What Would an Olympic Bronze Medal Mean to Nikola Jokić’s Legacy?

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games almost witnessed one of the biggest upsets, when the Nikola Jokic -led Serbian team was up by 17 against Team USA in the semi-finals.

Unfortunately for them, a historic comeback in the fourth quarter by Team USA crushed their hopes of a second Olympic final appearance.

Jokić looked like he had left it all on the court. The three-time MVP was everywhere for Serbia, playing a game-high 38 minutes and finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, and a game-high 11 assists. Even when his jumper was off, he dictated the game with his playmaking.

Serbia will hope he’s rested enough for Saturday’s bronze medal game against Germany. While the Germans will be motivated in their quest for their first-ever Olympic medal, Jokić aims to lead his country back to the podium after their silver medal in Rio.

If the Denver Nuggets star can add a second medal to his trophy cabinet, here is how it will add to his legacy.

Serbia’s Run So Far in Paris

Jokić has been monumental for the Eagles

After failing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, Serbia earned an automatic berth to Paris by finishing as one of the top two teams from Europe in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

They had a terrible start to the tournament, as Team USA trounced them by 26 points. But they bounced back with a massive 41-point win against Puerto Rico, with Jokić being one assist shy of notching his first-ever Olympic triple-double.

Serbia continued their momentum with a win over the burgeoning South Sudan team, which sealed their place in the quarterfinals. The Nuggets star recorded his second straight double-double, with 22 points on just seven made shots, with a game-high 13 rebounds.

Against 2021 bronze medalists Australia, Serbia was on the back foot early on. They were down by 24 points by the second quarter, but pulled out a miraculous comeback win in overtime, making it the biggest comeback in Olympic history. Jokić was instrumental in this win, leading the team with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

This win set up a rematch against Team USA in the semifinals, and Serbia was eager for revenge after losing to them not only in the opener but also in the finals in 2016.

Their valiant efforts ensured it was a blockbuster game, but Jokić and co ultimately fell short. Nevertheless, he made history by becoming the first player to record four consecutive double-doubles since Detlef Schrempf and Arvydas Sabonis did it at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Serbia will now face Germany for the bronze medal and will be looking to avenge last year’s FIBA World Cup loss.

Nikola Jokić’s budding FIBA resume

A bronze medal would go a long way for the Serbian

Jokić made his debut with the Serbian national team as a member of the U-19 team, winning the silver medal at the 2013 U-19 FIBA World Cup. He started playing with the senior team in 2016 when he was a year into his NBA career.

His first experience was in the Olympic qualifying tournament for the Rio Games. He ended up as the tournament MVP, averaging 17.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, leading his country to its first qualification since 2004.

During the Olympics, he had a smaller role since he was now playing with the main team. But he was still one of the best players and had a phenomenal performance against Team USA in the group-stage games. He dropped 25 points on 11-15 shooting to go along with six boards and three assists.

He was unable to replicate that later but was still consistent for the Eagles as they finished with a silver medal, after losing to the U.S. in the final.

Jokić is now aiming to add to that medal tally, and a second medal would be huge for him.

Throughout the five games he has played so far at these Olympics, Jokić has been on a tear.

Nikola Jokic 2024 Paris Olympics Stats

Category

Stat

MPG

31.4

PPG

18.8

RPG

10.4

APG

8.2

SPG

2.2

BPG

1.0

FG%

55.4%

3PT%

12.5%

If it weren’t for a wrist injury that has bothered him all year, he wouldn’t have shot 12.5% from three in Paris, and he would’ve been so much more dangerous. But he has still been dominant in every facet of the game, including defense, which is not something NBA fans are accustomed to. This was highlighted especially in the game against Australia, where he locked in on defense during overtime, and helped Serbia to complete the comeback win.

If he can leave with a medal, this will be one of the most historic campaigns ever in the history of the Olympics.

Jokić has already established himself as the best Serbian basketball player of all time. However, players like Predrag Danilović and Vlade Divac have won multiple medals with the national team (back when Serbia and Montenegro played as FR Yugoslavia), including a silver Olympic medal and gold at the FIBA tournaments.

If Jokić can grab his second Olympic medal in Paris, his place in those conversations will be much higher. Bogdan Bogdanovic will also demand similar respect, as he was arguably a more important player for Serbia at Rio and is still their second-best player in 2024.

The Nuggets star is still only 29, and if he can lead Serbia to strong performances in the FIBA tournaments after Paris, he will firmly seal his legacy as the best Serbian player ever, both individually and for the national team. What he has accomplished with only three other NBA players on the roster, two of whom are end-of-the-rotation players, is incredible and just another reminder that he is one of the greatest ceiling raisers in basketball history.