The Joker just discovered his popularity goes beyond his 7-foot frame. We can thank Aaron Gordon, 361°, and China for that. Between losing to the Houston Rockets yesterday and hosting the Utah Jazz tomorrow, Nikola Jokic was on the DNVR Nuggets Podcast to talk about his fun summer. Between soaking up the local architecture and picking up some funny gifts, he found something far more special.

Jokic visited China in the NBA offseason. It wasn’t with the NBA China games but with 361°, a sports brand based there. Almost six months later, he has revealed his biggest takeaway.

“I’m a superstar over there,” Jokic unhesitantly said.

That declaration made the room and Gordon, who was sitting beside him, laugh.

The Serbian legend is one of the few international superstars in the NBA. But the community would stop short of naming a European as the face of the league while LeBron James and Stephen Curry are still around. But most would agree that Jokic is one of the best basketball players in the world right now.

Jokic might not realize it, but he’s popular beyond Europe and the US.

“People love me over there, I was surprised,” the Nuggets star claimed.

Jokic might have missed the NBA’s global expansion that has been relatively parallel to his own emergence. Last year, another big man, Shaquille O’Neal, made the trip to China to promote the league. Li Ning’s signature athlete, Dwyane Wade, has held his basketball camps with Udonis Haslem here a few times.

Jokic’s own tour under 361° went parallel with Curry’s trip to China with Under Armour (before the split). Right after, the NBA held preseason exhibitions in China after a six-year break. It almost felt like homecoming with Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin in the stands.

Even James visited China this offseason as part of his duties with Nike. He first traveled to Asia in 2005 and returned to China 13 times over the next 15 years.

The love NBA stars have received from China over the decades has been unimaginable.

The fact that Jokic is unaware of the NBA’s – and even his – massive fanbase in China could be attributed to the Nuggets not playing there yet. But his Chinese fans might have more opportunities to see him because of his business move.

Nikola Jokic Reveals Reason Behind Signing With 361°

Like Dwyane Wade and Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic is also an outlier in the sneaker business.

Skipping the likes of Nike and Reebok, even the European brand Adidas, The Joker signed with 361° in 2023 as the Global Brand Ambassador.

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The Chinese brand has been making basketball performance shoes for a long time. They initially signed Aaron Gordon in 2020, when he was still with the Orlando Magic and launched his signature line, AG. He was then traded to the Denver Nuggets. It turns out it was no coincidence that Jokic signed under the same brand right after.

“Me and 361° is because of him,” Jokic said on the podcast, pointing to a smug Gordon next to him.

Gordon himself was in China and nagged Jokic with a litany of “you need to try it.” He introduced Jokic to 361°, which led to the launch of the Joker 1, and eventually, both Gordon and Jokic were in the brand’s home country.

The Serbian made a lot of viral moments there, including being swarmed by Chinese fans at the airport itself, meeting the fluffball giant pandas, and racing a bullet train. But the most unforgettable moment was probably the sculpture of a horse made out of Jokic’s shoes. And we know the Joker loves his steeds.

Hopefully, we get more moments like this if Jokic and Gordon reunite with their Chinese fans soon.