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Nikola Jokic is a two-time MVP and now an NBA Champion. However, unlike some of the basketball greats over the years, Jokic isn't consumed by basketball.
Instead, the Denver Nuggets center has a range of hobbies outside of basketball, most notably horse racing:
“I was probably 12 or 13 when I got into it — around there,” Jokic told The Athletic in 2020. “My dad took me to a horse race in our city. We went to the race, and I said, ‘I kinda like this. ... And I just fell in love with the horses."
Yet, even Nikola Jokic's biggest fans weren't prepared to see him turn up to the 2022 MVP presentation in a horse-drawn carriage.
It's clear that Nikola Jokic is a different type of person to most other NBA players and that his love for horses is as pure as his love for basketball.
The funny thing is that it's not something you would expect from one of the greatest NBA stars on the planet, especially one who's making history for being such an elite-level big man.
“You know how you can tell when someone really loves something? You can see that in his connections with horses,” Gary Harris told the Athletic. “It’s just a calming feeling that you can see.”
With the NBA season now over, it's safe to assume that Nikola Jokic will be heading back to his native Serbia to spend time with his horses. He will look to enjoy watching the horse racing as he recharges and begins to prepare for the Nuggets' NBA Championship campaign next season.
Chris Broussard says Nikola Jokic is an all-time great
During a June 13 episode of Fox Sports' First Things First, NBA analyst Chris Broussard discussed why he believes Nikola Jokic is already a top-20 player of all time.
“I got him ahead of (Charles) Barkley, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Dirk (Nowitzki) and David Robinson," Broussard said. "He’s got more MVPs than all those guys except Malone, and, of course, Karl Malone doesn’t have a ring. He’s (also) ahead of Chris Paul. I already got Jokic at seven, behind Moses Malone and ahead of David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and George Mikan."
Jokic is still only 28 and is just entering his prime. As such, there's every reason to believe that he's going to continue adding high-level entries to his NBA resume in the coming years.
Right now, there's no question that Nikola Jokic is the best player in the world, which means he could lift a third MVP trophy in the next few years. However, Jokic doesn't appear to be driven by creating a legacy.
Instead, he seems to simply love playing the game. Yet, it's that love that will see him continue to excel and climb the rankings of the historically great big men who have passed through the NBA before him.
The only difference is that Jokic is not a typical center, because if he was, he wouldn't be as dominant as he currently is.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
