Nikola Jokic Appears Slimmer Than Ever as Serbia Prepares for World Cup Qualifiers

Nikola Jokic will play for Serbia in the upcoming Basketball World Cup qualifying window, and one practice video from the national team quickly went viral. In the clip from a shooting session, the Denver Nuggets star looked noticeably slimmer, with Serbian media calling it his leanest look in years and saying he seemed “reborn.”

Local reports said Jokic was among the first to arrive for training, smiling and in excellent spirits. They added that he stepped onto the court looking highly prepared physically, possibly in the best shape of his life. The coverage said this summer appeared different from his usual offseason, noting the absence of images from rafting, parties, outings, or beer in hand, and describing him as having entered a strict training regimen.

Jokic, who has been named team captain, also addressed Serbia’s disappointment at EuroBasket 2025, where the team was eliminated by Finland in the round of 16. “I feel guilty about the failure we had,” he said. “I cannot come home as usual and act like nothing happened. I cannot say it is a shame, but my conscience hurts. I have a huge desire to bring Serbian basketball back to where it should be.”

Serbia currently sits in Group C of the qualifiers with two wins and two losses. In the next window, it will face Switzerland and Bosnia.