By almost every relevant basketball analyst, bookmaker or die-hard fan, Serbia entered the 2025 EuroBasket as the heavy favourite to win its first gold since 2002. Optimism came from the fact that after the 2023 FIBA World Cup silver and 2024 Olympics bronze, they finally arrived with a full roster and with Nikola Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vasilije Micic leading the way.
Serbia’s roster was so deep that they even left off young NBA talents Nikola Topic and Nikola Djurisic. At the same time, their status as favourites only grew once it became clear that players like Victor Wembaynama, Rudy Gobert, Domantas Sabonis and Isaiah Hartenstein would not participate for the competitors.
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However, in a shocking upset, Serbia fell in the Round 16 to Finland, leaving the basketball world in awe. Jokic had played brilliantly throughout the tournament, but even his MVP-level performances weren’t enough.
Nikola Vucevic, who represented Montenegro at the competition, shared a private conversation he had with the Denver Nuggets superstar before the tournament.
“We talked a little bit. He was aware, and he knew, he came because he wanted to take that gold. I think all of them had that desire, they knew they had the team and the chance to do it. He believed in it. He gave everything he had, as did all of them, but it just didn’t happen,” the Chicago Bulls center told Serbian media outlet B92.
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“And in the end, it’s the hardest for them. No matter how much fans or people watching think about it, it hits the players the hardest. They have to live with that and with all the pressure. They’ll remember forever how close they were. That’s just part of a sports career, sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t,” he added.
Nikola will never be Bogdan for Serbians
Even though Jokic is arguably the best European player alive, in Serbia, he has never reached the mythical status of captain Bogdanovic. The reason lies in the fact that Nikola has skipped several international tournaments in the past to rest, something that Serbian fans often interpreted as a lack of commitment.
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When Bogdanovic was injured against Portugal in the group stage, all expectations fell squarely on Jokic’s shoulders. After the elimination, the narrative questioning his leadership only grew stronger.
2003 No. 2 overall pick Darko Milicic fueled that fire with his comments about the Joker’s impact on the national team.
“I’ve already said this a few times, I really respect and appreciate Nikola Jokic, and hats off to everything he’s accomplished. But overall, I’ve said that we can’t do it without Bogdan Bogdanovic, while we can without Jokic. That’s how it turned out as well: we won silver at the World Cup,” Milicic said.
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“Of course, I’m not talking about tennis, but about basketball, which is a team sport, and everyone achieved that together with Bogdan. Unfortunately, Bogdan is the one who carries a lot, not just on the court but as a leader. The experience he’s gained in our domestic league, in the EuroLeague, and in the NBA as well speaks for itself,” he added.
Jokic desperately wanted to bring gold home
Although Bogdanovic himself has never led Serbia to gold, he has always been present when healthy, becoming a symbol of loyalty to the NT uniform. Jokic, on the other hand, will always carry heavier expectations simply because of the historic level at which he’s been playing as an NBA champion and three-time MVP.
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Serbian fans, known for their passion, began questioning Nikola’s desire with the NT. However, Vucevic’s words paint a different picture — Jokic desperately wanted to bring gold home.
Reports later surfaced that Jokic played against Finland while running a fever, still finishing as Serbia’s best performer that night. And after a grueling NBA season, the Joker showed up for his country in back-to-back summers for the first time in his career, further proving just how badly he wanted to return gold to Serbia after 23 years.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the International section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.