Novak Djokovic was not the only Serb making sporting headlines this week. Nikola Jovic led the Detroit Nuggets to their first NBA Championship.
Meet the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals.
IMAGE: Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) shoots the ball against Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler in game five of the 2023 NBA Finals at the Ball Arena. Photograph: Jack Dempsey/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
Serbia has double cause for celebration.
On Sunday, Novak Djokovic won his 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open.
On Tuesday, Nikola Jokic guided the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship title and was crowned the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals.
Jokic delivered an exceptional performance. The Serbian shone with 28 points and 16 rebounds, propelling the Nuggets to a 94-89 victory over the Miami Heat and securing a commanding 4-1 series win in the best-of-seven Finals.
‘It’s got to be,’ smiled Jokic, when asked if this was the golden era for Serbian athletes. ‘Sport is something in Serbia that put us in front of everybody.’
‘Now we have Djokovic, probably the best ever, and now we have an NBA championship.’
‘I think it is a very good moment to be a Serbian.’
IMAGE: A young Jokic’s only window into the NBA was YouTube, and he didn’t even look at it until he was 14 years old. At the time, full NBA games were not broadcast in Serbia. Photograph: Isaiah J Downing-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
IMAGE: Jokic’s basketball path to the NBA was short and steep. After tiptoeing into the professional ranks for all of six months, a 17-year-old Jokic joined Mega Leks (Serbia) in 2012.Photograph: Jack Dempsey-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
IMAGE: He reportedly got his nickname ‘Joker’ from former team-mate Mike Miller, who couldn’t pronounce Jokic. Photograph: Isaiah J Downing-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
IMAGE: He is a two-time MVP who could easily be in the running for Colorado’s greatest professional athlete of all time. Photograph: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
IMAGE: Jokic has a serious love for horses of all things. He likes horses so much that he actually did some competitive horse racing when he was younger. Photograph: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
IMAGE: Jokic, 29, has been with his wife Natalija since they were teenagers in Sombor, Serbia. They got married in 2020 and have a daughter, Ognjena. Photograph: Jack Dempsey/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
IMAGE: He played for the Serbian national team in the 2016 Summer Olympics. He wants to return to Serbia when his time in the NBA ends. Photograph: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
IMAGE: Nikola Jokic celebrates with daughter Ognjena after winning the 2023 NBA Championship. Photograph: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com
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