Nikola Jokic tears up, pops champagne after horse wins race in Serbia

Nikola Jokic is a winner this summer after all — at the racecourse.

The Denver Nuggets star emotionally celebrated after his horse won a race in Subotica, Serbia. Once his horse crossed the finish line, cameras found Jokic in tears on the side before he hopped over a gate to meet his horse and the driver.

Jokic then helped lift his driver and sprayed and dumped champagne on the group, horse included, before he poured champagne on himself.

His enthusiastic celebration brought immediate comparisons to his reaction when he won the 2023 NBA Finals and said in the on-court interview: “The job is done. We can go home now.”

In the ensuing news conference, when asked about the upcoming championship parade, Jokic responded: “No. I need to go home.” He clarified his comments were because his horse races take place on Sundays, and the parade on the upcoming Thursday would cut it close.

Jokic’s love for horses is nothing new. He fell in love with them when he was 12, when his family took him to race day in his hometown. He even received his 2022 MVP award in Serbia while he rode back to his horse stable.

During the 2023 offseason, Jokic and his teammate Aaron Gordon watched a horse race together in Serbia. American horse jockey Tim Tetrick — who Jokic connected with — said that horse racing is a passion for Jokic and predicted that the three-time MVP will be a horse trainer when he retires.

Jokic is coming off a season in which he averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists.