Nikola Jokic, the 30-year-old Nuggets superstar, refused to sign a contract extension with them earlier this summer. While most anticipate it is for a higher payday in the future, his recent slip-up may have made the fans fear otherwise.
In the NBA’s recent social media post on X, Nikola Jokic was shown a message from the 7’1 Chinese rookie Yang Hansen, who plays for the Trail Blazers. In his reaction to the rookie admitting he would ask the Serbian superstar for his autograph and a picture, Jokic unintentionally said something that raised concerns among fans.
“He’s good. I’m happy that when he gets in his prime, that I’m gonna be out of the league probably, in two… nah, actually,” said Jokic as he looked into space with an ‘oh no! what have I said’ look on his face before changing the topic back to Hansen.
The Trail Blazers rookie has played only four games in the Summer League so far, where he averaged 10.75 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.75 assists per game while shooting 45.7% from the field.
“Yes, he’s talented, and we can have a picture and whatever he wants only if he plays badly against me. If I destroy him and score a lot of points, then yes. But if he does that, then no,” said Jokic hilariously.
There’s just one catch… Nikola Jokić reacts to seeing @Hans15Y’s request! pic.twitter.com/qP2MkOiNI3
— NBA (@NBA) July 23, 2025
Seeing Jokic mistakenly mention a time when he would not be in the league sent shockwaves across the Nuggets fans, especially. They took to the quotes and comments section of this post and expressed their concerns and also joked about Jokic’s future.
“Did he almost say in two years he’s going to be out of the league???”
“Bro gonna retire before LeBron.”
“Bro nearly leaked his own retirement season in two to three years from now”
“He’s not resigning or taking the player option. Retiring after the 2026-2027.”
“Nuggets f**ked up, they thought he was gonna play until 37. At 34, he is out.”
“bro wants to retire in 2 years, lmfaoo dynasty starts now big fella”
“Jokic casually saying he might be out of the league in 2 to 5 years, damn.”
“I’m going to be up all night thinking about that two-three-year slip-up.”
“Started to say he was going to retire in 2-3 seasons, but caught himself. Hopefully that was a mistake and not what he’s actually planning.”
Several such mixed reactions flooded the post. At age 30, Jokic has been arguably dominating the NBA for the past five or more years. Having won an NBA championship, a Finals MVP, three regular-season MVP awards, and becoming the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double throughout the regular season, Jokic has conquered nearly every aspect of the game.
He averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists in the regular season last year. Some might argue that it is better to retire at your peak than to let the stress of performing weigh on you over the years when your body is no longer at its peak.
Hansen, who is only 20 years old at the moment, will likely hit his peak after the age of 26-27, and by then, Jokic will be 36 or 37 years old. A lot of veterans in the league are beyond that age right now as well. But it all depends on how long Jokic wants to play. While he wants to play Hansen right now, he seems to want to avoid him when he’s in his prime.
And Jokic may have shrugged it off on camera as if it wasn’t a serious thought in his mind, but after the age of 30, retirement becomes a looming thought in most average NBA players’ heads. But Jokic isn’t average, is he? When do you think it will be the right time for Jokic to retire? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
