WATCH: Novak Djokovic shows off his basketball skills with stunning long-range 3-pointer; asks for LeBron James' opinion on his technique

Novak Djokovic recently practiced three-pointers at LeBron James
Novak Djokovic recently practiced three-pointers at LeBron James' home stadium

Novak Djokovic was recently spotted practising free throws at the Los Angeles Lakers' home stadium Crypto.com Arena. The Serb also gave a nod to LeBron James, one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history.

The 24-time Major winner had a disappointing campaign at last week's Indian Wells Masters. Having received a first-round bye, the World No. 1 won his opener at the Palm Springs event before facing an upset in the third round by lucky loser Luca Nardi in three sets.

The 36-year-old subsequently withdrew from this week's Miami Masters to spend time with his family. Before flying back to Europe for next month's claycourt season, he found enough time to make a stop at the Crypto.com Arena for the clash between LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors on Sunday (March 17).

The following day, Novak Djokovic uploaded a reel on his Instagram account, where he was polishing his shooting from the three-point line. The Serb scored the basket in the first go, before stealing LA Lakers' LeBron James trademark celebration. He also tagged the 4-time NBA Most Valuable Player in his reel.

"Not too bad ha?😜 👑@kingjames," Novak Djokovic wrote in the caption of his Instagram reel on Monday.

The 36-year-old is admittedly an avid basketball lover. Earlier on Sunday, he swapped his racquet for Steph Curry's jersey, who contributed to his Warriors' narrow 128-121 win over LA Lakers. The World No. 1 also previously expressed admiration for his countrymen Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.


Novak Djokovic hasn't won an ATP Tour title in the first three months of the season for the first time since 2006

Novak Djokovic during his third-round loss at BNP Paribas Open 2024
Novak Djokovic during his third-round loss at BNP Paribas Open 2024

Novak Djokovic has had a dismal run in 2024 for his lofty standards. The 36-year-old played his first event of the year at the United Cup. However, he was not near his best level at the team event, going 1-1 in his singles matches.

The 24-time Major winner then had a turbulent Australian Open campaign; he endured multiple sloppy matches against lower-ranked players to reach the semifinals, where he was beaten 1-6, 2-6, 7-6(6), 3-6 by eventual champion Jannik Sinner. He subsequently missed the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, where he is a five-time titlist.

The 36-year-old made his much-awaited return at Indian Wells last fortnight. He won just one match before exiting the tournament though, casting a shadow over his prospects for the 2024 tour season.

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