Serbia won silver at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and is adding the best player on the planet — three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic — to its roster for the Paris Olympics. Serbia is the definition of a medal contender.
However, this is a setback: forward Nikola Jovic — who plays for the Miami Heat — will miss the Paris Games due to a fracture in an ankle joint, Meridian Sport reports.
Jovic suffered the injury during an offseason workout, but the hope was that he would be healed enough by the time the Olympics started so that he could suit up for Serbia. It now appears that he will not be healthy and ready to play in France.
Jovic, a 6'10" forward, started 38 games for the Heat last season but really showed his potential in the playoffs when he averaged 9.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game as a starter. Jovic averaged 10.1 points a game for Serbia at the FIBA World Cup last summer.
Serbia is in the same group stage in Paris as the United States. The two teams will play an exhibition game against each other on July 17 in Abu Dhabi, then face off in the Olympic opener for both teams on July 28. The USA and Serbia are the favorites to advance out of a group that also includes Puerto Rico and South Sudan.
