Late American actor Will Rogers once said, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This saying can be applied in all walks of life, especially in the NBA, where the performance a rookie delivers can make the difference between how he is perceived by his teammates and rivals going forward. Nikola Jokic ended up being part of an opposite scenario, as his ‘unserious’ persona confused a new rookie. However, keeping Will Rogers’ belief aside, the rookie gave the Serbian a second chance and did not regret it.

Michael Porter Jr discussed his journey coming into the NBA. Since the rookie followed players his age and prioritized watching college and high school games over league games, he wasn’t very familiar with Nikola Jokic while coming in. However, he was intrigued to watch the Serbian during the Nuggets training camp after hearing all the praise. Unfortunately, someone should have warned him beforehand about what to expect from the practice sessions!

“To be honest, in camp, if you know Nikola, he takes it way more serious now than he did then, and he doesn’t really take practice all that serious,” Porter Jr. said on Ringer NBA. “It’s not like he’s trying to dominate in practice, so Mason Plumlee is lowkey getting the best of him in Camp. I’m like ‘Wait, but all my teammates are saying that Nikola can drop 35-40 at will if he wanted to. So, I just had to wait till the season, and then I saw it.”

For someone who has won 3 MVP titles, and a Championship, averaging more than 26 points, alongside 12.2 rebounds and 8.7 assists across 4 seasons, the expectations would be for him to take the practice sessions as seriously as the NBA games. After all, if NBA legends like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have taught us anything, it is that practice makes perfect. However, longtime fans of Nikola Jokic have come across several instances of him not being that enthusiastic about training.

In October 2023, the player went viral for reportedly scouting horses on his phone while the rest of the roster practiced. A few weeks before that, in a joint presser with Nuggets teammate Jamal Murray, the then 28-year-old replied “A couple times, not much” when asked if he touched a basketball during the off-season. Murray hilariously added, “No he didn’t.”

However, don’t let these instances cast doubt on the Serbian’s mindset on taking basketball seriously. Amidst all the revelations from Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, along with Jokic’s own claim that he was drinking “6 beers a day” during the off-season, the Serbian trains well when the situation calls for it.

Did Nikola Jokic spend all day in the training room before dropping an iconic three-peat against the Lakers?

The opening days of the 2023-24 NBA season saw the Nuggets going up against the Lakers. All five starters from the Nuggets scored in the double digits, easily defeating LeBron James and Co. by a 119-107 score. However, the MVP of the night was Nikola Jokic, who produced a triple-double by recording 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists to his name.

During a post-game interview on Inside the NBA, Kenny Smith asked the Serbian about the post-season efforts that contributed to this impressive performance. Jokic revealed, “I was in the weight room basically every day. I just skipped Sundays. I was preparing my body for the season. Our body is our tool. So, if your body is not ready, something’s gonna happen. You’re gonna injure yourself. I didn’t skip any days in the weight room, maybe a little bit on the court. A couple days, or a month, or two months.”

Every player may have their own idea of what to focus on while training. Despite the claims that Jokic does not perform well during practice, his off-the-court workout prepares him enough to dominate, something that he has been doing since arriving in the NBA.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.