Serbia will enter EuroBasket 2025 as one of the big favorites to win it all, and Nikola Jokic is a big reason why. Jokic has been a dominant force on the court for years now, and Germany’s Dennis Schroder hailed him as the best player in the world when speaking to Magenta Sport before the teams faced off in the DBB Super Cup Final.
“I find it fascinating that basketball really only comes second or third in his life,” Schroder said. “He enjoys spending time with his family and his horses. He lives for the things that matter to him.
“He says he doesn’t want to be remembered in the books for basketball, but for how good he is as a father,” Schroder added. “But as a player, he’s the best in the world. Well, it’s just like that, based on the stats and what he’s been doing in the league for the past three, four, five years, how he dominates.”
Unlike so many other basketball greats, Jokic doesn’t live and breathe basketball. The 30-year-old loves the game but has other things in life that he is more passionate about, with horse racing probably at the top of that list.
Jokic was in tears after his horse won a major race in Serbia in July. The seven-time All-Star was more emotional after that triumph than when he led the Denver Nuggets to the NBA championship in 2023.
It was after Jokic won that title with the Nuggets that he started to be widely recognized as the best player in the world. He had won back-to-back MVPs in 2021 and 2022 prior to that, but you only really get that title of best player once you have a championship to your name.
Jokic then won his third MVP award in 2024 and finished runner-up to Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2025. He has now finished in the top two in voting for five years in a row, which is simply remarkable.
Jokic didn’t play like the best player in the world against the Germans on Saturday, though. He had just seven points (3-7 FG), eight rebounds, and seven assists, but Serbia still won 91-81. Nikola Jovic was the one who proved to be the star of the show with 22 points (7-11 FG).
With the win, Serbia remained perfect in their preparation games for EuroBasket. They are now 6-0 and will face off against Luka Doncic’s Slovenia in their final preparation game before the tournament on Aug. 21.
As for Germany, this was their first defeat after starting off with three wins in a row. Franz Wagner was their standout player on the night with 26 points (8-17 FG), four rebounds, and two assists.
Schroder, meanwhile, had 12 points (4-11 FG), two rebounds, and five assists. He and the rest of the German team will look to bounce back when they take on Spain on Aug. 21. It will be their first of two games against the Spaniards before they kickstart their EuroBasket campaign.
Schroder will be hoping to impress once again at EuroBasket after making the All-Tournament team back in 2022. The 31-year-old also made a big move this summer, joining the Sacramento Kings on a three-year, $45 million deal via a sign-and-trade.
