The Serbian men's basketball team didn't get the medal they came for in the 2024 Olympics . Still, they did not go home empty-handed. After nearly pulling off a stunning upset over Team USA in the semifinals, Serbia defeated 2023 FIBA World Champions Germany to take home the Bronze medal in the 2024 men's Olympic basketball tournament.
When they got home, the Serbian basketball team received a hero's welcome from an estimated crowd of 40,000 at the Belgrade City Hall. When Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic emerged from the balcony, he was greeted with 'MVP' chants.
The chants were justified — not only did Jokic just win his third NBA MVP award this past season, but he also played well enough in the Olympic basketball tournament to deserve the Tournament MVP award, which was ultimately awarded to LeBron James. But that's not it.
Jokic's generous gift to his teammates
According to Blic's Milica Stulovic via eurohoops.net , the three-time NBA MVP gifted all the Serbian men's Olympic basketball team members with Rolex watches that cost $32,500 each. For his 11 teammates, the Joker reportedly spent $375,000.
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The amount is peanuts compared to his current 5-year $276 million contract with the Nuggets. But the gesture of rewarding his teammates to appreciate their efforts in the battle they just fought together shows not only Jokic's generosity but also how he values his brothers on the team.
A Rolex is more than just a luxury timepiece. Because of the brand's reputation for excellence, precision, and quality is a status symbol associated with wealth, social standing, and performance. For the Serbian team, it's about the excellent basketball they displayed in Paris.
Related: "We could have put three or four championships together" - Sean Elliott on the Spurs' heartbreaks in the mid-2000s
Robinson made a similar move in 1999
This isn't the first Rolex story we've seen from an NBA MVP winner. In 1999, after the San Antonio Spurs won their first championship, superstar center David Robinson also bought Rolex watches for his Spurs teammates .
"So that year, he had a million-dollar clause, I think, in his contract that if we win the championship, he got a million dollars. So actually, while we were back on the plane, we were on the plane playing Starcraft, he said, 'I think I just got a million dollars,' and I'm like 'What are you talking about?' 'We won the championship; I got a million dollars.' I said, 'Are you serious?' and he said, 'I'm buying all of you a Rolex'. And I'm like this guy, man. That's a nice problem to have, but that's typical Dave." said teammate Malik Rose.
It's unclear whether Jokic received a bonus or something from the Serbian government that made him buy watches for his teammates. But bonus or not, Joker just boosted his brothers' morale after that heartbreaking loss to Team USA in the semifinals. MVP stuff, indeed, from the Nuggets star.
Related: Richard Jefferson reveals the best teammates he ever played with: "We got Steph, we still got Jokic…that's tough man"
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