Nikola Jokic Says He Wants To Play Every Game

Nikola Jokic keeps pushing back on the idea that he treats basketball like a side job.

Speaking on the Serbian podcast Jao Mile, in quotes transcribed by Mozzart Sport and shared in the Reddit post, Jokic said he wants to play every game when his body allows it. He even pointed back to the season when he played all 82 games, while admitting that rest can be part of the modern NBA reality.

"Maybe I'm proud of it. I want to play every game. I played 82 games one season," Jokic said. "Maybe it shouldn't be like that, maybe you should rest a little sometime. But I think that, when you are in a certain rhythm, the game comes to you normally and in a way you even enjoy it."

The line that stood out came when Jokic talked about being hurt. He said a long injury absence changed his mood in a way he was not used to.

"Even when I was injured, when I was out for a long time for the first time, I was irritable," Jokic said. "I can say that I was really irritable, maybe for the first time in my life."

That tracks with how Jokic described his routine. He said the steady rhythm of games actually helps him, while longer breaks can leave him unsure how to structure his work. "It suits me to play," he said. "When we have two days between games, I don't really like it. I don't know what to do. I don't know whether to train or not to train. Like this, when you play - you just do it."

Jokic also credited early Denver veterans for shaping that approach. When he arrived in the NBA, he said Wilson Chandler, Jameer Nelson and Mike Miller were in the gym every day, even if it was only to get shots or do something small. That gave him a model he could copy before building his own routine.

"I had very good role models," Jokic said. "I had someone who, if necessary, you just copy. You don't have to be very clever, you just copy."

He then gave the number that explains the lifestyle behind the production. "To this day, if I say 300 days, I have been in the gym for 295 day," Jokic said, according to the translated post.

The interview also moved into what winning the NBA title felt like. Jokic said he is often the last person left in the locker room because of his postgame routine, especially on the road when teammates are waiting for him. Those quiet minutes, once the noise dies down, are where emotions settle.

After the Nuggets won the championship, Jokic said he felt more relief than euphoria. "Like: we won," he said. "Somehow, I rather felt that a burden had been lifted from my back."

There were smaller basketball notes too. Asked about defenders, Jokic said some teams guard him well collectively and mentioned Ivica Zubac and Jusuf Nurkic as players who have defended him well in recent matchups. The Reddit comments picked up on that part too, especially because Jokic's praise for physical centers does not sound like empty politeness.

Jokic also said he plans to play for Serbia for as long as he can. That is not a formal calendar or commitment for every tournament, but it is a clear answer about intent. For Denver and Serbia, the larger message was the same: he likes the rhythm, he likes the work, and he does not sound like a player looking for fewer meaningful games.

The off-court part sounded just as Jokic as the basketball part. He talked about returning to Sombor, spending time with friends who have regular jobs, going to a cottage, caring for horses, drinking beer and celebrating a race win in Mol. It was casual, but it fit the rest of the interview. Jokic wants a simple life away from the NBA, not a smaller relationship with the game itself.