Like Nikola Jokic’s $357,500 Gift, David Robinson Once Gave Teammates Rolex Watches

Nikola Jokic made headlines after spurlging $357,500 on gifts for his Serbian teammates following their bronze medal finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He seemingly drew inspiration from David Robinson, who once spent a major chunk of his $1 million cheque on watches for his teammate.

Back in April, former Spurs star Malik Rose made an appearance on the Run It Back show and was asked about the famous $1 million clause in the Hall of Famer contract which earned his teammates brand-new Rolexes. He claimed that even though he was happy with the new watch, he thought Robinson was ‘dumb’ for spending his money on it. When asked about the Spurs icon’s gesture, Rose said,

“David is probably the dumbest smart guy I know. We were all playing StarCraft and he [Robinson] says, ‘I think I just won a million dollars’. I was like, ‘What are you talking about… Are you serious?’ He was like, ‘I’m buying all of you Rolexes.'”

The 49-year-old said that Robinson had a clause in his contract that paid him a $1 million bonus if the Spurs won the NBA title. He added that the Hall of Famer had forgotten about the clause but realized he was a million dollars richer after helping the franchise win its first championship in 1999.

It’s unclear whether Jokic had any such agreements with the Basketball Federation of Serbian. However, he still spent a sizeable sum on his Serbian teammates.

Nikola Jokic’s special gift for his compatriots

The three-time NBA MVP and the Serbian Men’s National Team had a terrific run at the Paris Olympics. They had Team USA on the ropes in the semifinal, but their opponents’ superior firepower proved too much to handle.

However, they did not leave France empty-handed, as they beat reigning world champions Germany in the bronze medal match to win the nation’s third Olympic medal in basketball.

Jokic was seemingly pleased with his teammates’ effort in Paris as he bought Rolexes for each player who represented the nation alongside him. According to the Serbian tabloid Blic, the watches that the superstar center gifted cost $32,500 apiece. One for each of his teammates took the total bill to $357,500.

The Nuggets superstar has a pretty reserved and stoic personality. However, he seemed relaxed around his compatriots in Paris and was cheerful around them. His incredible gesture cost him less than three days’ worth of his NBA salary, but his thoughtfulness is what stood out.