Much ado has been made over the career of Nikola Jokic about how much he cares about basketball due to his general malaise and nonchalance. Frankly, the jokes have gone a little bit too far with the whole shtick. Most fans realize how hard Jokic works on his craft and everything he puts into being the best basketball player on the planet.
There’s no questioning his work ethic and drive and the whole narrative that he doesn’t care enough about the game is overblown and ridiculous. But one part of the joke is an undeniable truth, Jokic absolutely loves horse racing.
Nikola Jokic loves horse racing
Jokic has made no secret about his affinity for horses as he owns multiple horses and is a huge fan of horse racing in general. It’s a passion of his, and one that he’s been known to pursue fondly, especially back home during the NBA offseason.
Well, he’s wasted no time this offseason, much like in the past as he has been spotted at prominent horse races in Europe in recent days. On Sunday, the Joker was in Sweden, enjoying the races at Solvalla, even posing for pictures in the winner’s circle after the event was over.
Le joueur de NBA, propriétaire de chevaux et fan de courses hippiques Nikola Jokić est présent à Solvalla ! 🏀🐴
Il en a profité pour poser sur la photo de la victoire avec Éric Raffin ! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/49D9i2phge
— Equidia (@equidia) May 26, 2024
Jokic was there with some of his own horses and looked happy to be enjoying the day. It’s nice to see that Nikola is back in Eastern Europe, enjoying his hobbies and taking his mind off of basketball. This may be a trying offseason for the Nuggets, one that could potentially reshape the team going forward.
Hoje Nikola Jokic foi visto acompanhando seus cavalos num evento na Suécia.
Oficialmente, começaram as férias. pic.twitter.com/mJaAuE4Krf
— Nuggets BR 🇧🇷 (@Nuggets_Brasil) May 27, 2024
The Nuggets offseason and coming season will be pressure-packed
There will be a lot of pressure on Denver to get back to the top of the mountain and to win another championship, especially as Jokic goes for his fourth MVP award in five seasons. Things are going to get stressful very soon, so it’s nice that the team’s superstar player is able to decompress during his time off.
He’s clearly in his happy place and this is what he loves to do. There’s plenty of time for Jokic to work on his body and his game, and there’s never been any reason to doubt that will happen. His love for the game of basketball is clear every time he takes the court. But his love for horseracing clearly exists as well and holds a special place in his heart.
