The ongoing joke surrounding Nikola Jokic, that he treats his basketball career as a regular job, may hold some truth. There isn’t any doubt that the three-time MVP loves the sport. However, he is not obsessed with improving his skills like Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan were. NBA analyst Mike Singer revealed information about the Serbian star’s tendencies, including faking injuries to avoid practice.
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People evolve over the years and the same can be said for Jokic. During the early years of his career, he didn’t enjoy the work that came with the grind of improving in the NBA. Singer joined Brian Windhorst’s ‘The Hoop Collective’ to discuss Jokic’s unique relationship with basketball. He said,
“He hated practice. His coaches knew it. The conditioning aspect of it, he hated it. There were times in this practice that I include in this book where he faked injuries to get out of practice.”
Singer is expected to release ‘Why So Serious?’, a biography of the Nuggets superstar in December. In his book, he highlights the love-hate relationship between Jokic and practice, which he shared with Windhorst.
A common trend throughout the NBA is the popularity, or rather the unpopular status practice holds among players. In the early 2000s, Allen Iverson went on a rant regarding his lack of involvement in practice. Jokic shared similar emotions, even going as far as faking injuries to get out of his routine workout.
Jokic’s love for horses is common knowledge within NBA circles. In addition, Singer mentioned a moment during an offseason where Jokic’s teammates were “begging” him to condition with them.
“His teammates are literally running around a horse track and conditioning, he is on the inside of the horse track training horses. They’re begging him, they’re pleading him, ‘Come on man please condition. Can you run with us? You need to,‘ said Singer. “He’s on his chariot, he takes his feet off the chariot and mimics jogging with his teammates. Then says, ‘This is the best you’re going to get from me.'”
Jokic’s teammates were begging him to join so that he could improve his conditioning. They wanted him to become a better player. However, the Joker’s methods may be more effective. Despite his lack of interest in practicing, Jokic has since changed. He’s worked hard, becoming a three-time MVP, six-time All-NBA member, and an NBA champion.
His outstanding play to start the 2024-25 season has propelled him to be the front-runner for the MVP award yet again. On the season Jokic is averaging 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 11.7 assists per game. As a result, he’s on pace to become the first player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and rebounds per game.
Practice is essential for players to improve their skills. However, some players, such as Jokic, might be the rare exception.
