Novak Djokovic was in attendance for the Denver Nuggets’ clash against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, where he watched compatriot Nikola Jokic lead the Nuggets to a 124-114 victory to extend their NBA winning streak to six games.
Djokovic and Jokic then shared a warm embrace, with former NBA player and another Serbian basketball legend, Vlade Divac, also joining his compatriots on the occasion. The embrace between Djokovic and Jokic immediately went viral on social media, shared by many major basketball and tennis-related accounts on Twitter and Instagram.
The two men conversed in Serbian during the clip, and it has now emerged what exactly they said that made the ATP number 1 laugh before embracing Jokic in a bear hug.
According to the translation provided by fans, Nikola Jokic was initially hesitant to hug Djokovic because he was “sweaty” after the match. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, however, didn’t mind at all, jokingly chastising him by saying:
“Come on, whatever.”
“Novak Djokovic is the guy you can look up to, I want to be like him” – Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic has always admired Novak Djokovic, having said in a previous interview that the Serbian was someone he looked up to and wanted to be like him.
Jokic was particularly impressed with the world number 1 for what he meant to the children of Serbia and for all the good work he was doing in the country through his foundation. The Nuggets star also made it clear that it was not fair to now put him and Djokovic in the same category, as the 24-time Grand Slam champion was bigger than him on the world sporting stage.
“I don’t have his number, to be honest, but he is the guy who represents Serbia on a much bigger stage. He is a Serbian ambassador. He is truly an idol for children in Serbia and not only on the pitch, but in the things his foundation does. He’s the guy you can look up to, I want to be like him. He’s doing something great for children, for Serbia, for everything. We can’t be compared”, Nikola Jokic said.
Meanwhile, Djokovic begins his campaign at Indian Wells next week, his first tournament since his semi-final exit at the Australian Open at the hands of eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
