Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić are two very different players who share a lot of traits. Jokić might be the only one who can really understand what Luka Dončić is going through in the NBA.

Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets and Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks are best friends and brothers from the Balkans. They may be the most similar people in the league. It makes sense, since they share many traits.

These two big, white Europeans were and still are way underrated, but they became superstars and franchise players anyway.

Every day, they both have to deal with the expectations of a whole country (or maybe even a whole region)

One is from a more Balkan country than the other (Jokić), but they share a culture and past, which is something that not many European NBA players have. And these two European players are some of the most important to Europe and the people who live there.

They are alike in some ways, though. Someone who has played with Luka Dončić on the Slovenian national team and with Nikola Jokić on the Denver Nuggets says it this way:

“As you can see, Luka can be very moody when we play together. He will swear at you and be angry if you do not act with him. It is the way things are; you have to shoot him. “He acts like ‘ok, this is my team, I am the leader,’ and the games show it,” Cancar said in March on the DNVR Nuggets podcast.

“Joker is the same, but it is silent.” If you think of them as a volume bar, Luka is at 100 and Joker is at 15 or 12. Like Batman, Joker will not be mad at you if you miss the shot, but he will be annoyed because you can not do everything by yourself.

If you take away their different playing styles and personalities, they are very similar in almost every other way.

Like where they come from. The population of Luka Dončić’s Slovenia is only 2.1 million, and the population of Jokić’s Serbia is 6.8 million. However, both countries are among the smaller and less important ones in Europe.

While that might not seem important or like a big deal, I come from a small, unimportant European country and can say that it is.

Both are small countries that are used to being ignored and undervalued on the world stage. This makes the people of these countries much more proud of what their citizens have done.

And people have high hopes for that. Being under the pressure of an entire country is something that not many players or people ever have to deal with.

All year long, both Luka and Jokić are under a lot of pressure, both with their NBA teams and their national teams. Every time they meet a new goal, the expectations get higher.

But it is not just bad pressure. They are both very proud to be able to defend their country, which is something they have worked hard their whole lives to do. In the summer, they both put the national events ahead of everything else. They both said they would rather win with their national team than have a ring.

They take great pride in their ability to raise awareness of their nations, which the majority of people would not otherwise be aware of. Thanks to Luka, most people in Texas and the NBA are well-versed in Slovenian history. Six years ago, that was not the case.

When attempting to communicate with someone in a language you are not familiar with, it is crucial that you both speak the same language.

Luka knows Serbian, a language that is similar to but not the same as Slovenian, because his dad has Serbian family members. This is a great way to connect with others. This connects them because it lets them connect and talk on a deeper level than they could in English, which, for Luka, is probably his fourth best language, after Slovenian, Serbian, and Spanish.

But it is not just the language that brings them together; their past and culture as people from the Balkans and Central Europe are also very strong. Luka seems to have good relationships and bonds with people from all over Europe. This may be because Europeans have a lot of experience in the NBA.

But coming from places that are close together and share a lot of cultural similarities is just another way that they are connected. No one can connect to you like a neighbor who has been through the same things you have.

They both have something else in common that makes them stand out as Europeans living in the US. They both love their home countries very much and try to visit them as often as possible. Interestingly, they both want to move to farms in their home countries.

As much as they have in common, Jokić is a good balance for Luka as a friend and teacher. Even though Luka’s feelings and anger usually make him stronger, he has had trouble keeping them in check at times, especially this season.

In this case, Jokić can be very helpful because his method is much more balanced, controlled, and calm.

Many of the same things put pressure on Nikola Jokić as they do on Luka. He has also been in the game longer, is more mature, and has been named MVP twice. His beliefs and way of life are a lot like Luka’s, and the bond between them is special. Luka will be very strong in the NBA because he has a best friend who is a few years ahead of him.

You can refer to them as best buddies, European dominance, or Balkan bros, as you please. Despite their differences, these two sportsmen share a striking resemblance in appearance. They may even be brothers. And in many respects, they are. They bear the weight of immense expectations from a continent that has much to offer, together with a select group of other outstanding Europeans. Because they are courageous, sincere, and mentally tough, they make it seem simple. But it’s not. We are lucky that they have the strength to carry this heavy load every day, not just because they love their home countries but because of it.