Nikola Jokic, the shadow superstar

We sometimes tend to say to ourselves that it is better to take advantage as much as possible of Nikola Jokic, because once retired, it is difficult to imagine him staying close to the NBA or even the United States. It must be said that the Serb is, perhaps even more than a Tim Duncan in his time, the anti-superstar par excellence of this league.

Double winner of the MVP trophy for the regular season, and now defending MVP of the Western Conference Finals, the “Joker” is – in spite of himself – a regular at acceptance speeches when he is anything but a fan of these kinds of events.

Inevitably, when reacting to this first qualification of nuggets for the Finals, Nikola Jokic could only play the altruistic leader and put forward all his frankness, even if it meant stepping back. A character trait that ultimately defines him quite well, while he nevertheless shot almost… 28 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists on average (!) in the conference final…

“ I’m really happy for the guys and the organization, compared to the way we fight. I remember the time when nobody was present in [notre salle], you could literally hear the ball bouncing on the ground, there was not the slightest spectator… So I’m just happy for the organization, for the fans, for the coach, for all the players who were questioned . It means a lot to the collective we have and to me. »

Always very classy and very humble in the pressNikola Jokic also has a thought for someone in particular, when asked to name the one he is most proud of, the one for whom he is happiest…

“ I would say Jamal [Murray], simply because he was injured and he went through a difficult period. He thought of being transferred, but the way he guides us, the way he controls the game, the way he takes his shots and the way he plays, it’s very good. I’m so happy for him, he’s just proving his worth and that he’s a special player in this league. »

Social networks ? ” A waste of time “

What may also surprise and detonate in the era of 100% digital is the absence of Nikola Jokic from the world of social networks. Only his wife, Natalija, allows him to follow his daily life off the court to a minimum and that does not bother the pivot of the Nuggets, who considers all this as a “ waste of time “.

On the other hand, the 28-year-old player is aware that these social interactions can sometimes be useful and he was able to experience it precisely when he was a follower, in the early 2010s. As when it comes, in particular, to find starting partners to play basketball in Serbia.

And, more than a decade later, the “Joker” says he is downright ready to… share a 3-on-3 (or even a 5-on-5) against strangers who would call on him, when he returns to the country ! Which is not without reminding us the improvised “pickup game” in Switzerland of a certain… Jimmy Butler, last summer.

” You know how hard it is to find a field to play outdoors, especially in my hometown [Sombor, ndlr] ? “, specifies on this subject the double MVP. ” I remember days when you could go out at 5 o’clock in the afternoon and, if you lost even one match, you could already go home. It’s really hard to find six guys ready to play and that hasn’t changed, so if anyone wants to play outside they can call me (laughs). To be honest, I will always follow guys who like to play professionally and like 3-on-3. Besides, the Serbs are really good at this level and I remember how I played back then… »

But today, despite his great notoriety, Nikola Jokic still does not want to bathe in the world of social networks. A way, too, of never falling on the criticisms that can be pronounced against him and which can affect some…

How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.