If there is one player heading into next season for the Miami Heat that fans are excited to see develop, it has to be the Serbian star Nikola Jovic. The player who just turned 21 Sunday spoke with Cyro Asseo de Choch of Hoops Hype and touched on about a bevy of topics surrounding his NBA career. He was also asked who he thinks is the greatest player of all time or abbreviated as “GOAT” which led him to mention the likes of Los Angeles Clippers star Russell Westbrook.
There is no doubt that it has been the most heated debate in basketball where there are people who argue about the greatest of all time, usually between Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan or current Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Jovic takes the conversation in a different direction where he says while the answer is probably Jordan, his personal GOAT is Westbrook citing his intensity and attitude during the game according to HoopsHype.
“Who’s my GOAT? It has to be my dad. He’s my GOAT,” Jovic said. “He’s someone who just always helped me grow in every single way possible, and he’s someone I look I look up to all the time. Talking basketball, probably Michael Jordan. MJ and the guy I always looked when I was growing up gotta be Russell Westbrook. He was the one who was playing every single game like it was his last one and that’s something I always loved.”
It is definitely an unconventional choice, but there is no denying that Westbrook is one of the best players of his generation as he was the 2017 MVP where he averaged a triple-double, a nine-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, among other accomplishments.
Jovic talks about his growth in the NBA with the Heat
Jovic has been playing in the NBA for two seasons now where he started at 19-years old as he is currently one of the foundations for the Heat's young core along with rookie last season in Jaime Jaquez Jr. out of UCLA. Besides his talent, Jovic has learned a lot being with Miami as it is a winning franchise that went to the NBA Finals last season.
“I think I grew a lot, especially from last year being in the Finals and learning about how to get there and how hard it is,” Jovic said. “A lot of veteran players are great guys and great people who taught me how to be first a great person and, after that, a great basketball player. I think I learned a lot, like I said, especially last year. This year, I got a little bigger role, and I had the chance to start in the playoffs, which was a big deal, of course, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m grateful that the coaches saw that I can play, and I hope I’ll give back to the team and to the city of Miami soon.”
Jovic on becoming a reliable starter for Miami at the power forward spot
The star took a huge step forward this season where he has become a consistent starter for the Heat earning the trust of head coach Erik Spoelstra more and more. He has given size to the power forward position that was desperately needed next to center Bam Adebayo, plus he can space the floor.
“I kind of learned how hard it is to just play every other day and be a starter,” Jovic said. “Just locking in every possible and just thinking about basketball all the time is something that helped me stay focused. I kind of feel like having a routine was a big thing for me, basically having a good routine every day where you stay the course and you stay ready for the games. As soon as I started a few games in a row, I found a way to contribute every other night and kind of clicked for me.”
The Heat star talks about playing alongside Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo
The sky seems to be the limit for Jovic as again, he is 21 years old with a few seasons of NBA experience where he can form into a really good player like the Heat have been doing with their draft picks. He also has been learning under such players as Adebayo, Kevin Love, and even Jimmy Butler who the two have created a bond.
“You have so many great players you cannot just go out and do whatever you want. So being around players like Jimmy, Tyler Herro, and Bam, you need to figure out how you can help them, and the way I helped was spacing the floor and playing some good defense,” Jovic said about his role with Miami. “I know I can grow in a lot of ways basketball-wise. There’s not one thing that I can focus on, I have to focus on so many of them, like from shooting to, dribbling, passing, basically everything. I feel like there’s so much room and space where I can improve, and I feel like I’ll show it at least a little more next season.”
Jovic on his best traits and how it took him this far with the Heat
Like with every Heat offseason, trade rumors will swirl around and Jovic's name has been mentioned as a possible piece in a deal, maybe for Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell which is just a rumor. However, he is going to prepare to be a member of the Heat heading into next season and continue to evolve as a reliable power forward for them as he talks about the traits he has that has led to his success.
“Just the competitive will I have,” Jovic said via Hoops Hype. “A lot of players have that, just wanting to win and being hungry every day. Waking up and not wanting to lose. From a young age, I always want to be the best no matter what, and I still want to be the best in every way possible. Last year we were in the Finals, this year we lost in the first round, and this year I had a lot bigger role. I didn’t feel great losing. I have to be better. All of us have to be better, and I’m sure we will.”
Last season, Jovic averaged 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field. He looks to improve along with the rest of the Heat who are coming off of a season where they went a 46-36 which put them in the eighth seed for back to back seasons. They were eventually eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in five games to the Boston Celtics.
Follow Us
Subscribe