[Highlight] Nikola Jokić: “Basketball is not the main thing in my life, and probably never [will] be. And to be honest, I like it, because I have something more at home, [something] that is more important than basketball”

31 comments

1. That’s how it should be for everybody. Your career should never be the #1 thing in your life. It shouldn’t even be #2.

2. First NBA championship to be won by a professional horse racer playing basketball on the side

3. He does not treat it like a 9 to 5. Last week Campazzo said (paraphrasing) that he lives in the gym and puts in work around the clock. During the season at least.

   There’s no way he’d be the player he is today if he treated it as a 9 to 5, do not be fooled.

4. Jokic shaming tryhards who actually care about the game?!

5. It’s interesting how this is being viewed as a positive thing (which it 100% is, don’t get me wrong) when Jokic says it, but 95% of other players would be destroyed on social media for saying the same thing.

   I don’t care for Embiid fans at all, but imagine this sub’s reaction if Embiid said basketball was not his top priority.

   tldr; don’t jump on players who treat their jobs like any person would treat their job.

6. The thing at home – stamp collecting.

7. Let Ayton say this and everyone would lose their mind

8. Man has his priorities straight.Big respect. he still puts more into the game than most any player. No one can accuse him of slacking off or not trying in games. He puts in the effort. If he didn’t then maybe you could make something of it.

9. He’s talking about his horses

10. I think you can get away with saying these things when you’re as good at the game as Jokic has been. If a lesser player said the same thing as him they would get ripped apart for it and end up on Beverly’s list

11. I know lots of people have hoop dreams, but saying that literally billions of people dream of playing in the NBA might be a reach.

12. Horses, wife and kids, basketball… In that order.

13. Basketball is not his main thing but he gives 100% when doing it.

14. Nugs in 3

15. Reminds me of Chuck when he said at the end of the day, Basketball’s still just a small piece of them. Guess that applies to every human with their respective careers too.

16. He saying: Family>basketball. IDK how people are interpreting that he treats game as a regular job or doesnt like much basketball.

    You can be obsessed with one thing, but always prioritize your family and close friends more than that thing when it comes to make some life decisions.

    Jokic first and foremost is a family guy then a basketball player.

17. Lmao you think this sub wants Xs and Os

18. First player ever to care about his family more than a game. Truly astounding.

19. You can be a total maniac about the sport, and STILL have other priorities above it. And that seems to be the case with Jokic.

    Novak Djokovic is another example of that… different reasons, but similar principle. The sport itself is not the highest priority.

20. I don’t have a favourite team, but Nikola is my favourite player, because he’s simple and kind person. I wish for Denver to win this season, because Nikola deserves to wear a ring.

21. in case it needs to be laid out clearly because by god this sub has some of the takes of all time, basketball not being the main thing in his life clearly doesn’t mean that he doesn’t take basketball very seriously (as supported by stuff like that campazzo interview from a few days ago). it just means that there’s something else he takes even more seriously, as he should.

    i have a lot of respect for jokic because at the end of the day he’s able to go out and put up the absurd performances he does but *without* losing perspective on the really important things in life in the process. it’s honestly a little ridiculous to be able to min-max some pretty disparate life goals that well lol

22. He talked quite a bit about his family in this press conference.

    He said that when he got to Denver, he was more excited to be around his big brothers than being in the NBA.

    He also said that leaving Serbia for Denver was good for him and his now wife because they had been doing long distance for a few months while she was in college in Oklahoma. She moved to Denver with him and his brothers, and the rest is history.

23. Billions of people don’t dream of being a pro NBA player lol. But what he’s saying is true and important imo.

24. It’s possible to have multiple passions guys

25. >This might be the wrong sub for this, because it’s not at all basketball Xs and Os

    Nah you’re in the exact right place lol.

26. Some people are capable of working crazy hard without it taking over their life and personality. It’s a talent.

27. Imagine if Ben Simmons said this

28. Nothing beats fatherhood. Being a father to your kids will always be the most important thing in life. At least for me it is

29. I highly doubt 1/7 people in the world want to be in the NBA.

30. what Jokic here is portraying is that he had LIVES that are bigger than basketball, especially in his home. such as being a great person overall, as a dad, as a brother, as icon figure and especially as a fellow Serbian. It doesn’t translate that he consider basketball a 9-5 job like many of us do, it’s just he knows his life doesn’t end with basketball having much more capabilities as a human being.

31. “Ball is life crowd” continues to take Ls