'I don't jump. I just play basketball' - Why Nikola Jokic hated playing college basketball

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic turned pro at a very young age. When he was just 17 years old, he signed a contract with the Serbian basketball team Mega Vizura and played in its junior squad.

After a year, he moved up to the senior team and developed his knack for passing, scoring, and rebounding. Those years playing in the Adriatic League and Serbian League were pivotal in his development as a basketball player.

College ball is not for me

Nikola's path to the NBA isn't the usual path most prospects take. Most prospects try to land scholarships from the best American colleges, where they can hasten their development and be seen.

It seems that the Serbian center had an opportunity to try out college ball himself. However, after playing with a bunch of athletic freaks, he felt it was best for him to stick with European basketball for a while.

"I don't like playing college basketball," Jokic said. "It's so fast, and everybody jumps so high. I don't jump, I just play basketball. 1-on-1, 2-on-2, something like that. I don't jump high, I don't run fast."

At face value, being able to jump high and run fast are the fundamental tools one needs to survive in this sport. If you're not athletic enough, then you might as well try a different activity. But as Nikola sees it, those things are important, but not everything.

"I think that basketball is about teammates," the Serbian center said. "When I'm open, I score. Playing basketball as simple as I can."

Similar mindset

The Nuggets picked the Joker as their 41st overall pick in 2014, but it wasn't until 2015 that the center joined them. Like how he played in Europe, "Joker" kept things simple even against tougher competition.

By his third year in the NBA, the Sombor native was already the franchise star. His playstyle confused most spectators. How can a seemingly out-of-shape guy wreak havoc on the best defenses in the world? Toni Kukoc, another European sensation, had a sound answer.

"His head, his wheels are constantly turning, he predicts, he sees, he manipulates. He brings the whole game to his speed, which suits him. At that speed, he thinks and reacts faster and better than others," Kukoc said.

In his special way, Nikola is the most powerful player every time he steps on the court. And he has wielded this power to three MVP awards, one NBA title, and a sure spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame.