Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is catching some heat for allegedly snubbing some of his countrymen.
The Chicago Bulls hosted Serbian Heritage Night on Saturday, with the Nuggets paying a visit to the United Center in Chicago, Ill. As part of the festivities, a Serbian folklore group from Indiana named Tromedja performed Serbian dances before tipoff and during breaks in the action.
The performers were in full costume as they danced around the Bulls’ logo throughout the night, in large part to honor their Serbian idol in Jokic.
However, Jokic reportedly snubbed the performers after the game. According to Antonije Kovačević of the Serbian Times, “around fifty girls and boys, young women and young men” waited in costume for Jokic to come meet them after the game.
Per the report, Jokic passed by the group without stopping for photos or even a brief hello. He supposedly mustered just a quick wave without even looking at the group, as if he were making a no-look pass to Jamal Murray.
It’s reportedly not the first time that Jokic has snubbed his Serbian fans during his visits to Chicago. Per Kovačević, Jokic pulled something similar during the Bulls’ Serbian Heritage Night last year when 300 Serbian kids were hoping to meet and greet the three-time MVP. Then-Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who is Montenegrin, came out instead and spent some time with the group.
While Jokic has been arguably the best player in the NBA for quite some time now, the Nuggets star has never been a people person. The man has been vocal about dreaming of living in complete anonymity once he retires.
Jokic at least put on a show for his countrymen on the court. He recorded a 22-14-17 triple-double in a 136-120 Nuggets win.
