DENVER – They use the space as their canvas, seeing fast lanes and paths to victory that others in their sport just can’t.
For Novak Djokovic, it’s tennis. For Nikola Jokic, it’s basketball. For her native Serbia, June is shaping up to be a month that no sports fan there will ever forget.
Two one-time athletes, who grew up about two and a half hours apart in a country not much more populous than Colorado, are on the hunt for titles that could go down in their names in the history books.
A Serbian victory – at the French Open and in the NBA Finals – would give Djokovic a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam; it would give Jokic his first NBA title and would finally do it Bring a basketball championship to his new hometown of Denver.
They’re not close – “I don’t have his number, to be honest,” says Jokic – but they follow each other at the moment and are all duly impressed by what their compatriot is doing.
“The NBA league is the biggest and most important basketball league in the world,” Djokovic said in a recent interview at the French Open, where he is seeded third and will play his quarterfinal game on Tuesday. “It’s just amazing to be the best player in this league three years in a row.”
Jokic won the league MVP honors in 2021 and 2022 but was passed over that season by the 76ers’ Joel Embiid — a move that came as a dislike to Denver fans. Djokovic also knows what it’s like not to be everyone’s favourite. While no man surpasses his Grand Slam total, the tennis world has often found reasons to favor the other greats of his day, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, over the player some call “Djoker.”
Although the two Jokers play completely different sports – the best basketball teams thrive on teamwork, while the best tennis players master a one-on-one game in which they are often the toughest opponent – they are more alike than you might think expect.
Their jobs require optimal physical condition, something both men lacked in their early years as professionals. Djokovic gave up during his second-round match at the 2005 French Open, retiring after losing the first two sets of his quarterfinals to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros the following year, citing a bad back. Blisters, dizziness, a sore throat and breathing difficulties also hampered him throughout his career.
But Djokovic says a renewed commitment to fitness and the decision to try a gluten-free diet – he’s even written a book about it – have both helped. One of Djokovic’s trademarks now is his ability to outlast virtually anyone in the toughest matches. He has won all but one of his Grand Slam titles since revamping his fitness program in 2009.
A revelation came for Jokic after the Nuggets squandered an 11-point lead by losing Game 7 to the Trailblazers in the 2019 playoff semifinals. The Nuggets trainer had long told Jokic that if he doubled his fitness, his ceiling was unlimited. Jokic shopped. He lost 20-25 pounds and while you would never confuse him with Adonis or even Djokovic, the difference was clear.
“At the beginning it wasn’t necessarily a question of ability to be the best player that he could be,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “It was about growing up, growing up, dealing with adversity, dealing with the umpires, getting in the best shape of your life and losing weight. I think when it all happened it kind of coincided with our rise to where we’ve been for the last five seasons.”
The great all-rounder in basketball and in the Player who took first place in tennis have used their broad platforms in different ways for more weeks than anyone else.
Djokovic, who grew up in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, is outspoken and a lightning rod – his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19 cost him places at both the Australian Open and the 2022 US Open. During his stay in Paris this month he drew criticism from several quarters for addressing the issue of clashes between ethnic Serbs and NATO-led peacekeepers in northern Kosovo.
“A Grand Slam without drama, I don’t think that can happen to me,” said Djokovic. “I think that drives me too.”
Denver’s Joker doesn’t meddle in world affairs, and when criticism of his game or personality drives him the way Djokovic does, Jokic keeps it to himself. Sticking mostly to basketball, he doesn’t give many in-depth interviews, and his wry sense of humor can sometimes get lost in translation.
Like Djokovic, he’s had moments that made headlines for all the wrong reasons: The NBA fined him $25,000 in 2018 for making a homophobic slur. This year’s playoffs saw a minor altercation with Suns owner Mat Ishbia. Perhaps Jokic’s worst moment on the pitch came against the team the Nuggets are playing for the title. In a 2021 game, Jokic caught Markieff Morris of the Heat by surprise after Morris ran hard at him and bumped his shoulder into Jokic’s chest.
“It’s a stupid piece. I feel bad. I’m not allowed to react like that,” Jokic said at the time.
Nowadays that feels like a distant memory.
Hoops fans in Jokic’s hometown of Sombor gathered at 2:30am to watch the Nuggets final. Soon enough, many of these fans could see him in person. Jokic comes home in the off-season to tend to his racehorse stable.
Djokovic says he thinks it’s a joke but respects it.
It’s a glimpse of another thing the two jokers seem to have in common: “He sticks to his values, his beliefs and what’s close to his heart,” Djokovic said. “He doesn’t mind what people think of him.”
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AP sportswriters Howard Fendrich and Pat Graham contributed.
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