Nikola Jokić Reveals the Biggest NBA Misconception: "I'm a Bit Atypical There!"
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The Serbian center revealed his mindset when he first arrived in the world's premier basketball league.
"The biggest misconception about the NBA? I'll tell you, I'm a bit atypical there," Jokić stated on the Jao Mile podcast.
"When you get there, the most important thing is to stay, and to stay, you have to do something. If anyone remembers my first few years, I played a really simple game, and that suited everyone. That was my beginning. Whether I played a minute, I'd sprint up and down, and someone would notice: 'Look, this guy runs!'"
According to him, simplicity was key.
"When I started getting some minutes, I really simplified my game from a basketball perspective. I decided – I'll do this and that, I won't overthink it, to earn the coach's trust. So he'd decide: 'Okay, this is what I'll expect from him.' And I never went in with the idea of scoring as much as possible, but rather to stay on the court as much as possible. Over the years, I've added different things; the ball is with me now, so I do everything – both what's necessary and what's not."
He admitted that in his earliest days, Wilson Chandler and Jameer Nelson were his role models.
"I had Wilson Chandler and Jameer Nelson, and I often think of them. Mike Miller was there too, but he was a bit older. They were in the gym every day. Whether shooting free throws or in the weight room, their mindset was: 'I'm going to come in and do something.' I had really good role models. Someone to observe and realize – 'Hey, this is how it should be.' You just copy it, and after a few years, you'll create your own routine, your own path, what works for you. Even today, I'm in the gym 295 out of 300 days."
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