According to reports, Nikola Jokic has “more than half a dozen” horses, and he claims he intends to get more after winning the NBA title.

Written by Sean Neumann Posted at 12:39 PM on June 13, 2023, Trending Videos on EDT

The Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic will parade through the city on Thursday to commemorate the city’s first NBA championship. However, the MVP of the NBA Finals will be troubled by one question all day long: Will he return to Serbia in time to watch his horses race this weekend?

Jokic, 28, finished off a historic run in the NBA Finals on Monday night, earning him the title of “legendary” player according to Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas. Jokic won back-to-back NBA MVP awards in the previous two years before leading his team to its first championship this season.

But Jokic repeated telling reporters that he wanted to go home to his stable in his homeland of Sombor, Serbia, to see his horses after Monday night’s 94-89 championship win over the Miami Heat, whether it was a self-assured swagger or a genuine peek into what friends refer to as his “lowkey” demeanor.

“I have my horse racing on Sundays,” Jokic said following the match. “I have no idea how I’m going to get here [by the time for the parade on Thursday].” Perhaps this Friday? I’m going to request a plane from [Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke].”

Jokic gave a nearly emotionless response when ESPN’s Lisa Saulters asked him to describe his feelings on finally raising the NBA’s Larry O’Brien trophy: “It’s good.” It’s excellent. We can immediately leave for home because the job is over.”

A stable containing “more than half a dozen” horses is reportedly waiting for Jokic at home, according to The Athletic. Jokic is 6 feet 11 inches and 284 pounds, too big to ride horses, but he still has the will to train racehorses and has always loved being around them.

In 2016, he said to SLAM Magazine, “I had two older brothers who played basketball.” They made me fall in love with basketball. Every time, we would play together. However, I eventually began to get involved with horse racing. I have a newfound admiration for horses’ grace and beauty. For me, it was much like a pastime. I didn’t take it seriously. Furthermore, I wasn’t very serious about basketball. I was halfway between the two.

Get the best of PEOPLE, from celebrity news to gripping human interest stories, sent straight to your inbox by subscribing to their free daily newsletter.

After Monday night’s championship victory, Branislav, his father, told The Associated Press that his son had once considered becoming a horseman rather than a basketball player.

“He began to grow, both in size and height, and he became aware that he could play basketball, but at that time, he had a strong desire,” Branislav remarked. “He would declare, ‘I want to be a horseman, Dad.'” And I used to tell him, “Son, you’ll become a great horseman later; become a basketball player first.”
Just moments after winning the record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open, Novak Djokovic embraces Tom Brady.
On June 12, 2023, at Ball Arena, Nikola Jokic, 15, of the Denver Nuggets celebrates his NBA championship with his brother Strahinja following the team’s 94-89 victory over the Miami Heat.
While the Nuggets play in different cities throughout the NBA season, Jokic finds time to visit stables across the country.

Jokic has even become friendly with Tim Tetrick, a harness racer from New Jersey who is inducted into the Hall of Fame. Tetrick recently told The New York Daily News that when the Nuggets play on the East Coast, Jokic visits him and goes with him to local stables. Jokic once made his teammates wait three hours for him while he worked with horses with Tetrick.

According to the trainer, the NBA player even texted Tetrick, 41, to inquire about races just before Game 3 of the NBA Finals this year. Tetrick remarked, “I said, you got a game in 30 minutes.”

Simply put a grounded kind of guy. Tetrick told the Daily News, “Lowkey.” “You wouldn’t know that he plays basketball for $40 million a year. Sweaty, he arrives at the barn. He then dons his training outfit and dives in, clearly enjoying himself immensely.

Jokic, who won the NBA championship and the Finals MVP Award, will have to make way in his locker, where a horse ribbon is reportedly proudly displayed in front of his MVP Awards. In addition, he’ll need to make additional space in his stable at home. He revealed to ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he intended to purchase a new horse as soon as the Nuggets won the championship.