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NBA » NBA | 109 N I KOL A J OK I Ć CHASES MVP T I T L E Man of hisword – he promised 50 and delivered He is the league’s least selfish player and probably its most skilful. He’s the favourite to secure the MVP trophy that’s reserved for the league’s best player, but all he really wants is to win. And what Nikola wants, Nikola gets moment he was drafted, as the 41st pick inthe secondround, a television commercial from one of the sponsorswas showing. Insteadof his picture, screens were filled with tacos. Today,however, everyone isvery familiar with Jokić. Opposing playershavenightmaresprior toduelling with the Serbian centre, who continues to break records. His name is often linked with legends like Wilt Chamberlain,OscarRobertson, Larry Bird, Shaquille O’Neal... He has emulated many of them, and even surpassed some. And all that was achieved by a guy who, upon arrival inDenver and the NBA, had only one wish… “I want to go home. I’m the youngest child and I miss my parents,” saidJokićwhenmakinghis bow on the biggest stage in world basketball at the tender age of 20. However, he’ll have to wait for that. He maintained a trip-double average for a long time this season andwas selectedas thebest player of the Western Conference in December and January. A fewdays prior to receiving the award, Jokić scored47 points against Utah, with the Jazz havingarrived inDenver ontheback of a series of 11 straight victories. Everyone is still citing the statement he made after the match, when he was askedwhy he didn’t try to score 50points. “I didn’t becausewedidn’t need it. I’ll score 50 when we need it,” replied Jokić. A week later, Nikola fulfilled his promise by scoring 50 points against Sacramento. He thus became the first center in the history of the NBA league to have a match with50points andmore than10assists (12 assists against Sacramento) since the three-pointer was introduced in 1980. He also became the only player in the NBA league, after the great BillWalton, to recorddouble-double performances in20matches.That’s precisely why he’s the top favourite to receive theMVP trophy that’s reserved for the league’s best player. The decision will only come in July, but we all know already that Jokić is a wonder among the superstars of the NBA. Vilt Čembrlen, Oskar Robertson, Leri Bird, Šakil O’Nil... Mnoge je stigao, neke i prestigao. A sve to postigao je momak koji je po dolasku u NBA i Denver jedino želeo… „Hoću da se vratim kući. Najmlađe sam dete i nedostaju mi roditelji“, rekao je Jokić, koji je sa 20 godina stupio na najveću košarkašku scenu. No to će morati da pričeka. Ove sezone je dugo imao trip-dabl prosek, a izabran je i za najboljeg igrača Zapadne konferencije u decembru i januaru. Nekoliko dana pre nego što je dobio nagradu, Jokić je ubacio 47 poena Juti, koja je u Denver došla sa nizom od 11 pobeda. Svi još prepričavaju njegovu rečenicu posle meča, kada su ga upitali zašto nije zapeo da postigne 50 koševa. „Nisam, jer nam nije bilo potrebno. Kada bude trebalo, ubaciću 50“, odgovorio je Jokić. Nedelju kasnijeNikola je ispunio obećanje – postigao je 50 koševa protiv Sakramenta. Tako je postao prvi centar u istoriji NBA lige koji je od 1980. godine, kada je uvedena trojka, imaomeč sa 50 poena i više od 10 asistencija (12 asistencija protiv Sakramenta). Postao je i jedini igrač u NBA ligi, posle velikog Bila Voltona, koji je na 20mečeva upisao dabl-dabl učinak. Zato i jeste glavni kandidat za MVP trofej namenjen najboljem košarkašu lige. Odluka će biti doneta tek u julu, ali već sada svi znamo da je Jokić čudo među NBA superzvezdama. Tekst/Words: Aleksandar Pjevac Fotografije/Photography: Profimedia.rs On the night when he was recruited by the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokić was fast asleep at his house in Sombor. His older brother, Nemanja, called fromNew York to give the family the good news from the NBA draft. While champagnecorkspopped intheBigApple, a groggy Nikola reluctantly picked up the phone. ‘You’re going to the NBA! How can you sleep?!’ yelled Nemanja from America. Thatwason26th June2014, and thefansof theNBAdidn’tevenknow what Jokić looks like, because at the

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