Watch: Nikola Jokic shares wholesome moment with his daughter after Serbia's win over Japan
Nikola Jokic and Serbia are in Belgrade for two tune-up matches before their campaign in the 2024 Olympics. On Sunday, they hosted LA Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and the Japanese. The Asian team was routed 104-83 by Germany a few days ago and was hoping to bounce back with a big win.
Jokic wouldn’t let that happen in front of a raucous crowd that included his wife and daughter. The two-year-old Ognjena Jokic was already engaged even before the game started. She unsurprisingly cheered for her father, the three-time and reigning NBA MVP.
Behind Nikola Jokic’s all-around brilliance, the Serbs ran away with a 119-100 win. “The Joker” finished the game with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. As the team soaked in the cheers and adoration of the fans, a heartwarming moment between the basketball star and his daughter happened:
The exhibition games at home allowed Jokic to be with his family. Over the last few weeks, he has been busy with the Serbian national basketball team preparing for the Olympics in Paris. They went to France for a showdown with the French before flying to Abu Dhabi for two more games against Team USA and Australia.
Ognjena Jokic did not understand how the game went but she would have been thoroughly impressed with how her father ran the show. The NBA star flirted with triple-doubles and caused the Japanese all sorts of trouble as the Serbs’ hub on offense. Serbia’s balanced attack was more than enough to offset Rui Hachimura’s game-high 29 points.
After the win against Japan, Nikola Jokic and the Serbians will next host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Greeks. It will be another mouthwatering matchup between two of the biggest NBA and international basketball stars.
Nikola Jokic is always excited to spend time with his daughter
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in April. They had a few days to relax and prepare as the other lower-seeded teams battled for playoff spots in the play-in tournament.
Jokic had this to say about what excited him most with some free time:
"It's good. To be honest, I am excited. I need to hurry home. We opened a pool yesterday or two days ago, so I am kind of excited to spend a couple of days with my daughter in the pool. That, for me, is exciting right now.
Nikola Jokic added that the pre-playoffs break gave him time to heal and freshen up for the postseason. The Denver Nuggets ended up beating the LA Lakers in the first round before losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the semifinals.
Nikola Jokic likely didn’t dwell on the loss for long as he is always excited to be with his daughter.