NBA ALL-STAR MEDIA DAY

February 19, 2022

Nikola Jokic

Media Day Press Conference

This transcript is from an interview with NBA TV during Media Day.

MATT WINER. Now a four-time All-Star; you're a veteran now of this game, this weekend. What do you look forward to most about this?

NIKOLA JOKIC: Yeah, I feel so comfortable out here. I feel like this is my 20th time. I'm joking. I mean, to be honest, I am excited because we have new guys this year again. It's always an honor to be here representing myself, my country, my hometown, my family, my team, of course. I always say it's an honor to be here.

STEVE SMITH. It was your birthday yesterday?

NIKOLA JOKIC: Today.

STEVE SMITH. Happy Birthday!

NIKOLA JOKIC: Gifts?

CHRIS HAYNES. Yeah, I got you a gift. I voted you MVP.

NIKOLA JOKIC: Last year.

STEVE SMITH. That was an early gift, I guess. Congratulations again obviously being an All-Star. You said it best, for your family and everything. When you put it all in perspective as a youngster, we all played, but could you ever imagine MVP, All-Star multiple times? What's going through your head now at this stage of your life and in your career?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, to be honest I didn't think that I'm going to be in the NBA. When I came to the NBA I just come here to work out, to be the best version of myself. I had an opportunity, and I just use that opportunity and I just grow every year, and now I'm here.

I can say that my career is going uphill the whole way, the whole time, so I'm really happy. I'd say blessed to be here and represent.

CHRIS HAYNES. You're not a traditional big man but you're still a big man nonetheless. Most big men have an issue with the All-Star Game because the guards are always bringing the ball up, taking the ball up, going one-on-one.

NIKOLA JOKIC: Yes, we hate them.

CHRIS HAYNES. Is that your experience? What's your experience being a big playing the All-Star Game?

NIKOLA JOKIC: You know, whenever I come here I just want to score one point and just to have fun. I just want one time the ball go through the rim and just to have fun, talk trash to the guys, have fun, joke around. I think that's what this is all about.

MATT WINER. Serbia is obviously a huge basketball country. How big a deal is All-Star Weekend back home for you as a kid and now that you're a big part of it, as well?

NIKOLA JOKIC: You know, NBA was big through Peja and Divac back home in Serbia and then we had Drazen, as well. Not just me, we have a lot of Serbians that they are here. There is Luka who is Slovenian. do a lot of international players have a huge impact in today's NBA right now. But I'm just glad that my friends at home can watch me and my hometown can watch me, so I'm fine with that.

STEVE SMITH. You have the All-Star, you get a chance to have some fun, take a break, and then the second half of the season starts. You guys have had a lot of injuries. What are you looking for the second half? Obviously get healthy, but the way you guys start to push for this playoff race.

NIKOLA JOKIC: Yeah, I think we finished this last stretch on a really high note. We were 5-1. we won five games of six and we finished on a really high note. that's going to help us to go in that direction after the break. Hopefully we bring some guys back that are hurt. But even if they are not hurt, I think the fight -- fight is the word for us right now. There is no easy game for us. Every game is a fight for us. If we fight we're going to be in the right place.

CHRIS HAYNES. I've got to put you on the spot: Up to this point in the season, there really hasn't been a clear-cut MVP candidate, in my opinion. To this point, you can include yourself, who is the top MVP candidate right now?

NIKOLA JOKIC: You know, as long as it's a big man, I'm going to be happy.

MATT WINER. So there's a height requirement for you?

NIKOLA JOKIC: You know, as long as a big man -- I think kind of bigs get a (indiscernible) of the game a little bit, and we needed to develop our game so we can play in today's NBA. As long as there is a big man, I'm going to be happy.

MATT WINER. There's three options there, Giannis is a big man. Giannis, Embiid, yourself, they're all included in that list. Who are the big men you looked up to as a kid?

NIKOLA JOKIC: I mean, when I come here the first time I was watching Tim Duncan. I was watching Dirk. I was watching Boris Diaw. I was watching a little bit of LaMarcus Aldridge. I just wanted to kind of take a little bit of everything.