Without a doubt, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the greatest Serbian basketball player today — and arguably of all time. That is also why his availability for the 2024 Paris Olympics is a big deal for his home country. However, there is still no certainty that Jokic will be able to suit up for Serbia for the Olympics, according to former NBA big man and current Serbia basketball executive Vlade Divac.
“Well, first of all, we don't have a confirmation yet. Obviously, it's a long season, you know, and we have to give him more time to see how his body is going to react after the season,” Divac told Brian Geltzeiler and Eddie A Johnson while appearing recently on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“But if he does play, that would be huge. You know, he's he's a hero over there. He's obviously one of the best in my mind, the best player in the league right now. So he would be great, great peeling for entire nation if he is part of the team,” Divac added.
For now, Jokic's main focus is on helping the Nuggets secure a spot in the 2024 NBA Playoffs and defend the title Denver won in the 2022-23 NBA campaign. So far this season, the two-time league Most Valuable Player is averaging 25.9 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game, while making 58.1 percent of his field goal attempts.
Jokic will undoubtedly give Serbia a big shot in the arm if he ultimately joins the team for the Olympics. Serbia did not qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but won the silver medal during the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines.
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