A huge admirer of Nikola Jokic, Novak Djokovic did not hesitate before picking his favorites ahead of the 2023 NBA Finals. Novak is currently in France for the Roland Garros. But the Grand Slam isn’t preventing him from following his fellow countryman, who put up some sensational performances in the playoffs. Despite being a huge fan of Jimmy Butler, after his recent 2nd round win, Djokovic picked Mike Malone’s boys to emerge victoriously.
Advertisement
Two Serbian legends who have been excelling in their respective fields, Novak and Nikola have great respect among them.
While the Joker refers to the tennis sensation as a “Serbian ambassador”, the 22-time Grand Slam winner has often complimented the 2-time NBA MVP.
“I hope they win their first ring”: Novak Djokovic
After destroying Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in straight sets, Djoko selected the Colorado-based franchise as his pick to win the 2023 finals. In a tweet put out by Sky Sports NBA, the 36-year-old tennis legend said:
“Go Nikola Jokic, go Denver all the way! I really like Jimmy Butler, I think he’s a great guy, I admire him a lot. But I gotta support my man Joker. So yeah, I hope they win their first ring.”
”Go Jokić, go Denver all the way!” 🤝🇷🇸
Novak Djokovic is backing the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokić in The NBA Finals 🏆pic.twitter.com/LQGp18OmLA
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) June 1, 2023
The veteran disclosed being a huge fan of Jimmy Buckets. But that didn’t stop him from backing his fellow countryman.
Even after his first-round win against Kovacevic, Novak has explained how the 5-time All-Star was the “best basketball player in the world”. During his appearance on “Tennis Channel”, he further called the Nuggets’ leader the “pride of Serbia”.
“I don’t think anyone can do what he’s doing at the moment in basketball. He’s definitely the best basketball player in the world. I cheer for him greatly, he’s an amazing guy, he’s the pride of Serbia, we’re so proud of him, we hope he can win his first ring.”
Serbian legend and tennis GOAT, Novak Djokovic, discusses his admiration for Nikola Jokic.
“He’s the pride of serbia, we’re so proud of him. We hope he can win his first ring”#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/sTmzhrdpAe
— n i k o l a e s t h e t i c (@nikolaesthetic) May 29, 2023
The Nuggets win Game 1 with a score of 104-93
Backed by the dynamic duo of Jamal Murray and Jokic, the Nuggets grabbed a huge 11-point Game 1 win.
While Murray recorded a 26-point, 10-assist double-double, Nikola would lodge a 9th triple-double (27/10/14).
Nikola Jokic:
27 PTS – 14 AST – 10 AST – 66% FGJamal Murray:
26 PTS – 10 AST – 6 REB – 50% FGDENVER TAKES GAME 1. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/6WS53iQ820
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 2, 2023
With a dominant display, there are many analysts that believe Denver is capable of sweeping Erik Spoelstra’s boys. However, Butler and Co. can’t be taken that lightly. This resilient team has been stunning franchises from the very start of the postseason.
But as things seem, Nikola Jokic and co. are heavily favored to win their franchise’s first-ever title with the 2023 NBA championship.
