Nikola Jokic may not have won anything with the Denver Nuggets this past season, but the three-time NBA MVP had a huge reason to celebrate this summer.
Through his star horse “Delicious Gar” from his Dream Catcher stable, Jokic won the Dužijanca harness race at the Subotica Hippodrome in Serbia for the second straight year this July.
“Nikola Jokic has won the most prestigious horse race in Serbia for the 2nd straight year 🏇 ‘Delicious Gar,’ Jokic’s new star horse, is now on a 4-race winning streak. Last year it was ‘Demon Dell’Est’ from Jokic’s Dream Catcher stable who won the Dužijanca,” Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports reported.
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Just like before, Jokic was visibly happy with the result (perhaps happier than when he won the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2023). The Denver Nuggets center hugged his team and popped champagne with his brother Nemanja and his children, Ognjena and Ignjat, while raising the trophy on the track.
Nikola Jokic’s contract situation puts pressure on the Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic is currently eligible for a four-year, $278 million supermax contract extension, but the Denver Nuggets superstar decided to skip any potential deals this offseason.
Jokic, who is determined to stay with the Nuggets for the rest of his NBA career, will earn roughly $59 million this upcoming season before he can hit unrestricted free agency next summer if he doesn’t exercise his $62.8 million player option.
But the Denver Nuggets are in a complicated salary cap situation, as they’re deep in the second apron after matching the Oklahoma City Thunder’s offer sheet for Spencer Jones, and they also still have to find a way to bring back restricted free agent Peyton Watson.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Nuggets have offered Watson a five-year, $70 million deal. Watson has other suitors in the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, and Los Angeles Clippers.
