Nikola Jokic once rejected a girl other Nuggets players eagerly pursued / News - Basketnews.com

Jokic threw away the phone number of a girl other Nuggets players couldn't get despite multiple attempts. He said he didn't need it since he had a girlfriend already.

Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski - Scanpix Credit AP Photo/David Zalubowski - Scanpix

After Nikola Jokic won his third MVP trophy in four years, one of his former teammates shared a never-before-heard story about the Serbian big man's rookie season.

Nikola Jokic

Team:Denver NuggetsPosition:C, PFAge:29Height:208 cmWeight:111 kgBirth place:Sombor, SerbiaProfileNewsStatistics

Joffrey Lauvergne played in the NBA for four seasons before returning to play in Europe, where he plays up until this day. He was on the Denver Nuggets squad during the 2015-16 season when Jokic was playing his first games in the league.

"I remember one scene like it was yesterday, and it was almost 10 years ago. People from the club came to the practice and presented the guys they drafted. They only said a few sentences about Nikola, something like, 'This is Nikola, we'll try to help him improve his body, and we think that in the future he can help the club.' Two months after those sentences, Nikola Jokic was the best player of the Denver Nuggets," Lauvergne remembered in an interview with Bojan Brezovac from Mozzart Sport.

Jokic was new to the NBA and the United States of America, and Lauvergne was the guy who helped the Serbian center move around the country during and between games. The French big man and Jokic would drive together, and a lot of conversations were had during those trips.

Lauvergne recalled one story where the entire team was left highly surprised.

"When you're in the NBA, you always travel on a private plane, and the crew is always the same. We're always greeted by the same people. Among them was a girl. I can't describe to you how beautiful she was. Like from a video or a movie. Amazingly, I remember her after all these years," Lauvergne began. "Well, when you have a girl like that and a plane full of basketball players who are a bit unprofessional at the same time... you can imagine the scenes."

Nikola Jokic

MIN:35.09PTS:26.44 (63.83%)REB:12.58As:9ST:1.35BL:0.81TO:3.07GM:86ProfileNBA2023/2024

"There wasn't a player on the team at that time who didn't approach her or try something to get her phone number. No one could conquer her. She was always unavailable," Lauvergne recalled.

"Nikola was also there, but in a completely different style. He was easy-going, [always] making some jokes. He was joking around. He had never even approached directly yet, but he was always joking. She obviously liked it because he was different. After one trip, we land in Denver, and she approaches someone for the first time. She comes to Nikola and gives him a piece of paper with her phone number. The whole team was in awe," Lauvergne said.

After the trip, Lauvergne and Jokic drove together as usual. That's when Jokic asked Lauvergne about the phone number he just received from a girl other Nuggets players wanted to get so much.

"Nikola casually gets up from the plane and comes to me. We'd already established a habit for me to drive him from the airport. Several minutes of driving pass without a conversation, and he suddenly turns to me, 'Zo, here's the number, I definitely don't need it. I have a girlfriend.' Amazed, I replied that I didn't want the number because she gave it to him. He just opened the car window and threw a note with a number on it away," Lauvergne said.

"This is Nikola Jokic, always cool-headed and a real family man. It's a scene I'll always remember," Lauvergne concluded.

Jokic married his long-time girlfriend from the same Serbian town of Sombor, Natalija. They have a daughter together.

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