Nikola Jokić, the centrepiece of the Denver Nuggets’ recent championship run, is taking some extra time to recover and will pass on joining the Serbian national team at the FIBA World Cup later this summer.
The 20-man training camp squad for next month’s tournament was announced on Monday.
Jokić has suited up for Serbia on a number of occasions, dating back to their 2013 under-19 team, and he was an important part of the 2016 squad that captured the Olympic silver medal. He had committed to playing in this tournament last summer.
Serbia had a disappointing finish at last year’s EuroBasket despite the Joker’s presence, getting eliminated in the quarterfinals by Italy. Despite the upset, Jokić dominated, averaging 21.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 66.2 per cent from the field, 46.2 per cent from three, and 90.9 per cent from the free throw line over the course of six games.
The Atlanta Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic is Serbia’s captain, and Serbia outlet Mozzart Sports reports that despite his efforts and those of national team head coach Svetislav Pešić, Jokić couldn’t be convinced to give up the extra time after going so deep in the playoffs.
Oklahoma City’s Vasilije Micić and FC Barcelona’s Nikola Kalinić are also doubtful to make the trip to Asia for the tournament.
The World Cup begins on Aug. 25, with games being played in Japan, the Phillippines, and Indonesia.
Canada is sending a strong contingent headlined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić’s teammate Jamal Murray.