NBA MVP Jokic will not play for Serbia: "To my great regret, I'm unable to play for national team"

Photo: Marko Jovanovic

Nikola Jokic has confirmed that he will not play for Serbia this summer. He stressed that the condition of his body after a tough season in which he did not miss a single game is such that he needs a longer period of recovery.

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"To my great regret, this is the moment when I must announce that despite my great desire, I am not able to play for the national team. Simply, the condition of my body requires a longer absence from the court for recovery. That is the position and suggestion of the club and an inevitability that I have to accept. I am convinced that the guys have the quality to achieve a result without me, which will bring us all a lot of joy," Jokic told Tanjug, without specifying whether it refers only to the Olympic tournament, or if here was a chance he would still play there.

Jokic had a dream season which was crowned with the NBA MVP title, as well as being included in the top five of the league. This season, he played all games for Denver, averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists.

This is the second time that Jokic has canceled his participation in the Serbian national team, he did it before the European championship in 2017 as well, when his decision caused an avalanche of dissatisfaction among the fans.

(Telegraf.rs)