Add Nikola Jokic to the growing list of FIBA Basketball World Cup absentees.
Multiple reports revealed that the star center of the Denver Nuggets had already begged off from seeing action for Serbia following a grueling title run in the previous season of the National Basketball Association last month.
According to Mozzart Sport, Serbian national squad head coach Svetislav Pesic and team captain Bogdan Bogdanovic tried to convince the 6-foot-11 Jokic to reconsider his position but he ultimately decided to rest this summer.
Pesic and the leaders of the KSS tried to change the decision,” Dejan Stankovic of Mozzart Sports said in a report on 23 July.
“In the previous days, Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was in contact with Jokic, was also involved in the operation. However, there was no turning point.”
Jokic’s absence will be a big blow to the Serbians, who are bunched in Group B with China, South Sudan and Puerto Rico and were assigned to play their preliminary assignments at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Aside from Jokic, the Serbians will also be missing the services of Nikola Kalinic and Vasilije Micic, who both play crucial roles in their bid to regain the title in the prestigious 32-nation event that is set from 25 August to 10 September in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
The 6-foot-8 Kalinic, a forward for Barcelona in the Euro League, had also decided to rest while the 6-foot-6 Micic opted to sit out after signing a three-year, $23.5-million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA.
The Serbian basketball federation is set to announce its World Cup roster on Tuesday (Manila time).
Jokic, who emerged as Most Valuable Player in the Nuggets’ grueling run to the title against the Miami Heat, is just one of the high-profile cagers who have opted out of the World Cup.
Prior to his withdrawal, superstars like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Jayson Tatum were not included in the roster of the United States while Ben Simmons will be out for Australia, Victor Wembanyama and Joel Embiid for France, Domantas Sabonis for Lithuania, and Giannis Antetokounmpo for Greece.
Even Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz has also yet to confirm his participation for Gilas Pilipinas.
With that, only Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder and Slovenian Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks are the only NBA stars who remain firm on their World Cup commitment.
Canada, however, will play its group phase in Jakarta while Slovenia in Japan.
