Nikola Jokic to skip World Cup with Serbia / News - Basketnews.com

Nikola Jokic won't be a part of Serbia's World Cup campaign.

Credit: Pedja Milosavljevic/STARSPORT Credit Pedja Milosavljevic/STARSPORT

After several days of speculation and rumors,Nikola Jokic will definitely not be part of the Serbian national team at the upcoming World Cup, Mozzart Sport's Dejan Stankovic reports.

The two-time NBA MVP was given an extended period of rest by head coach Svetislav Pesic. In the end, however, there was no turning point. Jokic informed the veteran tactician and the Serbian federation of his intention to skip the World Cup.

Per the same report, the new captain of the Serbian national team, Bogdan Bogdanovic, was also involved in the operation to talk Jokic into participating. However, the Atlanta Hawks guard couldn't change the big man's opinion.

Jokic was part of Serbia's 2022 EuroBasket bid that ended in the Round of 16 with an elimination by Italy. The Denver Nuggets big man won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

Serbia will play their group stage in the Philippines. They will compete with China, South Sudan and Puerto Rico for one of the two spots the lead to the Round of 16.

Apart from Jokic, several more players might skip the event. Vasilije Micic is very likely to follow in Jokic's footsteps, as per the same report, the newly-signed OKC point guard only stands theoretical chances of making himself available. Furthermore, Nikola Kalinic has informed Pesic that he needs to rest and recover from fatigue and injuries accumulated during the previous season.

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