A small scrolling text on television under advertising praising the quesarito, burrito launched by the fast food chain Taco Bell. This is the importance given by the American media to the arrival of Nikola Jokic in the NBA, in the most total anonymity of a 41st position during the 2014 Draft. Nine years later, the Serbian colossus of 2.11 definitely put the United States at their feet, after offering the Nuggets the first title in their history on Monday evening, all in the shoes of the MVP of the finals, won 4-1 against Miami.
Already double MVP of the regular season (in 2021 and 2022), the “Joker” fueled the mind-blowing average of 30.2 points, 14 rebounds and 7.2 assists in front of a Heat without a solution against the best basketball player in the planet. Because that’s what it is: at 28, Nikola Jokic continues to panic the counters with Denver. He is thus the leader in these play-offs for total points (600), rebounds (269) and assists (190). A great first in the entire history of an NBA having seen UFOs pass in spades, from Wilt Chamberlain to LeBron James, via Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.
How to resist the temptation, this Tuesday, to bring out this photo of a chubby teenager from Sombor (Serbia), whose existence and potential the whole world was unaware of, light years for example from the hype surrounding our Victor Wembanyama? Because contrary to so many stories of athletes programmed to reach the heights, absolutely nothing predestined Nikola Jokic to reign in this way, as explained to 20 minutes his former teammates in the Serbian league.
“When I saw him arrive in training at 17, he really didn’t have the silhouette of a professional basketball player. He didn’t have any muscle so there was work to develop his body. Nobody could imagine that he would go so high one day, at the level of LeBron, Durant and Curry who we all saw as aliens, ”says Nenad Miljenovic, former leader of Mega Vizura, located in Sremska Mitrovica.
“OK, this gentleman is a problem, and even a nightmare”
It was in this club specializing in the recruitment of the best young people in the country that Nikola Jokic built himself from 2012 to 2015, going from 1 point on average on his first appearances (in 7 minutes) to 15.4 points and 9 .3 rebounds in his final Adriatic League season. “I discovered a guy who was not fast, who did not jump high, not athletic at all, but who was nevertheless unstoppable, smiles Aleksandar Marelja, inside at his side at Mega Vizura. I stood under the basket and always received golden passes from him. In fact, everything seemed normal and almost simple to me in what he was doing, he was so in tune. But I have never found a player capable of being so complete. »
And for good reason, even in the NBA, where the “Joker” will take the plunge in the summer of 2015, after a missed meeting with FC Barcelona, no one has such a profile. The creation, the altruism and the sense of the pass of a Boris Diaw, associated with the strength and the support of a Hakeem Olajuwon as well as the shoot of a Dirk Nowitzki, here is the picture. “I don’t think the NBA has ever seen such talent at center. There is no such mix of size, technical background and outside shoot, ”notes former tricolor interior Ian Mahinmi, who faced him many times between 2015 and 2020, with Indiana then Washington. The current consultant for beIN SPORTS (official broadcaster of the NBA in France) remembers perfectly one of his last clashes with the Serb.
Throughout my career, I have never asked for help from my teammates at the low post. There, it’s the same, I tell them that I will play one against one against Jokic. I am calm and on the first action, I force him to release a hook [tir en crochet] which I find difficult. Except that he makes it pass cream. The second time, I direct it to his left hand, but he also scores. I said to myself: “OK, this gentleman is a problem, and even a nightmare”. You just have to see on these play-offs, he put the fever in Towns, Gobert, Davis and Adebayo. He has the answer to everything and he makes good defenders look like ordinary guys. »
“An extraordinary panel for a pivot”
The story of Nikola Jokic is ultimately that of a guy who sincerely beats his stats, while breaking almost in spite of himself the craziest individual records, like his 10 triple-doubles achieved on this single play-off campaign or the fastest triple-double everin just 14 minutes of play in February 2018.
The Jokic era is both a major stage in the historic NBA-Europe battle with a tasty, almost anachronistic dimension, as the American League has never been so focused on the highlights of dunks and shots from the center line.
His former partner in Serbia Nenad Miljenovic enlightens us: “Nikola never wanted to play like that. He really had to need to dunk on an action for him to do that. In fact, he kept exactly the same game as ten years ago. Aleksandar Marelja does not understand how his prestigious compatriot can still be mocked across the Atlantic for his side hardly flashy “If it’s not attractive to see a guy string together triple-doubles in the play-offs, I don’t know what you need”.
Ian Mahinmi is on the same line: “No NBA enthusiast can not jump off his sofa in front of his passes and his panoply of crazy shots as he returned against the Lakers. And then the purpose of basketball is not the highlights “. No, it’s clearly to merge the Ball Arena and the entire city of Denver, as it did on Monday night. A university professor in Colorado since 2021, the Frenchman Romain (40) does not regret subscribing to the Nuggets in this historic season for the Rocky franchise. And when it comes to evoking the MVP of the finals, he is obviously dithyrambic.
I completely love Nikola Jokic. This is the essence of basketball embodied on the court. He knows how to shoot from mid-range, three-pointers, he takes rebounds, distributes play, makes coffee and drives the bus. For a pivot, he has an extraordinary panel, plus an incredible game intelligence. On the screen of the room, he is entitled to his jingle: “Nikola, doing Nikola things”. Admittedly, he doesn’t slam big dunks and he’s not spectacular like a Ja Morant, but that’s a change from the usual stars. He perfectly embodies the simplicity and the anti-star system side of the people of Colorado. Here, there is no glitter, no movie stars or singers at the edge of the field. »
The consecrations of the “Djoker” and the “Joker” are linked
If his Canadian partner Jamal Murray burst into tears on Monday evening, Nikola Jokic let go hot the reaction the most placid there is after such a supreme coronation: “It’s good, it’s good, the job has been done, we can go home now”.
Absent from all social networks, the Serb has indeed all of the antistar. “He does not put forward his cars, his clothes and his money, list Ian Mahinmi. He has nothing to wax about all that but he puts his talent at the service of his team. His personality full of humility is the trademark of the greatest like Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki that I have been able to meet. “We can therefore have signed in July 2022 the biggest contract in NBA history, with 264 million euros over five years, and remain a simple guy.
“We are extremely proud of him, insists Aleksandar Marelja. This guy has worked so hard to get here and he’s the coolest, most approachable superstar you’ve ever seen. He never claims to be better than another. He has a normal life with his family and his passion for horses. “A day before the coronation of the Nuggets and the “Joker”, it was the “Djoker” Novak Djokovic who was celebrated for his 29th Grand Slam record conquered at Roland-Garros. Another source of pride for a country of 7 million inhabitants. “It’s a good time to be Serbian,” smiles Aleksandar Marelja. Nikola offers hope to so many young Serbs, so that they continue to train on the playgrounds of our country. He shows that you don’t have to be athletic to become the best player in the world. »