The Boston Celtics ended a 16-year title drought and added their 18th banner to their collection on Monday night when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks by 18 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Since their whole playoff rotation is assured for at least one more year, many believe that this signals the start of a dynasty and the end of the NBA’s previous era of parity, during which six different teams had won the last six titles. When they lost Game 7 to Minnesota in the second round, many teams—including the Denver winners in 2023—would feel they wasted an opportunity. In the upcoming season, these teams want to threaten Boston’s basketball dominance.
The presence of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic on the roster ensures a puncher’s chance, but Denver still has to add more reliable postseason depth and round out the squad. Jokic has returned to his hometown of Sombor, Serbia, as is customary during the summer months. He may be seen having a good time at the racetrack or singing and dancing at a nearby pub.
Jokic isn’t the kind of basketball player who shares images or videos of himself “in the lab” during offseason training, so we don’t always see him working out on the court in the summer. However, a video that was shared on Twitter on Tuesday showed Jokic getting some light court time while playing 3-on-3 pickup with what seemed to be a random bunch of folks at a Sombor park.
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Even though Jokic is clearly not playing at his best right now, if I were the guy who got a bucket on Jokic, I would never stop bragging about it. I also wanted to bring out Jokic’s friend, who dribbles right by him, waves him away, and then blows a three-point shot because he won’t play a two-man game with him. That’s what pickup ball is all about, and I’m happy that even when your team has the best basketball player in the world, the arrogance of strangers at the park persists.