By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic didn’t get the chance to experience EuroLeague basketball during his short time playing professionally in Europe, but he still follows it.
Talking to the media after the Los Angeles Lakers game, he even predicted which four teams will make it to the Final Four, emphasizing he sees Olympiacos going to Berlin because of his compatriot and friend Nikola Milutinov.
“I follow a little bit; it’s gotta be Real Madrid and Barcelona, Monaco maybe, and I would take Olympiacos because of my friend Nikola Milutinov. I enjoy watching him play; he’s supposed to be in the NBA, but he likes it over there,” Jokic said.
He’s also very familiar with the skillset of Partizan Belgrade player P.J. Dozier, who was his teammate in Denver a couple of years back.
“I think his biggest problem was injuries; he would still be with us if he didn’t get injured. I loved to play with P.J.; he was a ballhandler and could play one through four. He was a good player with us, and I enjoyed playing with him.”
Talking about European players having a big impact in the NBA nowadays, he believes they bring something special to the table.
“We definitely have something to offer that maybe they don’t have here. Players here are much more talented, but European players can help in different ways too,” Jokic said and even spoke about Monaco’s Mike James, who’s on the verge of becoming the EuroLeague all-time best scorer.