Nikola Jokic, the best European in history and the extraordinary MVP of a normal guy: "I need to go home"

As usual, Nikola Jokic played down importance. When the final horn sounded and the Nuggets conquered their first NBA ring after finishing off the Heat in the fifth, the Serb barely managed a half smile.. He contained his euphoria, greeted each one calmly and respectfully, without exception of his rivals, and then met with his family, the one that he took to live almost entirely in Mile-High City, visibly more untied (especially his brother).. With his daughter Ognjena in his arms, the giant received the Bill Russell trophy as MVP of the Finals. He danced, celebrated and took a dip in the Ball Arena locker room with his teammates. But he immediately began to do the math about what really seems to matter to him: going back to Sombor and riding his horses home.

“We are successful in our jobs and we win everything. It's an amazing feeling. But as I said before, this is not everything in the world”, pronounced a Jokic for the story. His impact and his statistics during the playoffs project him to spaces never seen before. His name among the legends and in the debate if he is not already the best European player ever in the NBA. But he, as always, downplayed himself. “Okay, I won it. Not me, we won it. But I think it's still not the most important thing in the world. There are a lot of things that I like, that I like to do. That's probably normal,” he continued with his calm reasoning.

In that highly subjective virtual career, the arguments that Jokic exposes at 28 are already considerable. Two MVPs of the regular season (2021 and 2022), to which he could well add the current one that fell into the hands of Joel Embiid. And obviously the title now. In addition to five presences in the All Star and three in the best five. He shares all of this with Dirk Nowitzki and Giannis Antetokounmpo, a trio not to agree. In the case of the Serbian, the few expectations that were placed on him weigh heavily and that he has been surpassing in an amazing way. The doubts about his physique that led him to not even appear in the first round of the 2014 draft.

The Balkan had become the first player in history to average 30.2 points, 14 rebounds and 7.2 assists in a Finals, the first also to lead all three categories during a playoffs (he accumulated 600 points, 269 rebounds and 190 assists) in which the Nuggets grew around their leader, feeling more and more secure, forgetting past failures and projecting themselves towards the inevitable, the first title of the Denver franchise. “The work is done. I need to go home”, he admitted when he learned about the celebration planning that awaits the champions.

There were Joker costumes in the stands. The Serbian becomes the fifth player not born in the US to achieve MVP after Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitki, Tony Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo. “Jok is the MVP of the Finals, rightly and deservedly. It makes everyone connect and everyone wants to win being him so selfless,” Jamal Murray, the other great protagonist of the Nuggets, surrendered.. The decisive point guard has overcome the very serious knee injury that probably prevented his team from fighting for the two previous titles.

Jokic promised to increase his stud, Dream Catcher, this summer. In Sombor, south of Belgrade, he will rest for the next few weeks and then explore new challenges. The World Cup this summer with Serbia on the horizon. There, in FIBA basketball, his thorns are stuck, unforgettable his disconnection against Spain, for example, four years ago in China or his elimination last summer in the Eurobasket in the round of 16 against Italy.