Crushing EuroBasket tournament gets even worse for Nikola Jokic

Serbia v Finland: Round of 16 - FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Serbia v Finland: Round of 16 – FIBA EuroBasket 2025 | Christina Pahnke – sampics/GettyImages

Nikola Jokic and Serbia were eliminated from EuroBasket days ago, but the final nail in the coffin for Jokic came on Sunday when the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 All-Star Five was announced, and Jokic’s name was notably absent.

The five chosen were Alperen Sengun, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Franz Wagner, Luka Doncic, and the tournament’s MVP, Dennis Schroder. Jokic was the best player to participate in the event, but his team was disappointingly eliminated in the round of 16, and his stats weren’t gaudy enough to compensate for the early exit.

All of the players who were selected for the All-Star Five made deeper runs than Serbia and Jokic, with Luka taking Slovenia to the quarterfinals, Giannis leading Greece to third place, Sengun starring for the runners-up in Turkiye, and Wagner and Schroder taking Germany all the way to the promised land.

Team performance clearly and justifiably played a huge role, so maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise or be seen as a snub that Jokic wasn’t selected. Still, it’s fairly stunning to see him participate in any event and walk away with so little to show for it.

Just another motivator for Jokic and Nuggets

Denver sent just two players to EuroBasket: Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania. Both players are coming back with nothing but disappointment and a sour taste in their mouths. Nobody should ever question the motivation of these guys, but this summer has to have added some fuel to the fire.

Especially for Jokic, whose country had such high hopes for this tournament, entering as the favorites. For him to leave empty-handed, while watching many of his NBA rivals walk away with hardware, has to sting.

Knowing what a competitor he is, you just know he’s itching to get back on the court and to start competing for the next prize, another NBA championship. That’s the only goal in sight now that EuroBasket is officially in the rearview. In just a few short weeks, training camp will be underway, preseason games are fast approaching, and the regular season will be starting before you know it.

It’s almost time to lock in and get ready for the 82-game marathon that is the NBA regular season, followed by the long war that is the NBA playoffs. It’s an incredible ride, but one that will test your endurance. Now, the Nuggets and their best player have one more reason to be fired up and ready to go.