Jokic on Alimpijevic and Captaining Serbia

At Denver Nuggets media day, Jokic talked about Serbia's coach, the captain's armband and Euroleague pressure, where he would send every NBA player for six months.

Nemanja RadulovićSeptember 29, 20264 min read0

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Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets center and captain of the Serbian national team./ Photo: Denver7

He was searching for the right word. Nikola Jokic was trying to explain what the Denver Nuggets need at media day on Monday, September 28, when he started drumming his fingers on the table and then bumped his head against the microphone. The room laughed, and he went on answering questions about the national team coach, the captain’s armband and his own contract.

One of the first questions was how he spent the summer in a new role, with a new coach. Jokic captained Serbia for the first time this summer, under new head coach Dusan Alimpijevic.

What did Jokic say about the coach?

He started with the captaincy. As captain, he says, he felt more responsibility, but not pressure.

“It wasn’t pressure, it was really responsibility. I think I handled the role well. You really feel proud when you play for your country,” Jokic said.

Then came Alimpijevic, whom he has known for a while and played against, by his own account. The answer ran longer than the others, so we are running it in full:

Regarding the coach, I know him from before, I played ‘against’ him a little, but… He has a lot of passion for this game, he lives for basketball, he gives himself completely to the players, to winning, he is very emotional. He is truly ‘in’ every practice, every game, he holds everyone around him accountable, whether it is a practice or a game. He gives himself to it selflessly and I really can’t wait for our cooperation to continue, over many years to come.

Why should every NBA player play in Europe?

Jokic explained the gap between the two leagues through pressure. In the NBA, he argues, certain players have to take their shots and get their points and stats, while in Europe and with the national team only winning matters. That is why he told American reporters:

“I would like every NBA player to play six months in Europe.”

He drew a concrete example from the Euroleague, where, as he puts it, a loss carries extra weight:

You play Wednesday against Olympiacos in Greece, and then you play at home against Red Star or Partizan. If you have three losses in a row, there it’s a big problem. People take it seriously. Pride means a lot to them.

It is not only a comparison of league systems. His answer about what keeps him in basketball after all his success showed that too. “I love basketball. I love to compete,” Jokic said, adding that “fighting with friends against other teams is always a fun thing.”

What did he say about his contract?

The contract question came right away, because Jokic did not sign an extension with the Nuggets this summer. The answer is the same as before: “I’ll sign next year, if they want me,” he said briefly.

Asked why he did not sign this summer, he said he had already spoken openly with the owners and club officials.

“No, I talked to the bosses and the club officials, they know my opinion, and I have talked about it more than openly. I hope they believe me,” he said with a laugh.

Waiting has its own math. According to Danas, citing Yahoo, he could have extended this summer for four years and 276 million dollars, while next summer he can sign a five-year deal worth an estimated 357 million dollars, with a no-trade clause. The AP puts the figure at around 350 million. The sources differ by seven million, but they agree that waiting pays more.

Jokic explained in English why he wants to stay: “For me, it’s legacy. You want to be legendary, and you want to be remembered, so I think that’s the way how you do it, in my way of thinking.” In other words, he is building his legend and the memory of himself at the club where he started, which he also mentioned while recalling that he was there when Denver was a mediocre team, before it won the title in 2023.

The club shares that view. Ben Tenzer, Denver’s executive vice president of basketball operations, was asked about a possible slow start and answered briefly: “We have no concerns.”

What is next for the Nuggets?

Last season Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists and finished second in MVP voting, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Denver still lost in the first round of the playoffs to Minnesota. Before the season starts, the Nuggets play five preseason games: