Nikola Jokić demonstrated his greatness and led Serbia to its first-ever Bronze medal in Olympic basketball. However, shortly after the heroics, the 29-year-old grabbed the headlines when he headed straight to a horse racing course. Reports indicated that the Denver Nuggets talisman likely rushed through customs to make it in time for the afternoon’s first race.
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A video released on X by the local media outlet, Arena Sport TV, even captured the 3x MVP ordering an ice-cold Heineken with a beer glass to enjoy his time off.
Nikola Jokić je stigao u Sombor gde će pratiti Kasački derbi! pic.twitter.com/rVB7TXEjTb
— Arena Sport TV (@arenasport_tv) August 11, 2024
While the clip raised some eyebrows, it didn’t come as a surprise to seasoned basketball fans. After all, Jokić’s admiration for horses and horse racing had been well-known in the basketball circuit.
For instance, shortly after winning his first NBA championship last year, the 6x All-Star discussed his love for the event, famously mentioning,
“I need to go home. Sunday I have my horse racing”.
Two months later, Jokic caught the eyes again when his horse, Brenno Laumar, won the biggest race of the day in his hometown, Sombor. This time, he celebrated this victory with his Nuggets teammate, Aaron Gordon, who was vacationing in Serbia that summer.
Nikola Jokic’s top horse, Brenno Laumar, wins the biggest race of the day in Sombor with Aaron Gordon in attendance.pic.twitter.com/3A2KoFA38W
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) August 13, 2023
His admiration for the horses was evident again during his appearance on the Curious Mike podcast. In a conversation with his teammate, Michael Porter Jr., Jokic revealed how his retirement plans revolved significantly around his family and horses. Elaborating on his future goals, the 2023 Finals MVP stated,
“After my career is over, the publicity will be gone and I will figure it out and how I want to see myself is to be around my family, spending my days with my kid maybe they will do something interesting and I will follow them. Then I will spend the rest of my day with horses, I have a couple of horses outside of Serbia, in Italy, Sweden, and France”.
All these moments justified his recent actions while adding another layer to his unique lifestyle. They also helped humanize the world of NBA stardom, creating a distinctive legacy for Jokic.
