Is Nikola Jokic playing tonight against France? Latest on 3x NBA MVP's availability (July 12)
With Serbia taking on France in the pre-2024 Paris Olympics preps, hoops fans are curious to know if Nikola Jokic is playing on Friday night. The Serbian center is on the roster and expected to suit up at the time of writing. Jokic would be returning to the national team after two years.
He last played for the Serbians at the 2022 EuroBasket. Jokic led the team to a round-of-16 finish as they endured a shock against the Italians. He wasn't with the team for their 2023 FIBA World Cup run's second-place finish. Jokic took offseason leave after leading the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship run.
Serbia will need him on the floor for the Olympics, though. Every team, especially the USA, which are in the same group as the FIBA World Cup runners-up, have plans to deploy their best roster.
Nikola Jokic would be well-rested, too. He had a longer offseason compared to last year, as the Nuggets suffered a second-round exit in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jokic, coming off his third MVP award win, hasn't played since. His last game was on May 19, in Denver's Game 7 loss to the T'Wolves.
Nikola Jokic stats for Serbia
Nikola Jokic has played in two major international tournaments for Serbia. He represented them at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He averaged 9.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists, shooting 50.0%. Jokic played all eight games, leading the Serbians to a silver medal. They lost 96-66 to Team USA in the finals.
Jokic's second major tournament with Serbia was the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He played all eight games, averaging 11.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 4.8 apg on 68/40/80 splits. Serbia made it to the quarter-finals, losing 97-87 to Argentina. They won the fifth-to-eighth classification round to finish fifth in the tournament.
Nikola Jokic enters the 2024 Paris Olympics as arguably the best player in the world. His return makes Serbia a force to be reckoned with, especially after their impeccable run in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They almost won without him, losing 83-77 against the Germans.
Nikola Jovic and Bogdan Bogdanovic came into their own in that tournament. If they can continue playing at a high level with Jokic on the floor, Serbia could be in contention to win the gold against powerhouses like the USA, Germany, Canada and Spain.