Nikola Jokic to miss 2023 FIBA World Cup for Serbia
The Serbian superstar decided to prioritise rest after leading the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA title in June.
Basketball
Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has not been included in the Serbian roster for the FIBA basketball World Cup starting next month.
On Monday 24 July, the Basketball Federation of Serbia have announced the preliminary squad of 20 players without Jokic.
The 28-year-old played 69 regular season games and 20 playoff games last season, and he intends to rest after a long and exhausting campaign with the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic’s absence is a big blow for the Serbian team, which will also be without Barcelona’s Nikola Kalinic and Vasilije Micic, who is joining the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA.
The head coach of the Serbia men’s national team, Svetislav Pešić, had talks with Jokic and promised him an extended rest. The new captain of the Serbia team, Bogdan Bogdanovic, tried to convince Jokic to play at the FIBA World Cup, but in the end the Nuggets center decided to prioritise rest and be ready for the 2023-2024 NBA season.
Serbia are placed in group B at the FIBA World Cup, where they will face China, Puerto Rico and South Sudan. The tournament takes place between 25 August and 10 September in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.