Nikola Jokić Hasn't Decided on 2024 Olympics: 'Some People Put Words in My Mouth'

Nikola Jokić is pushing back on the notion he already committed to playing for Serbia in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

"It's far. Some people put words in my mouth that I said something that I didn't. The head coach is the first to know [my commitment]. I always talk to the family and the team after the season," Jokic told Aleksandar Zigic of RTS.

Božidar Maljković, President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, said in October that the reigning NBA Finals MVP was committed to playing next summer in Paris.

"We didn't have NBA MVP, Nikola Jokić. Neither Vasilije Micić, the MVP of the EuroLeague. Nor Nikola Kalinić. ... By the way, I already announced that in Paris, they will be all, Jokić included," Maljković said when discussing Serbia's second-place finish at the FIBA World Cup.

Serbia is currently the fifth-ranked team in the world in FIBA's rankings, but the top countries in the world arguably have a smaller separation than ever. The United States is expected to bring a star-studded cast to Paris, with LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry all expressing interest in being part of Team USA.

Serbia will likely need all hands on deck to compete for a gold medal.

Jokić previously earned a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics as part of the national team and returned to national team action at EuroBasket 2022. He sat out this summer's World Cup after leading the Nuggets to an NBA championship.

It's likely Jokić's availability for Paris will be directly related to how far Denver goes in the postseason again this spring.