HOURS AFTER THE Denver Nuggets’ first championship parade and an evening of epic partying in Las Vegas, Nikola Jokic hopped on a aircraft again to his private paradise — Serbia.

If the newly minted NBA Finals MVP idea he would slip into obscurity for a couple of months, he rather discovered basketball fanatics international playing an aspect of his moment few had detectable sooner than. Then most effective two days in his place of origin of Sombor, 1000’s recorded Jokic’s each go when he visited a neighborhood racetrack to look at his horses compete in his alternative hobby — harness racing.

And so started the “Summer of Jokic” — 107 days of the two-time league MVP (and ESPN’s NBArank Disagree. 2 participant this season) dwelling his perfect moment. Whether or not it used to be dancing and pumping his fist in a family occasion making a song alongside to are living track or celebrating one among his horse racing victories or belting out Serbian songs occasion shirtless, Jokic starred in numerous viral moments that pulled the curtain again on some of the NBA’s maximum non-public superstars.

Jokic’s legend grew even greater when the 6-foot-11, 284-pound heart deftly accomplished a entrance turn off a raft all the way through a July shuttle at the Tara River that flows thru neighboring Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina — most likely extra important than his “Sombor Shuffle” 3-point heave over Los Angeles Lakers heavy guy Anthony Davis within the Western Convention finals.

That even triggered San Antonio Spurs lecturer Gregg Popovich to name his Denver counterpart, Michael Malone.

“What the hell is your guy doing?” Popovich requested about Jokic, in step with Malone. “I’ve been in that river, man. What is he, crazy?”

From when Jokic’s shortest offseason at house started on June 16 to when he in spite of everything returned to Denver on Oct. 1, the problem used to be to aim to bind in up to he may just. While along with his folk and horses is so important to Jokic that he strangely groaned “I need to go home” when reminded of the championship parade.

It’s why Josh Kroenke, Nuggets group president and governor, didn’t change textual content messages with Jokic like he usually does all the way through the summer time.

“We all kind of left him alone,” Kroenke stated. “For him to get away from basketball, be with his family and reconnect with who he is fundamentally is only going to be a benefit for the Nuggets and for basketball because he comes back fresh.”

Jokic, despite the fact that, didn’t paintings on simply his dance strikes this offseason. Even though Jokic claimed he touched a basketball most effective “a couple of times” this summer time, he in large part caught to an offseason regimen that has produced two MVP trophies, a championship and a Finals MVP all within the day 3 seasons with hopes of a name repeat.

“He was practicing and playing with some of the guys on [a Serbian] team right there in Sombor,” Malone stated all the way through coaching camp. “I don’t know if he was in the gym with a ball a ton, but I know he was working and trying to stay in the best shape possible.

“I all the time [focus on], ‘Is he OK mentally?’ [It’s] all the time difficult to shed Sombor, his mom, his father, his pals, the horses, and I fear in regards to the psychological facet of coming again to Denver. However he’s been admirable. He turns out like he’s in a just right playground and I’m in point of fact inspired by means of that.”

If only Jokic could have kept all of the singing and dancing off social media.

“Public are bored,” Jokic explained of fans capturing his summer. “Similar as [me], they are living a run of the mill moment in order that they wish to document family a minute bit extra.

“You’re not supposed to see [all] that.”

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“THE SUMMER OF JOKIC” even featured a unprecedented cameo look by means of a teammate.

For the second one instantly offseason, Aaron Gordon’s summer time relief took him to Europe and reunited him with Jokic. The arena-traveling energy ahead whom Malone likens to Marco Polo visited London, Mallorca, Malaga, Geneva, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo this offseason.

However one among Gordon’s favourite stops on his globe-trotting itinerary used to be Serbia. Gordon, who traveled to Prague the former offseason to look at Jokic and the Serbian nationwide group play games within the EuroBasket match, were given the total Jokic revel in in August.

Over 3 days, Jokic took Gordon round Sombor, to within reach Novi Unhappy, a pond area, his favourite eating places and, after all, the racetrack. Gordon marveled on the tradition and the straightforward moment of a town of round 40,000 family. He described how you can move from one facet of Sombor to the alternative “in maybe 35 minutes” and simply how quitness it’s there in comparison to the anxious rush-hour means of moment in American towns.

“His routine over there, his way of life, very congruent,” Gordon informed ESPN. “I could see his peace. The peace of mind translates onto the court. That’s what makes him such a good player.”

Gordon additionally fell in love with the meals and Jokic’s favourite dish: fish stew.

“The food is amazing. There’s huge portions,” Gordon stated occasion evaluating Sombor to “a town out of a storybook.”

“The architecture is beautiful,” Gordon added. “It seems like each one of the buildings is unique … It’s very wholesome, their [real] easy way of life.”

