Novak Djokovic met fellow Croatians Nikola Jokic and Vlade Divac backstage following the Denver Nuggets’ win over the LA Lakers on Sunday night.
“The Joker” led the charge, scoring 35 points in the 124-114 victory. The game also saw LeBron James reach the historic 40,000 point mark, becoming the first NBA player to achieve this goal.
Djokovic, currently in Los Angeles for the next Masters of Indian Wellswas seen on Sunday evening at the Crypto.com Arena, cheering on his compatriot.
After the match, he gave fans a glimpse of his interaction with the Croatian basketball stars. Nikola Jokic and Vlade Divac, and two-time NBA champion with the LA Lakers Sasha Vujacic.
With his son Stefan, he posed alongside the NBA stars for a few photos next to the players’ locker room.
“Great to see @NBA superstars and friends last night @Lakers @nuggets“Djokovic wrote via X, formerly Twitter.
Jelena Djokovic also joined her husband for a photo with Jokic.
Novak Djokovic considers Nikola Jokic one of the best Serbian athletes
Novak Djokovic has long been a pillar of strength for Serbian sportspeople and has had a considerable impact on Serbia’s place on the world map. Another name that has done the same in recent years is two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
Speaking ahead of the Denver Nuggets’ game against the LA Lakers on Sunday, Djokovic praised his compatriot, describing him as “one of the best athletes” Serbia has ever produced.
” He is huge. He is one of the best athletes we have ever had in the history of Serbian sports. What he has done in the last three years is simply remarkable, not only for Serbian basketball, but also for European basketball, playing in the strongest basketball league in the world.” Djokovic said as quoted by Vic Lombardi of AltitudeTV.
“He’s amazing. I really like him as a person,” Djokovic said.
He also made sure to dap LeBron James stands up, firmly stating that he is there simply to enjoy the game.
“I am here to enjoy basketball, a sport that I love very much. Of course, appreciate the greatness of LeBron and Nikola Jokic,” Djokovic said.
Jokic praised Djokovic last year, calling him an idol for many children in Serbia. He paid tribute to Djokovic’s greatness on the court and also highlighted all of his incredible charity work off the court. Calling him the “ambassador of Serbia,” Jokic refused to be compared to him.
“He’s a guy who represents Serbia on a much bigger stage. He is a Serbian ambassador and he is truly an idol for Serbian children and not only on the pitch. He’s the guy you can look up to (to). I want to be like him. He is doing something great for children, for Serbia, for everything. So we cannot be compared.
