Chicago Bulls star says Nikola Jokic revealed his ‘great desire’ to him before shocking EuroBasket loss

Nikola Jokic and Serbia were targeting the gold medal, says Nikola Vucevic

Similar to Nikola Jokic, Vucevic also represented his country at EuroBasket 2025. However, Vucevic’s Montenegro failed to get past the group stages.

After all, the Bulls star later announced his retirement from the national team following the disappointing run.

Putting that aside, Vucevic recently broke the silence on what Jokic told him about his expectations from Serbia in the tournament.

“We talked a little. He was aware, and he knows; he came because he wanted to take that gold, and I think they all had a great desire, and they knew they had the team and the ability to achieve it.

“So he believed in it. He played, I mean, he gave his all, like all of them, but it wasn’t for them,” Vucevic told B92 in an exclusive interview.

He added: “And in the end, it’s the hardest for them, no matter how much as a fan or people, anyone watching from the sidelines.

“It’s the hardest for them; they have to deal with that and all that pressure, and that will stay.”

Considering the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Domantas Sabonis sat out of the tournament, it was no surprise that Jokic expected to win the gold medal with Serbia.

What’s next for Nikola Jokic and the Serbian national team

With Serbia knocked out early, Dennis Schroder and Germany clinched the gold medal in the tournament.

While Jokic will likely shift focus to the Denver Nuggets ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, what about future tournaments with Serbia? Vucevic provided a solid answer to how the players must be feeling.

“They will surely remember for the rest of their careers, for the rest of their lives, how they had the opportunity, it happened to them.

“Okay, that’s all part of an athlete’s career, and sometimes you open up, sometimes you don’t,” Vucevic concluded.

Now, that’s solid advice for the Serbian national team as they have a shot at rectifying their mistake in the next edition of the tournament.