NBA Rumors: Morey’s Harden hangup, Lakers lineup question, Jokic in on Olympics
- Nikola Jokic will participate in 2024 Olympics with Serbia
- Darvin Ham plays coy about Lakers' fifth starter
- Daryl Morey continues to play hardball in James Harden trade talks
NBA Rumors: Nikola Jokic will participate in the 2024 Olympics
The Serbian national team finished second at the FIBA World Cup this summer despite the absence of two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who opted for rest and recovery after the Denver Nuggets' long road to the championship. It's not difficult to get excited about the prospect of Jokic joining the silver medal team in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On Tuesday, Serbian Olympic president Bozidar Maljkovic announced that Jokic will, indeed, play for Serbia in next year's tournament. Jokic will also be joined by Euroleague MVP and new OKC point guard Vasilije Micic, who also missed the 2023 World Cup run.
"We didn't have NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic. Neither Vasilije Micic, the MVP of the EuroLeague. Nor Nikola Kalinic. I think we come together and get the best out of us, as in all sports. I can be proud of Novak Djokovic's season and Ivana Spanovic [Serbian long jumper], who won gold in the 2023 World Athletics Championships."
Safe to say the Serbians will have a formidable team. It's irresponsible to predict a gold medal with Joel Embiid, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant headlining the expected Team USA roster, but Serbia is a definite favorite to medal in next summer's games. And, even with a boatload of star talent at their disposal, the United States can't get cocky. The continuity and competitive drive of European squads is generally a potent mixture.
Jokic is the undisputed best basketball player in the world (well, not undisputed, even though it pretty much should be). Serbia will have the alpha on the court in every game, and we know Jokic will elevate what is already a competent team around him.