Nikola Jokic on Serbian mentality: 'We don't like basketball, we like to win' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Pedja Milosavljevic/STARSPORT Credit Pedja Milosavljevic/STARSPORT

The reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic is the biggest star on the Serbian national team roster for the upcoming matches in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and the 2022 EuroBasket.

Nikola Jokic

Position:C, PFAge:27Height:208 cmWeight:111 kgBirth place:SerbiaProfileNewsStatistics

The Denver Nuggets superstar arrived at the training facility where he gave some short answers about the games and tournaments that await the team.

"I feel great every time I see these guys. I have met some even now. We are training, we have just started, and we will see how far we can go," the big man said. "The first goal is to qualify for the World Cup, more precisely the qualifying matches, and to continue with the competitions."

"It won't be easy. The main thing is to qualify for the World Cup, and then we will talk about the EuroBasket. We all go there with the goal of winning the tournament, but we go one day at a time," Jokic told the media. "To put it this way, we have to be careful."

While Serbia's superstar darling is excited to return to the national team, the younger NBA players did not have such an option. TheOklahoma City ThunderandMiami Heatdid not allow their playersAleksej Pokusevskiand Nikola Jovic to come to the training camp and play for the squad.

However, with Jokic on the roster, the expectation for the Serbian national team are as high as they can possibly be despite the not-so-favorable situation in the Second Round of the World Cup Qualifiers.

Asked about the hopes of the nation for the upcoming games, Jokic had a simple answer.

"We don't like sports and basketball, we like victories and medals," he said.

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