Nikola Jokic surprised everybody when he showed his new figure last month. The Serbian big man received a lot of criticism for his fat body this season but that changed once the NBA entered hiatus. Instead of worsening his situation, Jokic got to work and improve his fitness, something that made the Nuggets fans happy.
THIN JOKIC ALERT
(🎥 by @Breza89)pic.twitter.com/WYwpDSZ5cQ
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) June 11, 2020
He arrived in Orlando on Saturday and even though he’s not clear to practice with his teammates, Jokic showed his good humor and joked with reporters during a conference call. Of course, he addressed his lost weight, jokingly saying that the team didn’t allow him to reveal that information.
Via Mark Medina of USA Today Sports:
“I don’t think I’m supposed to tell you my pounds and my weight,” Jokic said. “It’s a team policy. I like that.”
Moments later, Jokic became a bit more forthcoming. He said he only lost an additional three to five pounds after losing 20 to 25 pounds during the season through diet and exercise. That prompted him to express amusement over the general public thinking he has become a lean center.
“About the pictures, I see how people don’t see the changes,” Jokic said. “I didn’t lose that much pounds in the quarantine and corona.”
He also talked about his experience with COVID-19. He tested positive on June 23 after the league began testing protocols. He was asymptomatic and didn’t believe it was a difficult moment for him.
“It wasn’t difficult at all. I was home,” Jokic said. “I was with my girlfriend. It was actually kind of a vacation for us.”
Now he’s ready to return to practice with the Nuggets, trying to get ready for the NBA return. Denver is the third-best team in the West, so they have a big chance to shock the Lakers and Clippers and make it to the Finals. They didn’t make any big signing in the offseason, but they now have skinny Jokic, something that raises the expectations for this team.