Jokic even transformed Gordon right into a harness racing fan. Gordon hopped and clapped as one among Jokic’s horses completed first in a race and upcoming proudly hoisted the trophy later to his teammate for pictures in a while.

Gordon joked that he sought after to playground a big gamble on Jokic’s horse, however the heavy guy stated, “Hey Aaron, don’t jinx me.”

In the meantime in Serbia 🐎 pic.twitter.com/tdIIb0Q8mV

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) August 15, 2023

As he has at the courtroom, Jokic has discovered luck at the music.

“I have [horses] in France, Italy, Serbia — they’re all winning races,” he stated. “So I’m happy. They don’t need to win racing. That’s my hobby. I just wish they’re healthy and they run good.

“After I end my occupation, I’m going to do this. I’m moving to have a quantity of horses.”

Jokic, though, still has plenty of triple-doubles left in him. And one of the Nuggets he has developed a connection with is Gordon. Jokic assisted Gordon 155 times last season, second only behind James Harden’s 244 assists to Joel Embiid, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

“Me and him have higher chemistry off the courtroom than we do at the courtroom,” Gordon said. “And that’s announcing one thing.”

One part of Gordon’s visit that didn’t make social media was his workout with Jokic, who keeps his training sessions offline.

“You can see he doesn’t have social media, he doesn’t want to show that he’s working,” Felipe Eichenberger, Nuggets energy and conditioning lecturer, informed ESPN. “It’s nothing against people that want to show they’re working, that’s fine.

“However he’s running again in the similar health club that he first began. After I went there [early in Jokic’s career], it’s 100 levels [in there] with birds pooping at the ground.”

While he didn’t visit this summer, Eichenberger has worked out with Jokic several times in Sombor. With the help of a Serbian counterpart, Eichenberger adjusted Jokic’s normal offseason training to a shorter version (107 days compared to the average 150 days) and sent workout specifics via an app.

Jokic hit the weight room twice in his first week at home for 30 minutes per session, eventually working his way up to five times a week. After the third week, Jokic added cardio twice a week before implementing noncontact drills and then contact basketball.

“He’s the most productive participant on the planet,” Gordon said. “He works out like a monster. … His routine, his nutrition and the way detail-oriented he’s along with his frame, is 2d to none.”

Eichenberger said Jokic came into camp in “relatively just right” shape and that the Nuggets want him to be at his peak come the playoffs. During last season’s title run, Jokic became the first player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds and assists while posting the most triple-doubles (10) in a single postseason.

“We don’t [need] him in govern environment now,” Eichenberger said last week at camp. “We wish him to journey all over the season the place he will get into govern environment when [it’s] the playoffs, and he can do it once more.”

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A COUPLE OF DAYS into Nuggets camp, Jokic was so outspoken during an officiating rules presentation with retired referee Joey Crawford that Malone cracked the two “had been moving to get into it.”

Teammates have also noticed Jokic leading more whether through his words or actions.

“He’s been far more vocal this era,” Nuggets second-year guard Peyton Watson said. “… [During Crawford’s] seminar, he most definitely had 10 questions. Latter era, he wouldn’t have stated the rest, simply sat there and nodded his head.

“I think he feels more comfortable and that’s a great thing to see because we want to hear as much as we can from him.”

Malone needs Jokic, along Jamal Murray, to keep in touch and govern extra this season. With vocal veterans corresponding to Jeff Inexperienced and Ish Smith now not at the group, Malone wishes his famous person duo to rush extra possession of the deposit room. Jokic too can reinforce defensively; he allowed combatants to blast 68.5% on the rim ultimate season, the worst proportion giving up amongst 29 avid gamers to safeguard 350 or extra pictures on the basket, in step with 2nd Spectrum.

However his offensive recreation continues to blossom. He has greater his general garden function proportion in 5 instantly seasons — 2d in NBA historical past amongst avid gamers to rush 1,000 or extra pictures each and every season most effective to LeBron James’ seven consecutive seasons, in step with ESPN Stats & Information.

“He’s only 28,” Gordon stated. “So he’s going to get even smarter at manipulating the defense [and] offense. … I don’t see anybody stopping him. They still haven’t found the answer for him yet.”

Jokic, despite the fact that, by no means stops in search of any edge he can acquire over combatants. Life many loved the movies of him partying this summer time, Jokic spent year on-line staring at basketball pointers by means of Serbian coaches corresponding to Zeljko Obradovic, Dusan Alimpijevic and previous Phoenix Suns lecturer Igor Kokoskov.

When requested why how steadily he watches basketball video seminars, Jokic seen why “Summer of Jokic” wasn’t all dancing and making a song.

“I think if you want to be good,” Jokic stated. “You need to be [a] fanatic in basketball.

“That must be your moment.”