The Denver Nuggets’ grueling start to 2026 was felt all the way in Serbia. While his team and his NBA sees Nikola Jokic as one of the greatest basketball players in the league, he’s a national treasure in his home country. Serbia was rattled when he suffered a hyperextension of his knee and relieved when his ACL remained intact. Only the most hurtful acts could’ve turned this admiration into cold anger for The Joker.

The incident in question happened on Saturday, February 7 when the Chicago Bulls hosted the Denver Nuggets. On the way to a 120-136 win over the Bulls, Jokic made NBA history. That seemingly overshadowed what happened offcourt on NBA social media but Serbians didn’t look over it.

Around 50 young members of the folklore group “Tromeđa” from the Church of St. George travelled from Indiana to Chicago to see him. This group in their traditional attire were also featured on the United Center screens when they welcomed their local hero with a traditional Serbian song and dance.

Despite their heartfelt gesture, the troupe didn’t get a single glance at Jokic. They apparently waited for him but Jokic skipped any meet and greet opportunity and left the arena leaving behind disappointed young fans.

Jokić may be a three-time NBA MVP, a contender for a fourth, and a global sporting icon. But that didn’t make him immune to criticism in his native Serbia. A scathing new editorial from Antonije Kovačević on the Serbian Times has ignited a national conversation, shaming the Denver Nuggets superstar.

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Kovačević described the big man’s greeting to Tromeda in a Serbian saying. “He walked past them, as our people say – as if past a Turkish cemetery. With a single wave of the hand, without looking, like when he assists his teammates, which the greatest optimists interpreted as a greeting…”

This same author would describe Jokic’s early years when he took the time to interact with the reporter and fans. These days, Kovačević says, Jokic meets young fans in Denver “on assignment.”

The group returned home sad and disappointed with nothing to show about their fleeting encounter with their idol. Instead, Tromeda is getting love on social media for their vibrant performance. Yet Jokic left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.

Nikola Jokic’s history-making feat overshadows hurt of hundreds of fans

That game, Nikola Jokic racked up 22 points, 17 assists and 14 rebounds, recording his 182nd career triple-double. That put him at #2 in the league’s all-time triple-double list surpassing Oscar Robertson. That certainly got people talking, especially as he returned from an extended medical leave to salvage his MVP candidacy. On Saturday, Serbians waving the national flag presented a guard of honor and chanted MVP for him as he left the arena.

So yeah, this record is getting more attention here. But Serbians, who barely got a wave on Saturday, are feeling disillusioned by their MVP. What rubs salt on their wounds is that this was no isolated event.

Last year, 300 Serbian kids made their way to Chicago. These kids waited outside the United Center for an hour but didn’t hide nor hair of Jokic. That contrasted Nikola Vučević, a player on the Montenegrin national team but has Serbian heritage, went out of his way to meet these kids and take pictures with them. Vučević rightfully went viral for his gesture.

Twice in the same venue, Jokic has disappointed his loyal Serbian fans. To his once loyal supporters, it’s starting to show the difference between his on-court brilliance and his perceived off-court indifference.