Nuggets’ Jokic back in his Serbia to watch family’s horses compete

SOMBOR, Serbia — Nikola Jokic made it back to Serbia in time to watch his beloved horses race in his hometown.

Less than a week after leading the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship, Jokic was back in his hometown of Sombor on Sunday to enjoy his big passion of horse racing.

Thousands of his supporters in the usually sleepy northern Serbian town of some 47,000 people also converged on the local horse racing track where Jokic was watching his family-owned horses compete in harness races. Many had T-shirts with Jokic’s portrait, some reading “Be the Next Champion” and “Sombor, the Town of Champions.”

A billboard reading “Welcome Home MVP” showed Jokic with his No. 15 Nuggets jersey, also depicting galloping horses.

After winning the NBA title, Jokic was concerned about whether he could return home in time for Sunday’s races after the team’s victory parade in Denver on Thursday. He joked that he would ask Nuggets president Josh Kroenke to lend him the team plane to make sure he arrived on time.

This was a special day for the Sombor hippodrome. Beer and barbecue stands were in full swing, and so was the celebratory mood with people waiting in long lines to attend.

Jokic arrived late to the track, followed by local media. Famously shy and laconic, he was not in a talkative mood and declined to talk to journalists, passing them by as he entered the racetrack.

Appearing in the stands from time to time amid members of his family and friends, he watched every race his family’s stable participated in, then disappeared out of sight. He was in the company of his wife and daughter, brother, father and friends.

The crowd erupted with applause and joy when Jokic first appeared, wearing a polo shirt that had the “Dream Catcher” inscription after the name of the first horse that he purchased years ago.

His father Branislav said Jokic wouldn’t be answering questions from reporters.

“He told me ‘Dad, I have had enough of publicity during these past few days,’” Branislav Jokic said. “And I believe him.”

Jokic developed a strong passion for horses and horse racing in his youth and it nearly took him away from basketball when he was a kid, his father said.

Denver clinched the NBA title on Monday by beating the Miami Heat 94-89, with Jokic posting 28 points and 16 rebounds and collecting the trophy for the most valuable player of the NBA Finals.

Jokic, nicknamed Joker by his fans, is coming off a historic playoff performance, where he became the first player to lead the league in total points (600), rebounds (269) and assists (190) in a single postseason.

Lou Williams announced his retirement from the NBA on Sunday, ending a career after winning the league’s Sixth Man award three times and scoring more points off the bench than anyone in history.

Williams played for six teams — Philadelphia, Toronto, the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston, the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta. He last played in the 2021-22 season with the Hawks.

Out of 1,123 regular-season games played over 17 seasons, Williams came off the bench in 1,001. He scored 13,396 points off the bench, which is 2,117 more than Jamal Crawford and 2,249 more than Dell Curry.

Williams and Crawford are the only three-time recipients of the Sixth Man award in league history.

Williams was the 45th pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Out of the 60 players taken that year, only Chris Paul scored more points in the NBA than Williams — who went straight to the league out of high school.

He finishes his career with 15,593 points, 131st in NBA history.