Serbia includes Nikola Jokic in 16-man pool for Paris Olympics

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Serbian national basketball team is looking to fortify its official playing roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics after adding reigning NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Nikola Jokic to their 16-man pool.

It was announced on June 11, 2024, after Serbia released its lineup in preparation for the first set of games in the Olympic tournament.

Serbia will be gearing up for an action-packed Olympic campaign as they will immediately square off with USA Basketball on July 28, 2024.

However, Jokic and his camp are still yet to respond if he will be officially boosting the team and fly with Serbia to Paris.

During the past international basketball competitions including the FIBA World Cup, Jokic’s presence was badly missed by Serbia after failing to suit up due to an exhausting campaign in last year’s NBA season.

Jokic helped the Denver Nuggets win an NBA title last season and capped off their stellar run with a total domination over the Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat.

This season was an entirely different scenario for Jokic after dropping to the Minnesota Timberwolves in just the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

With more time in the off-season compared to last year, Jokic’s presence in the Olympic games this coming July will be a huge possibility.

Also included in Serbia’s 16-man pool are Atlanta Hawks’ veteran shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic, Miami’s Nikola Jovic, Charlotte Hornets’ floor general Vasilije Micic, and forward Aleksej Pokusevski.