Should he decide to play for Serbia, Nikola Jokic will be in a unique position heading into the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, as he could emulate the achievement of Marc Gasol, who won the Larry O’Brien Trophy with the Toronto Raptors and the Naismith Trophy with Spain in the same year.
Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a 4-1 series win against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals where he was also named the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. With averages of 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, the Serbian big man was undeniable as the Heat could not find a way to stop him.
Four-time All-Defensive Second Team member Bam Adebayo was the only effective defender against Jokic as he dominated when substitute big man Cody Zeller was on the floor. The question now is, “Who can step up to face the two-time NBA MVP in the FIBA World Cup?”
Grouped with South Sudan, China, and Puerto Rico, there are not a lot of big-name bigs who can make things difficult for Jokic in Group B.