gets. It was on that day, in the sec- ond round of the NBA draft, that they chose a young, chubby guy from Sombor - Nikola Jokić, as the 41 st pick. A commercial from one of the sponsors was airing on the TV at the very instant he was drafted. Instead of his picture, tacos were shown on screens. All the prophets of the world combined couldn’t have predicted what would follow, and nor could the very people who selected him in the draft. Nikola Jokić personal- ly changed the complete trajectory and strategy of the club, which was still struggling to escape the „Car- melo Anthony era“ until recently. And now they’ve finally succeed- ed in that, by stepping into the era of Jokić, the first basketball player dressed in their jersey to be declared the MVP of the NBA. “Anyone up for basketball?“ That question has marked Jokić‘s career, and the question [in Serbi- an] still stands on his Facebook pro- file. If he posted it now, everyone would probably accept the invitation. That’s because everyone knows Jok- ić well today. Opposing players have nightmares ahead of their duels with the Serbian center, who continues to smash records. His name is of- ten associated with legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Lar- ry Bird, Shaquille O’Neal et al. He has emulated many, and even surpassed some. And all that was achieved by a guy who only wanted one thing upon
arriving in Denver and the NBA: “I want to return home. I’m the young- est child and I miss my parents,”, said Jokić, who made his bow on basket- ball’s biggest stage at the age of 20. After receiving the award, Jokić responded to the questions of Shaq, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson, who first asked him who he was speaking to on the phone when he received the magical news. “It was my family. Brothers, parents, my little nephew... A lot of people trusted me, a lot of people worked for me, so I could get here. And I worked too… There was a lit- tle bit of luck … and it’s just combin- ing everything together.” Nikola is the first center to win the MVP award since Shaq in 2000. O‘Neal congratulated him for that, before asking his question: “Joker, it‘s Shaq. Thank you! Because of you, the big man is back in the game. You are the first big man to win the MVP title in a long time. I thank you and I appreciate you very much. Com- ing from Serbia as a kid, did you ev- er say to yourself ‘I will be an MVP in the NBA one day’?” And Nikola answered: “I didn‘t think I’d even be an NBA player. My goal when I started to play basket- ball back home was to play in the Eu- roleague. My goal was to play in big clubs in Serbia. I saw myself there, be- cause that was the biggest top league close to my country. But when the Denver Nuggets drafted me, it was
an opportunity for me to become an NBA player, and I think I did a good job of using that opportunity. This is the best season of my life, and the MVP award testifies to that,” con- cluded the NBA’s best player. In this historic season, his sixth in the NBA, Jokić played every game – 72 – averaging 26.4 points, with 10.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.32 ball steals during 34.8 minutes of play per game. He shot 56.6% from the floor and 38.8% for three-point- ers, as well as 86.8% from the penal- ty line. Jokić is also the only player to have been a starter for all games over the last two seasons. Unlike many other athletes, glo- ry and the adoration of the masses aren’t the most important things to Jokić, rather that’s his family. His family is his greatest support pillar and has had the biggest role in his progress. “The family lives through every match with me, every second. Dad took me to training sessions, and I cried at the first one. Mum is always there, in my head, always talking to me. My wife is there and is with me every day. My brothers wanted to be NBA stars. They didn‘t succeed, but they showed me what I should and shouldn‘t do. I thank them for everything, and for this trophy, but this isn’t just a trophy, it‘s the whole journey. If my enjoyment of the game ends, then I’ll have no more reason to play basketball.”
Džokeru, Šek ovde. Hvala ti! Zbog tebe se veliki čovek vratio u igru, poručio je Nikoli Šakil “Joker, it‘s Shaq. Thank you! Because of you, the big man is back in the game,” said Shaquille O’Neal, speaking to Nikola.
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