By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After being an opponent of Nikola Jokic across junior and senior international competitions, and at the club level as well, Dario Saric joined the Joker at the Denver Nuggets.
Saric, 30, signed with the Nuggets as an unrestricted free agent during the offseason.
“Playing with the Joker, who is just amazing, three-times MVP, see how he is making an impact on the game and seeing the game in his eyes, his decision-making, to be part of it is really a pleasure for me,” he mentioned on Thursday.
“We saw him becoming an MVP and have a similar path with all players born in that area. It is amazing to see. I am happy for him. And I happy for all these players that can come here and make a living off of basketball,” the 30-year-old Croatian forward/center talked about Jokic and more players from the Balkans in the NBA.
“We talk a lot. We hang out sometimes when my teams were here to play against Denver,” Saric described his relationship with the Serbian center, “A good friend.”
ABA memories
Saric is a veteran of 501 NBA games between the Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Before the overseas leap, developing his talents included facing Jokic in the ABA League.
“You could see that he had a basketball in his small finger. You could see he is a big who can shoot, play, really has a nice touch. Not so many kids growing there had that kind of touch,” remembered Saric, “Playing against him in the Adriatic League, he was great playing five. After that in the NBA, the Denver system adjusted to him playing his best. He became champion, three-times MVP.”
At the top of the 2024 NBA Preseason, the Nuggets are heading to Abu Dhabi to face defending champions Boston Celtics on October 4 and 6.