Abu Dhabi, UAE – Bogdan Bogdanović, captain of the Serbian national basketball team, is currently in Abu Dhabi, where he will be watching the EuroLeague Final Four from the front row over the next three days. Ahead of the semi-final matches, which will be broadcast live on TV Arena Sport channels, he addressed the burning question on every Serbian fan’s mind: will Nikola Jokić play in EuroBasket?
As Bogdanović revealed to “Basketnews,” he believes the Denver Nuggets center will be available to the Serbian national team this summer. However, the final decision from Jokić, who recently concluded his NBA season with a loss to Oklahoma in Game 7 of the Western Conference Conference semi-finals, is still awaited.
“I think he will, but I can’t tell you for sure that Nikola Jokić will definitely play. We all have our own lives, different perspectives, different bodies. The wear and tear on Jokić is enormous; people often don’t understand that. We can’t compare ourselves. We are in contact; we’ll see what the decision will be,” emphasized the Serbian national team captain.
He was also asked about a potential return to European basketball.
“I’ve always said that’s my goal when I leave the NBA, I’ll see. If I’m healthy… I want to come back, of course, but I have to stay healthy. I miss the EuroLeague; then I would be closer to family and friends, and that’s what I miss most. I also miss the competition, of course, but honestly, I miss them the most,” Bogdanović added.
The first semi-final match between Fenerbahçe and Panathinaikos is scheduled for tonight at 5:00 PM, while the Olympiacos vs. Monaco game is at 8:00 PM. Both matches will be broadcast live on Arena 1 Premium.
Micić: We’ll Be Better if We Stay Together
Serbian basketball player Vasilije Micić stated that he believes if all his national team teammates are available, the Serbian squad will play even better at this year’s European Championship compared to previous tournaments.
“I think we are all at the peak of our careers, but you have no guarantees with that. If we stay together this summer, we’ll probably look even better. The more you play together, the better chemistry you have. Last year (Paris Olympics) was our first where we all played. At the 2022 European Championship, we missed Bogdan (Bogdanović), at the 2023 World Cup, Jokić and I were missing. Last year, we finally had everyone available, and it was beautiful to play together. If we stay together and are healthy, we’ll be fun to watch,” Micić said, as reported today by the Eurohoops portal.
Micić was asked if he is trying to convince Denver center Nikola Jokić to play for the Serbian national team at the upcoming European Championship.
“I hope Jokić plays. I’ll text him today to ask. We’re all trying to convince him,” said the Phoenix Suns point guard.
On Monday, Jokić stated that he would make a decision about playing for the Serbian national team at this year’s European Championship after speaking with “the coaches and some of the main players.”
The Denver center also played in the last European Championship, held in 2022, where the Serbian team was eliminated in the round of 16 after a loss to Italy. He then missed the 2023 World Cup, where the Serbian national team won a silver medal, before participating in the Paris Olympics, where the Serbian team won bronze.
Jokić also mentioned that he believes playing in the Paris Olympics, where he was selected to the All-Tournament Team, made him a better player.
“I think the Olympics made me even better. Playing for your country, playing with different players, I think that made me even better,” the Serbian center said.
Jokić finished second in the voting for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the American professional basketball league (NBA) this season, missing out on his fourth MVP award in the competition.
Both Jokić and Micić have concluded their club seasons. Denver failed to reach the Western Conference NBA playoffs finals, losing to Oklahoma in the semi-final series, while Phoenix did not even qualify for the playoffs.
National team captain Bogdan Bogdanović has also finished his club season, as has Miami power forward Nikola Jović, who stated in April that he wants to play for the Serbian national team at this year’s European Championship.
This year’s European Championship will be held from August 27 to September 14, 2025, in Latvia, Finland, Cyprus, and Poland. The Serbian national team will play in Group A in Riga against Latvia, Czechia, Turkey, Estonia, and Portugal.
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Source: Euronews, Nova.rs, Foto: Printscreen X