By winning the NBA championship ring with the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic became the fifth Serbian basketball player to become a champion in the strongest basketball league in the world.
As the back-to-back MVP of the regular season, this year he didn’t receive the award for the third time in a row. However, he proved to everyone that he is undoubtedly the best basketball player on the planet at this moment.
Jokic joined four other basketball players from Serbia who have previously won the NBA title.
So far, these are the Serbian players who have won the NBA championship:
1. DARKO MILICIC (DETROIT PISTONS, 2004)
As the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, which is widely considered one of the greatest drafts in history, with LeBron James as the first pick and ahead of players like Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and other successful players, Darko Milicic joined a strong Detroit Pistons team. However, he didn’t get many opportunities to play in his rookie season.
It’s about time Darko Milicic gets his just due. pic.twitter.com/EOL0uLci0f
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) March 23, 2019
Despite limited playing time, Darko Milicic became the first Serbian basketball player to win an NBA championship in the 2003-04 season with the Detroit Pistons, and he did so at just under 19 years old. This achievement also made him the youngest player to win an NBA title, a record he still holds to this day.
Although Darko’s contribution to the Pistons’ championship run wasn’t significant, playing only around 1.8 minutes per game in eight playoff games with minimal scoring impact, he will always be remembered as part of the championship-winning team during his early years in the NBA.
2. PEJA STOJAKOVIC (DALLAS MAVERICKS, 2011)
Predrag Stojakovic, along with Vlade Divac, was a member of the best team in the history of the Sacramento Kings, which narrowly lost the Western Conference Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2002.
Nine years later, Peja managed to achieve his championship dream, but this time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, led by Dirk Nowitzki. Peja and Vlade had intense battles against the Mavericks in the playoffs while playing for the Kings, but fate had it that Stojakovic would make come true his championship dream towards the end of his career, playing for the Mavericks.
Best of Peja Stojakovic: https://t.co/S1pAxYqEjp pic.twitter.com/L6cYZHAnJQ
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 9, 2019
Despite being in the twilight of his career, Peja made a significant contribution to the Mavericks’ championship journey, averaging 7.1 points in 18.4 minutes per game over 19 playoff games. He had two games where he scored 20 or more points during the playoffs. Stojakovic’s veteran experience and scoring prowess proved valuable for the Mavericks on their way to winning the NBA championship.
3. OGNJEN KUZMIC (GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS, 2015)
The third Serbian basketball player who won an NBA title is center Ognjen Kuzmic, and he is also the only Serbian player in history to have won titles in both the NBA and the EuroLeague (with Real Madrid in 2018).
Kuzmic won the NBA championship in the 2014-15 season with the Golden State Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala. Although he did not record any appearances in the playoffs for the Warriors, he played in 16 regular-season games, averaging 1.3 points. In the same season, he also won the NBA G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
#SantaKUZ! @warriors assignee Ognjen Kuzmic celebrates the @dleaguewarriors title #DLeagueFinals pic.twitter.com/Q2k4Fmp8qD
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) April 27, 2015
Despite his modest contributions to both NBA and EuroLeague titles, partly due to injuries he had during those seasons, Ognjen Kuzmic’s achievement has a special place in Serbian basketball history as he is the first player to become a champion on both continents. His path to success, building his basketball career through the Finnish league, Spanish second league, and the G League, adds even more significance to his remarkable journey.
4. NEMANJA BJELICA (GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS, 2022)
After Kuzmic, another Serbian basketball player helped the team from San Francisco to reach the trophy.
Nemanja Bjelica won the NBA championship in the 2021-22 season with the Golden State Warriors, making him the fourth Serbian player with an NBA championship title. Bjelica crowned his seven-season NBA career in the best possible way, and in the championship season, he played a significant role in the victorious Warriors team.
Drafted 35th overall out of Serbia in 2010 and now NBA CHAMPION in Year 7… Nemanja Bjelica! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/JlVUYob3Lj
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022
During the regular season, he played in an impressive 71 games, averaging around 6.1 points and approximately 4 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, he averaged 2.9 points in 15 games, but his defensive contributions were crucial, especially in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
5. NIKOLA JOKIC (DENVER NUGGETS, 2023)
Nikola Jokic, by winning the championship ring with the Denver Nuggets in the 2022-23 season, became the fifth Serbian player with an NBA championship title. What sets Jokic’s NBA victory apart is that he led the Denver team as their best player to their first-ever “Larry O’Brien Trophy” in the history of the Nuggets.
Drafted 41st overall out of Serbia in 2014, 5x NBA All-Star, 2x #KiaMVP… & now NBA CHAMPION in Year 8.
First-time #NBAFinals MVP… Nikola Jokic! pic.twitter.com/mAisvcXhI0
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2023
Moreover, Nikola Jokic was recognized as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, scoring a total of 151 points in five games. With this achievement, he became the fourth European basketball player to be named MVP of the NBA Finals, following Tony Parker (France, San Antonio Spurs), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany, Dallas Mavericks), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece, Milwaukee Bucks).
During the NBA Finals, Jokic had an impressive average of 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game.
Throughout the entire 2023 playoffs, Jokic had an almost triple-double performance on average: 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists. He became the first player in NBA playoff history to finish as the leading scorer, rebounder, and assist provider!
The ease with which Jokic, alongside Jamal Murray, led the Nuggets to the championship was impressive, as illustrated by his statement right after the finals:
“The job is done. Now we can go home.”
