Nikola Jokic has, for all intents and purposes, wrapped up the title of the best basketball player on the planet. After his efforts to deliver the first NBA title to the Denver Nuggets in franchise history, Jokic put the bed any sort of debate about who is at the top of the mountain right now, and in large part because of his singular brilliance, Denver has a real shot of going back-to-back as champions.
That would mean, for the second year in a row, the Nuggets are playing deep into June, and it sure does not seem like Jokic loves that he has to sacrifice so much time to chill out as part of the pursuit of a ring. While speaking to the press on media day, Jokic was asked if this was the most fun he’s ever had over a summer, and his answer might surprise you.
“Was this past summer the most fun you’ve had since being in the NBA? Nah, I think it’s actually opposite.” -Nikola Jokic after winning his first NBA Championship, via @JacobRTobey
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— 9NEWS Sports Denver (@9NEWSSports) October 2, 2023
“No,” Jokic said. “I think it’s actually opposite … Because we played two and a half extra months, and recovery and everything. So, it was good, but I’ve had summers that I’ve had more fun.”
Fourteen other teams in the Western Conference will assuredly hope that they can give Jokic a more fun summer this year. But the really bad news for Jokic is that his summer plans next year will be complicated even further based on the fact that Serbia is heading to the Olympics.