NBA MVP leads Serbia to Olympic bronze medal

Nikola Jokic won an NBA title in 2023, but based on his postgame celebration, winning an Olympic medal meant more to him.

Serbia’s basketball team took bronze after defeating Germany 93-83 on Saturday. The reigning NBA MVP led the way, producing the fifth triple-double in Olympic history. Jokic scored 19 points, collected 12 rebounds and dished 11 assists as Serbia avenged their loss to Germany in last summer’s FIBA World Cup.

But that squad didn’t have Jokic. With him alongside the Atlanta Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic, who had 16 points, Serbia led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter. Germany never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

The team was fired up on the court and the bus after the nation won its first basketball medal since taking silver in Rio in 2016. That contrasts Jokic’s hilariously subdued reaction to his first NBA title when he said, “The job is done. We can go home now.”

But that’s because Jokic loves Serbia deeply. He did not originally want to stay for the Denver Nuggets’ championship parade because it would have delayed his return home.

Jokic finished the bronze medal game as the Olympic leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals. While Serbia fell just short of upsetting Team USA in the semifinals, they came through Saturday.