Sombor welcomes home Nikola Jokić after NBA championship

Zeke Lloyd & Michael Braithwaite, Colorado Springs Gazette on June 18, 2023

SOMBOR, Serbia – The second horse race at the Sombor Hippodrome was about to begin. The stands were filled with spectators, eager to witness a hero return home. 

Logos from Denver sports teams stood out from the Serbian crowd. Children and adults alike wore Denver Nuggets jerseys. One man sported an orange Broncos hat and a golden shirt with “Colorado” written out in black letters. 

Then Nikola Jokić walked in.

A visible energy engulfed the crowd. As news of his arrival spread through the stands, onlookers rose for a standing ovation. Residents, fans, and media alike clamored to see the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player take a seat in his first public appearance since returning home from the championship celebration.

After Jokić arrived, it seemed like many had forgotten about the main event. Some left after seeing the star. Others remained focused on Jokić, waiting with basketballs and Sharpies for the chance to get an autograph.

While Jokić frequently discusses his love for horse racing, not all of Sombor has the same appreciation for it.

“It’s not that popular,” said Slobodan, a young Serb shooting hoops with friends at the court next to Jokić’s elementary school. According to him, the horse racing community doesn’t represent Sombor. Basketball, however, does.

Wearing the jersey of his favorite player, Kevin Durant, Slobodan sat on bleacher seats next to the court. He was surrounded by friends, but the group wasn’t acquainted through school. In fact, few of them even went to the same school. They knew each other through basketball, playing at the court several times a week, some even every day. 

Over the course of the 21st century, basketball has gained popularity in Eastern Europe, and countries from the region have found success at the highest levels of the sport. An Eastern European country has medaled in men’s basketball at each of the last three Olympics. In 2016, it was Jokić who led Team Serbia to a silver medal. 

Jokić is one of several elite players to come from this region of the world. In the last five years, other Eastern European players have been named NBA All-Stars including Kristaps Porziņģis of Latvia, Nikola Vučević of Montenegro, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece, and both Luka Dončić and Goran Dragić of Slovenia. 

And, as these international players impact the league’s highest level of play, sports culture is redefined in their hometowns.

Fifteen years after Sombor first organized a local basketball team, originally named Košarkaški Klub SO Koš, the team rebranded to the name KK Joker in reference to the nickname of the town’s most iconic player. 

“Because of Jokić, the club got popular,” said Stefan, a local teenager who enjoys playing basketball. 

KK Joker’s home arena, Hala Mostonga, is Jokić themed. His personal logo, the number 15 wearing a jester hat made out of the letters N and J, lies painted onto the court floor. A wall overlooking the venue displays pictures of Jokić in celebration of his back-to-back MVP awards.

Away from the court, the arena also features a Jokić-themed locker room complete with 15 lockers, each emblazoned with “Joker” across the top and his logo on the inside. At the end of the room, a locker labeled “MVP” has a picture of Jokić in his Nuggets uniform.

Beyond the gymnasium and through the concessions court was a small, windowless room with assorted weights and exercise equipment. The air was stale and smelled like sweat. Inside, Matsuri-Mate Masulin, an avid athlete and trainer, ran on an elliptical. He wore gym shorts and no shirt, in good shape for 68 years old. 

Masulin specializes in cold-weather workouts, including push-ups with snow on his back and plunges into icy rivers. Many athletes in Sombor know him; some train with him. According to Masulin, Jokić was once among them. Talking about the NBA champion, Masulin smiled a wide, proud grin. This is the environment that made him. 

As the sun goes down on a Saturday night in summer, street lights turn on along Sombor’s downtown promenade. The central avenue bustles with pedestrians enjoying the warm summer evening. Restaurants open their outdoor seating as benches fill up with couples of all ages and streets fill with foot traffic.

“Look around at the view,” said Milenko Gulić, gesturing at the scene from his bench situated along the perimeter of the city square. “People who live here are like Nikola. Easy, relaxed. Simple life.”

Even amidst his international success, Jokić longed to come back home to Sombor. After Denver’s series-clinching victory on Tuesday night, the star center seemed exhausted by the idea of staying even a few more days in Colorado for the Nuggets’ championship parade.

“No,” said Jokić. “I need to go home.”

When asked to describe his emotions following the NBA Finals victory in his postgame press conference, Jokić had an equally straightforward answer.

“It’s good. We did the job,” he said.

Now, for the time being, he is back to watching horse races at the Sombor Hippodrome. He, like all people, longs for the familiarities of home. But despite the humility of his lifestyle in Sombor, he remains an icon for the people of his hometown. 

“People see him as an inspiration,” said Djan, a teenage resident of Sombor. “They love him.”