NBA star Nikola Jokic brought Denver Nuggets to a historic victory last season. And his surprisingly cool and calm stature, despite the win, baffled a lot of fans. At the time, all Nikola wanted was to go back home and just be near his horses. The Nuggets beat Miami Heat 94-89 in game 5. Jokic’s contribution to the game was 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Despite his achievements, The Joker stands out in his own way. He often attracts attention for controversial statements. Just recently, he openly spoke about the importance of a good work-life balance. For him, NBA is just a job and his priorities in life go further than the league.
The comment ignited a lot of chatter. It was picked up by various media outlets. While fans too gave their opinions, some NBA players seem to agree with Nikola.
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Draymond Green supports Jokic’s mindset
Golden State Warriors?legend, Draymond Green recently interviewed with Podcast P with Paul George. He elaborately speaks about Nikola’s comments about NBA being a job. Draymond did not shy away from stating his points. He admits Jokic isn’t lying and that players do need to perform in any circumstances. Despite all “bulls**t” coming their way, in their personal and professional lives, NBA stars are expected to perform.
While commenting on Nikola’s statement, Green said, “I hate it. I love playing basketball and I love to compete. But he is not lying. I hate it. I don’t like to sound like someone who takes everything for granted, because you can see, every time I step on the floor, I don’t take it for granted, because I don’t”
He continued to say, “But like Jokic’s point, it’s work. You have to show up to work every day and perform. Despite what could be going on at work, what can be going on at home, what can be going on in the world. You have to show up and perform. And it’s work. Guess what, just like people see you acting and they’re like, ‘Man I want to be an actor because you are on TV’. There’s so much bulls**t!”
Needless to say, NBA players are paid to play basketball and produce results on-court. That being said, this doesn’t mean the players can’t love what they’re doing. The foundation of the argument here begins with the starting center – Nikola’s comments.
Nikola Jokic loves his work-life balance
Being open about your boundaries isn’t a bad thing. But when you’re a popular NBA star, it can stir quite a controversy sometimes. Just a couple of months ago, Jokic shared that he prioritizes his family over everything else. He stated, “Basketball isn’t the main thing in my life, and is probably never going to be”.
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The star was extremely calm after his historic win. After the game, he was even seen saying, “We succeeded in our jobs and we won the whole thing. It’s an amazing feeling. But like I said before, it’s not everything in the world. … There’s bunch of things that I like to do. Probably that’s a normal thing. Nobody likes his job, or maybe they do. They’re lying. But it’s a good feeling.”
After a good day’s work, just like us all, Nikola, a husband and a father of one, just wants to go back home and be with his family. Considering the amount of hard work NBA players put in on-court, breaks are actually a respite from all the pressure.
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What do you think about Nikola’s work-life balance and Draymond’s outlook on it? Tell us in the comments.