It was barely dawn when Nikola Jokic’s hardcore fans in his Serbian hometown of Sombor chanted «MVP! MVP!» and celebrated the Denver Nuggets’ first NBA title.
Denver trailed the Miami Heat at halftime of Game 5 but rallied to win 94-89, with two-time league MVP Jokic scoring 28 points and 16 rebounds and collecting the most valuable player trophy. of the NBA Finals.
Every shot, rebound or block the Serbian center made drew loud cheers and whoops from a decrepit sports hall in the sleepy little town in northern Serbia near the borders with Croatia and Hungary, where fans watched the game on a big screen. .
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People react watching a live broadcast of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat at a sports arena in the northern Serbian city of Sombor, Tuesday, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
The loudest ovation came when the typically humble and stone-faced Jokic said in a post-game on-court interview: «It’s time to go home.»
Soon, those fans who spent all-nighters watching the NBA Finals will see him in person when he returns home to care for his racehorses.
For the small Balkan state of just over 6 million inhabitants, June has been a month that few will forget. A Serbian sweep gave Jokic his first NBA ring and tennis star Novak Djokovic a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles when he won the French Open on Sunday.
«It’s just unbelievable,» Jokic’s father, Branislav, who runs a local harness-racing club on the outskirts of Sombor, said in an interview. «I don’t think this great achievement can ever be repeated.»
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It was barely dawn when Nikola Jokic’s hardcore fans in his Serbian hometown of Sombor chanted MVP, MVP and celebrated the Denver Nuggets’ first NBA title. Denver trailed the Miami Heat at halftime of Game 5, but rallied to win 94-89. Two-time league MVP Jokic recorded 28 points and 16 rebounds and was voted NBA Finals MVP. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
The stables are called Dream Catcher after the name of the first racehorse Jokic bought years ago, as he developed a passion for horses and horse racing.
Not far away is a basketball court where Jokic first trained near his elementary school, which features a large wall painting of him in the Nuggets’ No. 15 jersey and an inscription: «Don’t be afraid to fail big.»
Branislav Jokic, wearing a blue Denver Nuggets jersey, said no one could have predicted Nikola’s success as a basketball player as he transitioned from a small-town talent, «who was a little overweight at one point «, to move to the regional league and then sign his first contract with the Nuggets.
«He had something special inside of him. I rarely mention it today, but I just knew he would be a good basketball player,» he said. «But as to what heights he would reach, no one could have known then.»
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A mural depicting Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is painted on a wall at his former school in the northern Serbian city of Sombor, Monday, June 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Branislav Jokic said that although his son has trained hard to reach the highest level, his mind was always on the love of horses.
“He began to grow, both in height and size, and he began to realize that he could be a basketball player, but he had a great desire in those days. He would say, ‘Dad, I want to be a rider. ‘ And I used to tell him: ‘Son, first become a basketball player and then you will become a great jockey,'» Branislav Jokic said.
Jokic became the lowest drafted player (41st overall in the second round in 2014) to win finals MVP. He also became the third second-round pick to win the award.
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People react to watching a live broadcast of Game 5 of the NBA Basketball Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat at a sports arena in the northern Serbian city of Sombor on Tuesday, June 13. It was barely dawn when Nikola Jokic’s hardcore fans in his Serbian hometown of Sombor sang MVP, MVP and celebrated the Denver Nuggets’ first NBA title. Denver trailed the Miami Heat at halftime of Game 5, but rallied to win 94-89. Two-time league MVP Jokic recorded 28 points and 16 rebounds and was voted NBA Finals MVP. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Jokic also became the first player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in points scored, rebounds, and assists. With 600 points, 269 rebounds and 190 total assists, he led all three categories.
Jokic and Djokovic, once-in-a-generation athletes who grew up a distance of 2 1/2 hours in a country not much more populous than Colorado, have been on the quest to win titles and set records that have marked their names. in the history books.
«Sport is something special in Serbia. We have Novak, who is probably the best ever, Novak is the best ever for us, now we have an NBA champion,» Jokic told a news conference. «It’s a very good feeling to be a Serbian now.»