“I don’t know... I will need to think about it.”
That was Nikola Jokic’s only public comment on whether or not he would play for Serbia in the Paris Olympics this summer (it came right after the Nuggets were eliminated from the playoffs). Whether he plays or not remains up in the air, but he has that option as Serbia put Jokic on its 16-man preliminary roster for the upcoming games.
Jokic has been hit or miss in the past for Serbia in international competitions, playing in some but skipping others, citing the long grind of the NBA season. Jokic and the Nuggets were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs this season, but he was also clearly worn down by the end.
That said, the Olympics are a big stage, and Serbia is a serious medal contender — a threat to win the gold if Jokic plays.
Four other current NBA players are on Serbia’s 16-man preliminary Paris roster (that has to be narrowed down to 12 before the Games): Bogdan Bogdanovic (Hawks), Nikola Jovic (Heat), Vasilije Micic (Charlotte) and Aleksej Pokusevski (Charlotte).
Serbia is in the same Olympic group as the USA and opens the Games against the Americans on July 28.
