Nikola Jokic is used to being in the spotlight, but the attention is starting to wear on him.
In an interview with Mile Ilic on the Jao Mile Podcast, the Denver Nuggets star said the constant approach from fans has become exhausting. Jokic, who has won three Most Valuable Player awards and led Denver to the 2023 title, said he is increasingly pulling away from public interactions.
“I’m getting more and more bothered by popularity. This is going to sound corny, but I’m getting ruder to people who approach me.
Honestly, it’s tiring…Some people around me know, I don’t take pictures because it’s my time. I’ll sound rude again, but what can I do?
If people can’t understand me, I understand everything, but it’s been 11-12 years, and enough is enough.”
Jokic has become one of basketball’s most recognizable names over the last five to six years, and his appeal goes beyond the usual superstar image. He plays for the Nuggets, suits up for the Serbian National Basketball Team in international competition, and is a two-time Olympian. Still, the fame that comes with all of it is clearly something he’s grown tired of.
The same interview also turned to a more basketball-specific topic: who gives him the toughest time on the floor. Jokic said it’s a wide range of defenders and praised several big men for making life difficult.
“Everyone. Some teams defend very well as a unit, while others have excellent individual defenders.
(Ivica) Zubac guards me really well, and so does (Jusuf) Nurkic. I guess they’re just bulkier, so I can’t move them when we’re battling for position,” he said.
“I think Rudy Gobert is a great defender, even though I’ve historically played well against him. Jalen Duren, he’s undersized but tricky.
Wendell Carter Jr. is also on the shorter side, and Myles Turner blocks a lot of shots. There’s no need to even talk about (Victor) Wembanyama.
They’re all good. The league is talented on both ends of the floor.”
Jokic has long been seen as one of the league’s most unassuming stars, a player who tends to keep interviews brief and move on. In this conversation, though, he made it plain: the constant public attention is becoming too much.
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