Fansided

Nikola Jokic taught his teammates Serbo-Croatian swear words

By Chris Manning

Dec 28, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 105-103. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 105-103. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is one of the league’s brightest young stars. He’s having a strong season for the Denver Nuggets and is starting to draw attention to himself for being the Nuggets’ best player at only 21-years-old. This is shortly after he finished his first season with the team third in Rookie of the Year voting.

In a wide-ranging Q&A with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Jokic opened up about a number of topics. For one, he talked about how he used to drink three liters of Coca-Cola per day and how much he loves watching “Friends.” He also talked how he used to horse race back in Serbia, which is just wonderful to imagine considering that Jokic is 6-foot-11.

The Nuggets’ second-year center also talked about how he and fellow Serb Jusuf Nurkic taught their teammates — including Jameer Nelson and Kenneth Faried — and Nuggets executives how to curse in his native tongue.

"Two seasons ago, Nurkic blocked a shot, and microphones near the court caught Kenneth Faried pumping him up by shouting some Serbo-Croatian curse words at him. I was impressed. Now that there are two guys who speak that language, are you teaching the entire team? You have the best curse words in the world.Oh, yes. As much as we can. Jameer [Nelson] really knows how to swear. The coaches all know how to swear. All of them. Tim [Connelly], our GM, he knows too.Are there any refs that understand, or can you get away with saying whatever you want?I don’t think so, but I try not to talk to them much."

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Cursing, particularly around a ref, is an easy way to pick up a technical foul. But as long as refs don’t learn Serbian curse words, Jokic and his teammates will probably be able to get away with it. Talk about veteran savvy.

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