Fans of Nikola Jokic were treated to a surprisingly open-book interview that was just released, as Jokic opened up on an almost two-hour episode of the X and Os Chat Podcast in his native Serbian. The whole recording has been dubbed into English, and it’s entirely worth a listen as the Joker was as revealing as ever.
There were plenty of compelling conversations and quotes, but nothing stuck out more than Jokic delivering the message that Nuggets fans have been dying to hear for years.
The Joker was asked if he could ever imagine himself playing for any team other than the Nuggets and responded:
"I wouldn't like to imagine that. Even if we never win anything else after this, an organic title, it means more to me than anything."
"I really found peace here. My two kids were born here. Everyone's here. Peace, home, I found my life here. And I like life here. I don't feel the need, I don't have the urge to. We built something here, together as a team."
This is about as much as you’ll ever see Jokic open up, and while he has never given any indication that he wants to leave, he still hasn’t inked his supermax extension, which is due this offseason. Everyone just assumes he’ll sign, but it’s no sure thing.
And with a massive financial crunch coming up for the team, and this season coming with one nightmarish injury after another, in this era of player movement, it’s impossible not to get at least a little nervous about the greatest player in franchise history starting to think about greener pastures as he enters the latter stages of his prime.
Nuggets cannot botch this opportunity
These are the most definitive comments we’ve heard, and for Jokic to go out of his way to say that his one “organic” title in Denver is worth more than any amount of success for any other team. The way he talked about his life off the court, and the sense of peace and family he has found, as he has now spent almost a third of his life in Denver, was special to hear.
While it’s amazing to hear how committed Jokic is, it shouldn’t be taken as an excuse for ownership and the front office to take their foot off the gas. Getting this verbal commitment from the Joker is a blessing, but it’s not one that the organization can take for granted.
The fact that he’s on board is the most important thing for the team, but there’s still a lot of work left to be done. Just because he has made it clear that he’s all-in for the Nuggets doesn’t mean much unless everyone else is too.
It’s a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the franchise, with a generational player with an uncanny loyalty. They have to capitalize and make sure they rise to the occasion and do right by Nikola.