![\"Nikola](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-7-24-7.25AM-edited.jpg\")
Miami Heat fourth-year wing Nikola Jovic is suiting up for Serbia in EuroBasket next month. (Mandatory Credit: Photo Courtesy of FIBA)<\/p>\nMiami Heat fourth-year wing Nikola Jovic is suiting up for Serbia in EuroBasket next month. (Mandatory Credit: Photo Courtesy of FIBA)<\/p>\n
Last July, there was serious question<\/a> whether Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic would be healthy enough to play for Serbia in the 2024 Paris Olympics after suffering an ankle injury in an offseason workout.<\/p>\n He ultimately suited up, but his impact was minimal. Jovic averaged only 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game, knocking down seven of his 16 shot attempts and four of his six 3-pointers. He played only five combined minutes in the knockout stage.<\/p>\n His injury was ultimately the first of another injury-plagued season for Jovic, limited to just 46 games with the Heat. He had the best season of his career, but the 6-foot-10 wing hasn\u2019t played more than 46 games in any of his first three seasons.<\/p>\n Nikola Jovic will be one of the three Heat players in EuroBasket:<\/p>\n Heading into the summer, Jovic will be playing in EuroBasket with Serbia and is determined to be ava<\/a>i<\/a>lable<\/a> for his home country.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been training individually for a long time now,\u201d Jovic said, according to Eurohoops.net.<\/a> The season ended pretty early for Miami. We did make the playoffs, which was really important to us, but I\u2019ve been here since May 1st. It\u2019s been three months. I\u2019ve literally been training since May 5th \u2026 I\u2019m already ready!<\/p>\n \u201c(Last year,) I can\u2019t say I was a burden to the team, but I couldn\u2019t help enough. I managed to play a bit, but then I got sick over there and couldn\u2019t play at all. Sometimes I even forget that I made it into the lineup coming off a broken foot. When we gathered, I arrived wearing a boot. I took it off and practically played right away. The people in Miami were the first ones who didn\u2019t like that, but I just couldn\u2019t skip that tournament. Now I\u2019m healthy, and that\u2019s the most important thing to me. Everything else will fall into place. Because, if nothing else, at least I know I can physically handle the challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n Jovic also spoke about how grateful he is that the Heat are allowing him to play in EuroBasket, and how that\u2019s not always easy for NBA teams to allow their better players to suit up because of the risk of injury.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s not easy for them, just like for other NBA teams,\u201d he said. <\/a>\u201cYou\u2019re letting someone play for their country, paying them a lot of money, and they\u2019re important to you. An injury would definitely be a setback for them. But, by chance \u2014 and to my great fortune \u2014 I\u2019m part of the Miami team that had Goran Dragi\u0107. <\/p>\n \u201cThey say themselves that he always came back better from international tournaments [with Slovenia]. It\u2019s an honor and a pleasure for them to let me play for Serbia. Of course, it all starts with me \u2014 I\u2019m always the one who would give anything to play. And the fact that they support me and want me to be with Serbia only gives me more motivation. And it makes it easier for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Dragic was a monster with Slovenia, winning the MVP of the 2017 EuroBasket and helping lead his home country to their first-ever EuroBasket championship. He scored 22.6 points per game while averaging 4.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 48.2\/38.5\/84.4 shooting splits in nine games. <\/p>\n Slovenia retired<\/a> the former Miami Heat guard\u2019s No. 3 last August.<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s World Cup wasn\u2019t Jovic\u2019s first international competition since getting drafted. He also played in the FIBA World Cup in 2023, averaging 10.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in eight games.<\/p>\n He will be one of three Heat players expected to suit up, joining Italy\u2019s Simone Fontecchio and Sweden\u2019s Pelle Larsson, who was the best player for the Heat across Summer League. While the rosters aren\u2019t official, the fourth-year wing is expected to be with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, as well as Vasilije Micic and Bogdan Bogdanovic for Team Serbia.<\/p>\n Hopefully, Jovic will be able to blossom in a bigger role as a secondary shot creator, spot-up shooter and one of the team\u2019s top defensive wings. I\u2019m very excited to see how he\u2019s grown as a player since late April and how he helps his team succeed on an international stage!<\/p>\n EuroBasket is expected to begin on Aug. 27.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t