Nikola Jokic and many other NBA players are gearing up for EuroBasket and playing for their home countries, which is forcing some NBA rivals to be teammates. One example is on Team Serbia with Jokic and Nikola Topic of the Thunder. In a clip that went viral from a recent exhibition match, while sitting on the bench, Jokic told Topic to get back up and high-five all of his teammates, a command with which the young Topic quickly obliged.
It’s a great example of leadership and Jokic’s place and rank, not only within the NBA, not only with his home country, but within the world of basketball. Topic was drafted last season but missed the entire due to an injury, thus making the freshly-turned 20-year-old a rookie in this coming NBA season.
While he’ll play for the defending champs and the team Denver is trying to knock off in the Thunder, Topic is obviously still going to look up to the best player alive, who also happens to be from his own home country.
The incident occurred after Topic was taken out of the game and took a seat on the bench. Jokic was seen leaning over to the youngster and telling him he should get back and make sure he high-fived every single one of his teammates.
🙌🇷🇸 Nikola Jokic didn’t like the fact that Nikola Topic didn’t high five to everybody on the bench when he was subbed and made him get up an greet all his teammates. #Eurobasket
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) August 16, 2025
True leadership 👏 pic.twitter.com/JIPA4mDTpq
No better mentor than Jokic
It may seem like a small gesture, but this is a great showing of Jokic’s leadership, maturity, and understanding of the game. He knows that Topic is an exciting young player with a lot of talent, but he knows that there is much more that goes into being a great overall basketball player and a part of a winning team.
He’s trying to instill these lessons into his young countryman in hopes of helping him reach his potential. For Topic, this is a great opportunity to learn from the best of the best, and he seems to be taking advantage. He’s in a rare situation, walking into a deep and dominant juggernaut of a team while being a rookie lottery selection.
If he’s patient, his time will come in OKC, but he’s going to need to learn how to be a good teammate and contribute to winning every chance he gets. Lessons like this one from Jokic can go a long way toward making him the kind of player that the Thunder want, and that wants to be on the Thunder.
It may be odd to see a young Thunder player taking his cues from the star of the Nuggets, but that’s the beauty of this great international game. Seeing Jokic get to pass on bits of his greatness to the next generation is a wonderful part of the process, even if the recipient may wear the wrong colors this season.