Rio Olympics: Jokic earns MVP as two Nuggets qualify
By Drew Albee
The 2016 Rio Olympics are right around the corner and the 12-team field for men’s basketball is finally set. This week, three FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments were played around the world — in Belgrade, Manila and Turin, with the winner of each tournament booking a trip to Rio. A trio of Nuggets participated in these FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments this week — Danilo Gallinari for Italy, Nikola Jokic for Serbia and Joffrey Lauvergne for France. Only Jokic and Lauvergne were able to advance, as Gallinari and the underdog Italians fell just a bit short.
The Nuggets players were lucky in that they were all put into different tournaments, meaning there was a chance for all three to qualify, if they each win their respective tournaments. Gallinari and Jokic had the benefit of playing in front of raucous crowds in their home countries, while Lauvergne and his French teammates had to travel around the world, to the Philippines, in their attempt to qualify.
All three Nuggets were able to help their teams to the Final, let’s take a look at how they performed.
Next: Jokic wins MVP of Belgrade Tournament