Every once in a while, the NBA world welcomes a star who drops the jaws of each fan with his performance. Nikola Jokic falls into that category as the Serbian’s style impacted the league majorly in the past couple of years. Amidst his greatness, one of his ex-teammates guaranteed his early retirement.

The Denver Nuggets superstar stunned the world last season after winning a championship. As the talks of him becoming the face of the NBA gained momentum, his former teammate’s comments surprised everyone.

What did the former teammate of Nikola Jokic say?

In a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Austin Rivers candidly shared his thoughts on the NBA champion. Upon being asked about whether Jokic could play till 39, he promptly responded, “Nope,” before repeating, “No chance”. Rivers mentioned that the Serb would only play for “another 5-6 years” in the league.

So, according to the former Nugget, Nikola would be in the NBA till around his mid-30s. He backed up his thoughts with a story from his time with him after they lost to the Golden State Warriors in 2022. Austin visited the locker room just a few days after the defeat, only to find that the 2-time MVP had already left for his country.

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That’s why the guard emphasized how “fame and relevance” were unimportant to the 28-year-old. “Those things just don’t interest him like really deeply to a core,” he stated, to highlight that aspect of his character. Rivers thus mentioned the 5-time All-Star could depart after another supermax extension.

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“35, maybe 36, I think he is gone,” Austin stated while talking about the future of the defending champion. With the clock ticking over Jokic’s head, one question becomes more apparent.

Can he prove everyone else wrong?

Rivers’ words had a lot of truth in them as this side of the 6’11 center is quite well-known. Despite cementing his legacy as one of the best talents in the NBA, he stays away from the spotlight as much as he can. Even after winning his first ring this year, he went straight back to Serbia.

Already on the verge of his 30s, the unorthodox basketball player only cares about his job in hand in the USA. Other than that, he has always preferred to prioritize his hobbies over public attention. The best part is that fame has never changed that side of him.

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Nikola certainly understands the pressure his team would be under entering this season of the NBA. But after stepping up to the challenges time and again, he looks ready for it. Longevity takes the back seat, as Jokic focuses on the short-term goal.