Serbia, one of the top teams in international basketball, will be without its best player, Nikola Jokic, at the upcoming FIBA World Cup, according to a report out of the country.
Jokic reportedly plans to recuperate in August and September, when the FIBA World Cup will be played in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. Jokic led his Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship in June. Additionally, Vasilije Micic, who is concentrating on making the move to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, and Nikola Kalinic from Barcelona will not be playing for Serbia.
Since the start of the 2018–19 NBA season, Jokic has participated in 436 regular season and postseason games, which is the most of any NBA player.
And it has been a busy offseason for Jokic, a married father with a young daughter, who will be turning 2 this September.
Less than a week after beating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, Jokic was back in his hometown of Sombor on Sunday to enjoy his big passion of horse racing.
Jokic and his wife Natalija watch a harness race at the hippodrome on June 18
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates with the Bill Russell Finals MVP Trophy
Thousands of his supporters in the usually sleepy northern Serbian town of some 47,000 people also converged on the local horse racing track where Jokic was watching his family-owned horses compete in harness races. Many had T-shirts with Jokic’s portrait, some reading ‘Be the Next Champion’ and ‘Sombor, the Town of Champions.’
A billboard reading ‘Welcome Home MVP’ showed Jokic with his No. 15 Nuggets jersey, also depicting galloping horses.
After winning the NBA title, Jokic was concerned about whether he could return home in time for Sunday’s races after the team’s victory parade in Denver on Thursday. He joked that he would ask Nuggets president Josh Kroenke to lend him the team plane to make sure he arrived on time.
The crowd erupted with applause and joy when Jokic first appeared, wearing a polo shirt that had the ‘Dream Catcher’ inscription after the name of the first horse that he purchased years ago.
Jokic played for Serbia during last summer’s qualifiers in Prague
The extended senior men’s basketball team from Canada is led by Jokic’s Nuggets colleague Jamal Murray.
In advance of the FIBA World Cup, Canada Basketball released the lineup on Thursday night.
On Canada’s side, Murray will be joined by a number of NBA players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, an All-NBA pick.
The roster also included swingmen RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks and Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Among the 18 players chosen were college basketball player of the year Zach Edey and Dillon Brooks, who was just traded from Memphis to Houston.
Jokic’s Nuggets teammate Jamal Murray headlines Canada’s anticipated World Cup roster
The roster must be cut to 12 players for the World Cup, which is slated to run from August 25 to September 10.
The Philippines’ capital city of Manila will host the final stage after the group stage is held in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, Group H opponents for Canada include France, Lebanon, and Latvia.
If Canada’s men place first or second among teams from the Americas, they will automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympics. In the FIBA global rankings, Canada is presently ranked 15th.