BELGRADE: After winning three MVP titles and one NBA championship, Nikola Jokic stands on the threshold of securing eternal glory in Serbia if he can bring home an Olympic gold medal to the basketball-mad country.

Jokic’s return to international competition comes a year after he skipped the Basketball World Cup in the Philippines, where Serbia finished second after a nail-biting 83-77 loss to Germany in the final. The 29-year-old’s absence from that tournament ignited outrage in Serbia just months after being lavished with an outpouring of love when he led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA title win.

Serbian fans took to social media to slam Jokic, with the NBA star centre labelled a “traitor” by many. “The nation’s sentiment is entirely justified in believing that playing for the national team is more of a hobby for him, rather than an act of patriotism or genuine desire,” Serbian sports journalist Vladimir Zivanovic told AFP.

Basketball has long been an obsession in Serbia, with some domestic teams regularly selling out games in Belgrade’s 18,000-seat Stark Arena. Fans are known to wake early in the morning to watch NBA games while also participating in colorful rivalries that make Serbia one of the best places to watch live basketball in the world.

Serbia’s performances in France will be among the most closely watched sports involving the country during the Olympics. Jokic’s international career began with promise, after winning a silver medal in Rio during the 2016 Olympics.

But since then, he has been unable to win any major international tournament with Serbia - a fact he hopes to change in Paris. Serbian national team coach Svetislav Pesic said Jokic was one of the team’s vital components heading into the Olympics. “Jokic’s participation certainly matters, in every sense. Both from the perspective of individual quality and from the perspective of his personality,” said Pesic during an interview in June.

Hometown and horses

The media-shy MVP has always been upfront about valuing his time away from the game - a point driven home in media appearances during his NBA title run last year. “The job is done, we can go home now,” he famously said during an on-court interview moments after winning the final.

Off the court, Jokic regularly returns to his native Sombor - a sleepy northern city near the border with Croatia. There, the NBA star prefers to keep a low profile and shuns interviews, while spending time with his family and indulging his other passion: horses.

When away from the race track, Jokic regularly drops by his former school in Sombor to talk to young players on a small court. Videos posted on social media over the years has also seen him dancing to folk music with friends or towering over revellers at Serbia’s famed nightclubs.

MVP

Back on the court, his playing style is reminiscent of a formula developed in the former Yugoslavia described as “jazz basketball” - which relies on individual creativity rather than speed and sheer power.

Jokic is known for keeping things simple on the court, mixing light movement and simple tap-ins along with laser-sharp precision - especially with his passing game, which saw him finish second in the league with overall assists this year.

In May, Jokic was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the third time in just four seasons. The title followed an all star-run where he averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and nine assists to beat Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks in final voting for the award. But securing the latest MVP title was followed by a disappointing loss during the Western Conference semifinals to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The early exit in theory has allowed the 6ft 11in (2.11m) centre plenty of time to rest ahead of the Olympics, where Serbia is among the shortlist of favorites to finish in the medals.

Basketball was first introduced by an American Red Cross envoy a century ago, while the former Yugoslavia’s government invested generously in the sport, with basketball courts built in almost every neighborhood. The Balkan remains a fertile field for talent and Jokic is firmly established among the region’s best.

Pressure to bring his winning NBA ways to Paris during the Olympics remains high. “The expectation is certainly that he will make up for all the previous years and be the best player on the team,” said Zivanovic. “Otherwise, the question of his future participation will arise.” – AFP