JOKIĆ SENDS A POWERFUL MESSAGE AHEAD OF THE PIONIR SHOWDOWN AGAINST BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: “It’s the First Time in My Life I’ve Been a Team Captain—I’ll Remember This for the Rest of My Life!”

Nikola Jokić, the new captain of the Serbian national basketball team, spoke ahead of the Eagles’ upcoming clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. at the Aleksandar Nikolić Hall, better known as Pionir.

Jokić recalled that it had been a long time since he last played at Pionir, saying his most vivid memory of the arena was a loss with Mega in the Serbian Cup final, when he missed the game-winning shot against Crvena Zvezda.

Reflecting on Serbia’s 97-73 victory over Switzerland, Jokić pointed out that the team recorded 32 assists, demonstrating their commitment to making the extra pass and creating better, open shots from the very beginning. He admitted that Serbia still missed several open looks, but stressed that the number of assists says a great deal about the team’s offensive approach.

Defensively, however, he acknowledged that Serbia was not at its best, particularly in the opening quarter, when the team got off to a poor start and struggled until halftime. According to Jokić, the turning point came from the lineup that closed the third quarter and opened the fourth, bringing energy, momentum, and control of the game back to Serbia before carrying the team to victory.

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Jokić also recalled that Serbia had already faced Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier in these qualifiers, edging out a hard-fought 74-72 road victory. This time, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be strengthened by the addition of Boston Celtics center Luka Garza, but Jokić emphasized that the team’s greatest strength lies in its collective play.

“They’re all guys of similar build—tall, strong—and they’re a very tough team to play against,” Jokić said, adding that Serbia knows exactly what to expect. He stressed that his team must impose its own physicality and aggression and cannot allow its opponent to dictate the intensity of the game.

Jokić also spoke emotionally about wearing the captain’s armband for Serbia. His first game as captain came against Switzerland, and ahead of the Pionir showdown he said he expects an even better atmosphere. The role, he admitted, carries special significance for him.

“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been the captain of a team. It means a lot to me. I’ll remember this for the rest of my life,” Nikola Jokić said.