Is Nikola Jokic playing today against Slovenia? Serbian superstar’s availability for EuroBasket preparation game (Aug. 21)

Nikola Jokic is reportedly expected to take to the court on Thursday as Serbia faces Slovenia in a preparation game ahead of the EuroBasket tournament. The seven-time NBA All-Star is expected to play limited minutes.

The center last played in Serbia’s 91-81 DBB Supercup game win against Germany on Saturday. Against the Germans, Jokic finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, letting his teammates, particularly Nikola Jovic, carry the offensive load.

Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball against Germany guard Nick Weiler-Babb - Source: Imagn

Jokic appeared in 70 out of 82 regular-season games for the Denver Nuggets in the 2024-25 NBA season while also playing in 14 playoff games. In the regular season, he put up an elite stat line, and averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists while averaging a career-high 36.7 minutes per game.

In the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket tournament, Nikola Jokic and Serbia are in Group A alongside Estonia, Portugal, Latvia, Czechia, and Turkey. Serbia is among the favorites to win the tournament alongside Germany, France and Spain.

The Serbians have an undefeated record in the pre-tournament games this season (6–0) and are averaging over 100 points per game offensively. They won bronze in Paris 2024 and silver at the 2023 World Cup. EuroBasket 2025 runs from August 27 to September 14 and will be hosted by Latvia, Cyprus, Finland, and Poland. The knockout phase will take place in Riga, Latvia.

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Serbia coach clears up wrong perception about Nikola Jokic

In a press conference, Serbia’s national team coach Svetislav Pesic discussed Nikola Jokic’s approach to EuroBasket preparations. He pushed back against the perception that Jokic can simply show up and dominate without putting in the hard work before the games.

Serbia head coach Svetislav Kari Pesic - Source: Imagn

Pesic emphasized that even though the Denver Nuggets superstar is regarded as the "best" player in the world, success at the national team level depended heavily on preparation and discipline.

“They say Jokic doesn’t need to train, he’s the best in the world, he just shows up and doesn’t need anything," Serbia's coach said (via NBAAnalysis.net). "But it’s not like that. It’s all about preparation. Bad preparation (means) bad results.”

Speaking about how this season was different from the last one for the Serbian National team, coach Pesic said:

"Last year, the Olympics were almost a month earlier. Players had less time for recovery but maintained continuity of form, so it was easier to enter that rhythm, just to continue. This year, there are many players who ended their season early, then there's time for vacations and private life."

He added that the team had to organise individual workouts for athletes in Serbia and elsewhere to ensure that they maintained their fitness levels during the offseason.