Days after a 30-point loss to Team USA in the gold medal game at the Rio Olympics, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was moved to tears in a homecoming to his native Sombor, Serbia.
The seven-footer spoke to a very enthusiastic crowd while wearing a Serbian national team shirt and his silver medal draped around his neck.
While the video is in Serbian, SB Nation commenter PecaBelgrade provided a translation:
Jokic:
“People I had made some speech, but I didn't believe so many people would come
So I don't think I will tell that speech.
“crowd cheering”
Jokic:
“Thank you, thanks to mayor, thanks for the nice words, thanks to my people of Sombor, and thank you a lot, this means a lot to me, it is hard for me…”
Crowd begins to cheer “Nikola! Nikola!”. Jokic in tears.
“Was it harder in Rio or here now for you ?”
Jokic:
“It was easier in Rio… dammit…” (starts crying again)
It was an emotional moment for the Nuggets center as Olympic medals tend to be a lot more meaningful to smaller countries that don't get to send the hundreds of athletes that China, Great Britain, and the U.S. send to the Olympics every four years.
Team USA also faced Serbia earlier in the group phase prior to the gold medal game as Serbia was a three-pointer away from sending the game to overtime.
Serbia also finished second to the United States in the 2014 FIBA World Championship.
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