This might be a first.
Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic accepted his second consecutive NBA MVP award from his horse stables in his native Serbia.
The 27-year-old was returning to the stables after harness racing when he was surprised by his family and Nuggets staff, including coach Mike Malone, team president Josh Kroenke and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, to present him with the 2021-22 NBA MVP award.
“I’m going to have to go back in the record books to double check on this and make sure, but I believe this is the first time in NBA History that a KIA MVP honor has been given out in a Serbian horse stable,” Ernie Johnson told Jokic Wednesday on “Inside the NBA” on TNT.
“It was a really emotional moment for me, of course,” Jokic said, expressing his gratitude for the Nuggets flying to his native Serbia. Meanwhile, a horse was standing over his right shoulder during the interview.
When asked what winning back-to-back MVP awards means to him, Jokic said, “Now I’m not thinking about it, but probably when I’m old, fat and grumpy, hopefully I’m going to remember and tell my kids, ‘Back in the days I was really good at playing basketball,’” he said. “Everyone knows I’m the same guy and hopefully I’ll stay the same after this.”
Jokic later said he’s not a “flashy” guy and was interrupted by his dog making mysterious noises. “Oh, the dog is dying right there,” he joked as Johnson laughed. Don’t worry, Jokic assured that the dog was fine seconds later.
Jokic began tearing up as he shared hugs and handshakes with his loved ones, including his wife Natalija Macesic and their baby girl, who they welcomed last September.
His family and the Nuggets staff were wearing matching shirts with a joker symbol, that read: “Some people want to see you fail. Disappoint them.”
Malone said the surprise reveal was an emotional moment for everyone involved.
“He came in off the track, not expecting any of this and to see… everyone that he loves and cares about was a moment that I’ll never forget,” Malone said, while standing with his arm around Jokic. “He was really humbled by the love and support by everybody that was here today.
Jokic averaged 27.1 points per game, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists during the regular season. He was the driving force that propelled the Nuggets into the postseason without point guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr. Denver was eliminated by the Warriors in five games in their first-round playoff series.
The Serbian star spends the NBA offseason in his native country, where he lives a private life with his wife and their daughter. When he’s not on the court, Jokic is harness racing, which he said is a passion of his.
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