Denver Nuggets played the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Novak Djokovic was present to watch his countryman Nikola Jokic lead the team to a 124-114 victory that extended their winning streak to six NBA games.
Following their friendly embrace, Djokovic and Jokic were joined in celebration by Vlade Divac, a legendary Serbian basketball player and former NBA player. The hug between Djokovic and Jokic went viral right away on social media, and numerous well-known Twitter and Instagram accounts that followed basketball and tennis shared it.
The ATP No. 1 laughed before giving Jokic an embrace during their exchange in Serbian, and it’s now clear what they said to each other.
“I don’t have his number, to be honest, but he is the guy who represents Serbia in a much bigger scene. He is a Serbian ambassador. He’s really an idol to the kids in Serbia and not just on the court, but in the things his foundation is doing. He is the guy you can look up to, I want to be like him. He’s doing something great for kids, for Serbia, for everything. We cannot be compared,” Nikola Jokic said.
According to translation provided by fans, Nikola Jokic was initially hesitant to hug Djokovic, on account of his being “sweaty” after the game. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, however, was not bothered in the slightest about that, telling him off jokingly by saying:
“Come on, who cares”
Since he first mentioned admiring and aspired to be like Novak Djokovic in an earlier interview, Nikola Jokic has always held the Serb in high regard.
Jokic was especially impressed by the World No. 1 because of all the good deeds he was doing in Serbia through his foundation and what he represented to young people there. The Nuggets star also stated unequivocally that Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, was superior to him in the world of international sports, and that it was inappropriate to place him and the Serbian player in the same category at this moment.
LeBron James’ response
LeBron James scored his 40 000th point on Saturday night, but Nikola Jokic scored 35 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets rallied late to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 124-114.
“Being the first player to do something, it’s pretty cool in this league, just knowing the history, the greats that’s come through the league and then you see some of the greats on the floor tonight, it was great to compete,” James said. “But for me, the main thing, as always, is to win, and I hated that it had to happen in a defeat.”
Jokic fades off one foot to beat the shot clock 😱
DEN-LAL Live on ABC pic.twitter.com/aoNBcMXfZS
— NBA (@NBA) March 3, 2024
James received a standing ovation at the next timeout, while coach Darvin Ham gave him a congratulatory pat on the chest as he came to the sideline. There was an in-arena video presentation, which was preceded and followed by James raising the ball over his head to the delight of fans, many of whom were wearing his Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat or St. Vincent_St. Mary High School jerseys.
Congratulations to LeBron James for being the first and only player in NBA history to score 40,000 points! I’m so glad I was here to witness such an incredible feat! @KingJames pic.twitter.com/IdfjsrSLKJ
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 3, 2024
“Man, you look at a lot of great players that have played this game, and no one was even close to 40,” Davis said. “Obviously, it’s a great moment, obviously it would be better if we get the win.”
“I think we got a lot of guys who feel comfortable under pressure,” Porter said. “You got Nikola, the best player in the world. You know, Jamal with the ball in his hands a lot. And then you got shooters who are ready to knock down shots under pressure time, so just a lot of guys that are comfortable in those situations.”
The Nuggets swept the three-game season series, leaving James to admit “they have our number.
“It’s always kind of the fourth quarter, the last six minutes or the last few minutes of the game,” he said. “They make plays, we don’t make plays, and that can be frustrating.”