Nikola Jokić and his Serbian teammates did something unprecedented. Even when down by as much as 24, they never gave up hope. Instead, they waded through the challenge and turned it around. But Australia didn’t go away. And that’s when Nikola Jokić had to play hero ball, take on the hopes of Serbia, and put the Boomers away.

It was one of his best displays during the Paris Olympics, further cementing his status as the Olympics MVP. Likewise, after such an incredible night, the media were curious to know his reactions. But the Joker keeps politely refusing the media. The three-time MVP is present after every NBA game, but so far he hasn’t spoken to the Olympic media once. What’s the difference? Just a five-figure fine.

“He’s great, but he only likes to talk to me, you know that. In the NBA, if he doesn’t talk to media, he’ll get fined. But here (in the Olympics), there are no fines. So he says, ‘I don’t need to.’ No offense to you guys.” his teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic revealed at the post-game conference.

With the NBA being a business-minded league, star players aren’t given a choice when speaking to the media. If they refuse, a hefty fine awaits. Back when Kyrie Irving was in his tumultuous stint with the Nets, the league fined him $25,000 for his refusal to speak on media day.

However, in Paris, the athletes have full autonomy as far as their participation in post-game conferences goes. Hence, Jokić has the privilege of denying making any comments or entertain questions. But that didn’t stop his teammates from marveling over his incredible performance against Australia.

Bogdanovic celebrates Nikola Jokić

One thing that doesn’t change from the NBA and the Olympics is the wizardry of Nikola Jokić. Tonight, his perseverance reached new heights. Serbia’s comeback was the biggest in the rich history of the Olympics. And the catalyst behind it was none other than the Joker.

For the second time, he came close to marking a triple-double, but numbers just wouldn’t tell the entire history. After the Boomers’ aggressive burst to force overtime, Serbia began on the backseat. But when the nervous moments approached, Jokic remained composed. He produced multiple steals and a clutch block before confidently hitting back-to-back shots to claim victory for Serbia.

It left the basketball world in awe. But Bogdanovic had seen it all too often.

“We needed him. That’s what he always does. It might sound weird, but it doesn’t surprise me. He’s so calm in those moments. He practices all those shots and he makes them,” he said.

Serbia will now face the winner of the quarterfinal between USA and Brazil, which takes place later today. No matter who the opponent is, the threat of Nikola Jokić will loom over them, always causing worry. And after tonight, it’s going to be difficult to write off the Serbians in their quest for an Olympic medal.