Serbians are proud when two stars Nikola Jokic and Novak Djokovic continue to achieve success. Djokovic surpassed Rafael Nadal to become the male tennis player with the most grand slam titles in history . Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic helped the Denver Nuggets win the NBA championship for the first time and won the Finals MVP award in the NBA finals series.
In an interview, Djokovic revealed that he is a big fan of the center forward playing in the NBA.
“I don’t think anyone can do what Jokic is doing right now,” Djokovic said recently. “He is definitely the best basketball player in the world and I cheer for him. Jokic is a great guy, the pride of Serbia and we are very proud of him.”
During the same period, Jokic also praised Djokovic as a hero and “ambassador” of Serbia.
“Djokovic is someone who represents Serbia in a much larger context. He is the ambassador of Serbia,” Jokic said.
“Djokovic is an idol for children in Serbia, not only because of what he does on the field but also because of what his foundation does.”
“I want to be like Djokovic. He is doing great things for children, for Serbia, for everyone. We cannot compare.”
Djokovic also voiced his support for Jokic before the final series against Miami Heat.
The relationship between Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic
Djokovic and Jokic were both born in Yugoslavia before the country was divided due to political instability. Djokovic is from Belgrade, while Jokic is from Sombor.
Both took up the sport early, and gained attention at a young age – Djokovic turned professional in 2003, at the age of 16. While Jokic was drafted by the Denver Nuggets at the age of 19 in 2014.
Djokovic told FanDuel that he received Jokic’s phone number in late May and planned to contact the Nuggets center. After game 5, Jokic sarcastically mentioned that his compatriot had not yet texted him to congratulate him.
The couple had met before. Djokovic, an avid basketball fan, wore Jokic’s jersey in the semifinals of the 2021 French Open in Paris after Jokic won his first NBA MVP award that season.
They also attended a basketball camp together in Belgrade in the summer of 2020, according to Insider .
Both currently sit at the pinnacle of their respective sports, and while each has plenty of admirers in their own right, the mutual admiration is clearly just as strong.
