Something unexpected just happened overseas — and no, it’s not another EuroLeague phenom getting scouted by the Spurs. It’s weirder, wilder, and way more heartfelt. And somehow, it involves a bottle of champagne, a horse named Demon Dell’Est, and the usually emotionless Nikola Jokic doing something he’s rarely done in public: tearing up.

Yep. But let’s not spoil the whole story just yet.

Grab a coffee, kick back, and let’s ride this one out — because Jokic’s long-quiet dream just exploded into reality. And no, it has nothing to do with basketball. At least, not directly.

Most people know Nikola Jokic as the Denver Nuggets’ 3-time MVP, Finals MVP, and one of the most dominant big men in NBA history. But while the rest of us were watching him casually dismantle defenses with no-look passes and fallaway jumpers, he was quietly counting the days until he could get back to something far less public: his horses.

Yes, horses.

Not in a “hey, I have a farm and they look cool” kind of way — more like “I run a legit racing team and will absolutely ghost my NBA teammates to hang out with a trainer in Jersey” kind of way. Let’s rewind to 2023 when Jokic led the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship. While the city of Denver was ordering confetti and parade floats, Jokic had just one thing on his mind: Will I make it home to Serbia in time for my horse to race this weekend?

No, seriously. That was his biggest concern. “I have my horse racing on Sunday,” he told reporters after winning the NBA title. “I don’t know how I’m going to arrive [in time] with the parade on Thursday. Friday maybe?” That’s right. Jokic just dropped a Finals MVP performance and immediately started looking for flight options. Forget Champagne showers in the locker room — this man just wanted a stable and some peace.

Turns out, Nikola Jokic has been horse-obsessed since childhood. His father, Branislav Jokic, once told the Associated Press that his son dreamed of being a horseman before even thinking about basketball. “He would say, ‘Dad, I want to become a horseman,’” Branislav said. “And I used to tell him: ‘Son, become a basketball player first, and you’ll become a great horseman later.’”

Fast-forward to 2025, and Jokic has taken that advice quite literally. He’s now the proud owner of about 40 horses, runs Dream Catcher Racing, and is so committed that he once made his Nuggets teammates wait three hours while he hung out with Hall of Fame harness driver Tim Tetrick in New Jersey.

In fact, Jokic was texting Tetrick right before Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals, checking in on his horses. That’s not a metaphor. That actually happened.

The Moment That Brought Him to Tears

Now to the juicy part: Jokic finally saw one of his horses win the most prestigious harness race in Subotica, Serbia — the Dužijanac 2025. His horse, Demon Dell’Est (yes, that translates to Demon of the East), pulled off the win under the guidance of driver Carmine Piscuoglio, and what happened next was straight out of a Hollywood sports movie. Jokic ran onto the track, champagne bottle in hand, and lifted Piscuoglio off the ground in celebration, grinning like a man who had just won the lottery and found out his local bakery brought back that one croissant he loved.

“I said it a long time ago,” Jokic reflected. “That I had all my great victories, all my great defeats in this sport. All those people involved with me — they are my friends, my buddies at home. They all experience this as I do.” Read that again. The man who once described winning the Larry O’Brien trophy as “It’s good. The job is done. We can go home now,” just cried over a horse race.

That’s not disrespectful to basketball. It’s just that horse racing hits different for him — probably somewhere deeper than a triple-double ever could. Nikola Jokic often describes racing as a hobby, but let’s be honest — that’s like calling your fantasy football league a “casual time-waster” when you’ve got spreadsheets, mock drafts, and injury alerts turned on.

During the NBA season, Jokic even visits local stables in cities the Nuggets travel to, quietly feeding his passion in between shootarounds and press conferences. And yes, he usually shows up in sweats, jumps into the training suit, and gets his hands dirty. “He’s just a down-to-earth kind of dude,” Tetrick said. “You wouldn’t know he gets paid $40 million a year to play basketball.”

That love for the sport has now turned into full-circle vindication — both for Jokic and for his father, who always believed that this day might come.

So, What’s Next for Nikola Jokic?

Basketball? Sure. He’ll be back in Denver for another season, another playoff push, and probably another All-NBA selection. But behind the scenes, it’s clear where his heart really gallops. Demon Dell’Est isn’t just a horse. He’s a symbol — a living, racing, champagne-worthy reminder that sometimes the dreams we put on hold end up waiting patiently for us to return.

And now? Nikola Jokic isn’t just an MVP. He’s a horse racing champion in his own right — and you better believe he’s got his eyes on the next big race. So if he starts checking his phone mid-timeout next season, don’t worry. He’s probably just texting Tetrick again.

Nikola Jokic just lived out a childhood dream. Not the NBA titles. Not the MVPs. But seeing his own horse win Serbia’s most prestigious race — and reacting like a kid who just met his hero. And honestly? That’s the kind of wholesome sports story we need more of.