The past summer, Nikola Jokic’s updates about his horses were nothing less than wholesome. Especially after the playoffs, the Nuggets have a dramatic organizational overhaul. That perspective did a 180 when the season started. The previously implied label of a ‘reluctant superstar’ kept getting bigger till the All-Star break. Straight out of his most serious injury so far in his NBA career, players and analysts speculated whether horses took precedence over NBA championships and MVP titles.

In a candid sit-down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, the three-time (with a possible fourth) MVP finally settled the long-standing debate regarding where his heart truly lies. He knows that when he got emotional over one of his steeds winning, it looked like this was the only world that mattered to him.

“It was a whole process because that horse… supposed to be really good, and then before that race, the last couple of [races], he didn’t race really good, and then he won… probably for me one of the best races in Serbia, and I was just happy in the moment,” Jokic told Andrews.

When asked to choose between a horse racing title and a Larry O’Brien trophy, Jokic didn’t hesitate. “NBA championship right now.”

The admission comes after years of fans joking that basketball is merely a “day job” to fund his equestrian passions. Despite his tears and champagne-soaked celebrations in the stables of Sombor, Jokic confirmed that basketball success still reigns supreme.

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Nikola Jokic is not changing his ‘attitude’

While the Denver Nuggets were dealing with the uncertainty of a new coach and GM, The Joker spent his downtime in Serbia with his horses. In mid-2025, his horse, Demon Dell’Est, captured a significant victory in a race, and cameras captured him breaking down in tears over it. Some felt Jokic appeared more moved by that win than his 2023 NBA Finals MVP honors.

It doesn’t help that he showed very little emotion toward Serbian fans who gathered twice at Chicago’s United Center for him. The contrast between his stoic championship demeanor and his “proud dad” energy at the track has been a topic of debate.

After a month away, Nikola Jokic returned, still played at an elite level, kept the Nuggets in postseason contention, and simultaneously saved his MVP and All-Star campaigns. But he had to play limited minutes to avoid aggravating his injury again. He’s realistically had a few scares since his comeback.

Yet Anthony Edwards and Kevin Durant said out loud what many have been thinking – that Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic don’t take the All-Star Game seriously. Doncic brushed it off. Jokic said, “I’m gonna play how I play every year.” Well, he played only 5 minutes, contrary to the 34.4 minutes he’s been averaging this season so far.

His response came under fire back then. Or someone tweeted that the All-Star weekend should incentivize him with horses (whatever that’s supposed to mean). But almost a week later, he clarified that while his emotional responses might differ, his competitive drive is universal.

“I think if you don’t care for the winning, you’re not supposed to be in the sport,” Jokic explained to Andrews. “I think just my personality, maybe a little bit, is different, or I accept victories and accept success in a different way. But I think I care about basketball and I love to play… I enjoy it and enjoy competing.”

Despite his passive exterior, Jokic is currently putting together one of the most statistically dominant seasons of his career, proving that his side hustle isn’t a distraction, but a necessary mental reset.