a ball and four teammates willing to cut, move and have fun. Maybe that’s because in Sombor, the courts Jokic says he got thousands of shots up on this summer resemble WWII-era gyms rather than the state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar warehouses where many of today’s stars train.
But Jokic, who you’ll find off the court usually cooped up in a low-key Denver apartment with one of his two older brothers and his long-term girlfriend just wants to play basketball, run point-center, dish out highlight-worthy assists from the top of the three-point arc and get buckets. It’s a simple life really for the big man who could garner his first All-Star selection in his third NBA season.
“I like this team, to be honest,” Jokic said in front of his locker after a win earlier this year where a ribbon that his horse Dreamcatcher won in Serbia this summer — a victory Nuggets’ coach Michael Malone witnessed during his trip in June — hangs in all its glory.
Those seven words may seem insignificant on the surface, but they represent who Jokic is and what his wants and needs are going to be throughout his NBA career that’s just getting started.
The Nuggets play an unselfish brand of basketball, where all five players are in constant motion. For most of them, it’s not important who scores or who gets the recognition in wins or the blame in losses. It’s a full team effort night in and night out, just how Jokic likes it.
“He gets greater joy out of making everyone around him better,” Malone said. “He’s not about the spotlight. Doesn’t have an ego.”
The organization hopes he never changes. They want him to be this same Nikola, who’s all about the team, forever. Someone who is authentic and never tries to be what he’s not. And even with life-changing money just around the corner, odds are he’ll still be the same Jokic. And that’s why he deserves our gratitude.
While off the court, Jokic is a mild-mannered jokester, on the court, it’s another story.
Jokic is a fierce competitor, someone who hates losing. He’s perplexed when reporters ask him about notching a triple-double (which Jokic had six of last year) in a loss or his 29-point outing earlier this year in a narrow defeat against the Wizards which came two days after he went scoreless in Denver’s home opener, which they won easily.
“I scored and we lost, so maybe it’s better for me to not score,” Jokic said.
While he usually posts gaudy stat lines while dominating the ebbs and flows of a game on the regular, the numbers are meaningless without a win.
Jokic is special because he’s refreshing and pure compared to today’s typical professional athlete. The lumbering 6-foot-10 Serbian is innocent in his everyday demeanor, is kind-hearted and caring to those around him, but a killer on the court.
His last tweet was more than seven months ago. The only time he’ll get on Instagram is to endorse a brand or company and he’s not on Snapchat. Jokic will usually only surface organically on social media via his long-term girlfriend.
The Joker said it was funny earlier this season when fans chanted M.V.P. as he was on his way to a career-high 41 points in a home win over the Nets. Asked afterward if he has to be a bit selfish when he’s really in an offensive groove, Jokic said: “If you pass the ball, the ball will find you.”
He apologized to his team after bumping Wizards coach Scott Brooks in that same game against Washington, in which he scored 41. He apologized again to the entire Denver Nuggets organization after receiving an unwarranted ejection against the Lakers on Sunday. Early last season, Jokic volunteered to come off the bench and did when it was clear the frontcourt pairing of him and Jusuf Nurkic wasn’t working.
He’s all about the team, in every way, shape and form. Jokic isn’t the yell-in-your-face type leader that fans might want him to be but can step up when needed. Against the Kings — the first game Paul Millsap missed with a sprained left wrist — Malone called upon Jokic to be more vocal and on the court and in huddles, he was.
Maybe that’s the next phase of his game.
Jokic just wants to play ball. He has no desire to be in the spotlight. “It’s too much for me,” he said after an early-November practice. “We are just basketball players.”
Asked bluntly if he wants to be famous? Jokic said he “just wants to play basketball” and that “Thrill (Will Barton) should be a superstar.”
The ambiance around a star player like Jokic is so rare that it should be cherished and appreciated. His honest and no bullshit approach is a one-of-a-kind act in today’s NBA. And while his innocence could fade with age and his personality could begin to shift to a slightly more serious tone once he’s gone through a playoff series, the free-spirit and genuineness that he carries will likely never change.
And because of that, we should be thankful.
