The offseason was a hectic one for Serbia’s Nikola Jokic. After a grueling postseason schedule, he moved straight to national duties. At the Paris Olympics, he propelled Serbia to a bronze medal finish. It included an inspiring performance against the ‘Avengers’ in the semifinals, coming inches with a gold medal matchup. However, does it affect him heading into the forthcoming NBA season?

It’s never easy to endure such strains physically, especially for a man of Jokic’s size and play style. But his spirit remains unwavering. The 29-year-old naturally loves doing his job and playing basketball. No matter the prior workload, it doesn’t deter him from playing at an MVP-caliber.

“I think the last time that I played with that the national team, we won the championship, so that doesn’t really affect that,” he said in Abu Dhabi where the Nuggets are scheduled to play two games against the champions, the Boston Celtics.

As a Serbian athlete, Jokic has become arguably the country’s greatest basketball talent. Furthermore, he stands in the upper echelon of Serbian athletes. The one sharing the stage? None other than Novak Djokovic. Even at the age of 37, his motivations still astound the Joker. In Paris, the 24-time Grand Slam champion claimed the long eluded gold medal, essentially completing the sport of tennis.

Has that sublimated the fire within him? Absolutely not. After his Paris conquest, he is back in the competitive circuit, playing in the Shanghai Masters. His emotions are pure, even in practice sessions. Is that a dream of Nikola Jokic? “Not even close,” he said while laughing at the prospect of playing till 37.

But no matter when he decides to hang the sneakers and enjoy the tranquility in Serbia, Jokic is a bona fide legend.

The awe-inspiring career of Nikola Jokic

When one thinks about it, nothing led to Nikola Jokic being a basketball phantom. He was a second-round draft pick with no footage of him receiving his cap being aired. But almost instantly, his charm on the floor enamored the basketball world. His historic run includes three NBA MVPs in the last four years. No other international player has more.

Furthermore, narrowing down his contributions to the Serbian national team, Jokic takes it personally. After an NBA championship, the Joker was still stone-faced as usual, even saying he didn’t want to go to the parade. But a bronze medal finish brought unfelt pride to him and Serbia. Unsurprisingly, he has been the architect behind the national team’s rise. He also played a role in their third play finish in Tokyo in 2016.

In the Olympics, the 6-time All-Star was unplayable. The bruising center is responsible for the recent glory in Serbian basketball, a nation with a rich history of sporting greatness. His influence not just on the team, but also on placing Serbia as a powerhouse in the basketball realm is undeniable.

At the least, he still has a few years of playing his prime basketball. In that space, it’s easy to project Nikola Jokic, still honing his masterful skills and breaking through the barricades of history. Everyone admires him within the Serbian team. “I say that Jokic is a better guy than he is a player,” the head coach Svetislav Pesic says.

Despite how demure and uninterested he appears, the Joker’s devotion is inspiring. Whether for the NBA or Serbia, Nikola Jokic has solidified himself as a basketball legend.

Djokovic too considers him to be exceptional. “What he has done for not just Serbian basketball but European basketball in general is incredible… We didn’t have too many athletes like him in the history (of Serbia), so he’s right up there. And he still isn’t finished,” he said of his counterpart.

As a global athlete, Nikola Jokic surely deserves the nod of being among the greats.