“He really don’t give a f— about this s—. He doesn’t care at all. This is like his second or third favorite thing to do, maybe third or fourth” said DeMarcus Cousins recently about Nikola Jokic’s passion for basketball. It is not every day one hears that a 3x NBA MVP and a league champion, who averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists in his previous NBA season, doesn’t consider basketball to be his top interest. However, as Cousins highlighted, “Most games where he’s dropping these crazy stats, he probably doesn’t even want to be there”. Due to this ‘disinterest’, Jokic was even reportedly ready to retire back in 2022. Amidst these shocking revelations, one host simply refuses to believe its validity.

‘Mile High Sports’ host Shawn Drotar, in a recent conversation with Ryan Blackburn, dismissed Cousins’ remarks. “Boogie’s wrong.” He exclaimed. “Here’s the simple fact, I do not care.” He reasoned that “I get that during times, you know, he appears this…. it’s just his style. He appears disaffected. He kind of does a little bit of a…. it’s a little bit of a rope a dope, I think he does against guys to make it seem like ‘maybe I’m a little tired, maybe I don’t care about this’”. After all, the host believed that one simply does not put up the average stats he does, win MVP 3 times, play in an abundant number of games, and just doesn’t care about the game. In the situation that Jokic simply does not care, that also speaks well for him.

“If we’re gonna agree that Nikola Jokic doesn’t care about basketball, we probably have to agree that he’s the greatest basketball player that ever lived, because what would he be like if he cared?” said Drotar.

Meanwhile, Ryan Blackburn held the opinion that DeMarcus Cousins simply observed Jokic at a bad time. However, while he didn’t fully believe the former NBA player’s remarks, he did admit there are some areas he would like to see Jokic care for if he hasn’t already been.

“Like, ‘Hey buddy, let’s try to improve that drop coverage now’” said Blackburn. “But that’s not really what it’s all about. Jokic, like when he knows the responsibility he has for the NBA, and has embraced that a little bit more than I think people give him credit for. But that dude is a killer, and it’s very fun to watch him. I’m very curious to see how he performs on the Serbian stage, because your basket’s gonna be a lot of fun. And you get to see him at his most competitive, I think, in these one game playoff situations”.

Drop coverage is certainly an area where the Serbian isn’t at his best. David Adelman saw some visible irritation during the Nuggets-OKC Conference Semi-Finals series, and stated that “When he’s in drop coverage and somebody drives him and they make contact and that’s a call. And here’s a center that’s obviously a bigger man, feeling like the same contact is occurring in the paint”.

This is not the first time that the notion of the Serbian not holding basketball as his true love has been stated. However, just like Drotar, people simply do not care. Reggie Jackson highlighted the reason why, when he said, “Yo, if it’s a job for him, every day he wants to be an Employee of the Week”. From logging the first 30-20-20 stat line in NBA history earlier this year to recording a total of 34 triple-doubles in the 2024-25 season, the 30-year-old is not slowing down and continuing to be the exception to the opinion given out about him.

Therefore, the only way this alleged ‘disinterest’ in basketball would be believable is if Nikola Jokic himself came out to say it. After all, this is the same person for whom basketball is on the mind even when playing video games!

Nikola Jokic Caught Playing NBA 2K With Serbian Teammate Amid EuroBasket Preparation

Months after being eliminated from the Conference Semi-Finals for the 2nd year in a row, Nikola Jokic is now spearheading Serbia’s FIBA EuroBasket roster. As NBA reporter Dan Coombs highlighted, expectations are high for Serbia following the team’s bronze medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Given the importance, even stars like Nikola Jokic have to train, as Serbian head coach Svetislav Pesic recently said, “They say Jokic doesn’t need to train, he’s the best in the world, he just shows up and doesn’t need anything. But it’s not like that. It’s all about preparation, bad preparation, bad results.” This is why Jokic can’t evade basketball even when off the court.

In May 2025, Jokic reflected positively on his experience at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he led Serbia to a bronze medal. “I think the Olympics made me even better. I played for my country, with other players, under different rules, and that really made me a better player.” And that has translated well so far, regularly posting double-doubles and nearly achieving triple-doubles in these warmups. 20 points, 19 rebounds, and 9 assists in Serbia’s 126–89 victory over Bosnia, recorded a double-double with 23 points and 19 rebounds, plus 4 assists, in a 76–66 win over Greece.

A few days ago, a viral video highlighted Nikola Jokic playing NBA 2K with a Serbian teammate. Controllers in hand, and with smiles on their faces, the duo faced off in a Denver versus Minnesota matchup. Minnesota did upend Denver’s playoff hopes in the 2023-24 season, making them a worthy digital opponent.

It’s not just on the court that he’s showing out. During a warm-up game, Jokic demonstrated his leadership by ensuring teammate Nikola Topic high-fived everyone on the bench after being substituted.

He’s been steadily ramping up with Serbia ahead of EuroBasket.

In a recent preparation game, Jokic posted 7 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Serbia’s 91-81 win over Germany in the DBB SuperCup Final, marking their sixth straight victory. He also grabbed headlines in warmups, throwing down a smooth two-handed reverse dunk that had fans buzzing, a rare glimpse of flair from the former Finals MVP.

For both DeMarcus Cousins and Shawn Drotar, the EuroBasket 2025 series will prove just how much Nikola Jokic is prioritizing basketball. Whose belief comes true in the end is something that remains to be seen.