What Happened to Nikola Jokic’s Serbia in 2017 EuroBasket?

It is hard to talk about Serbian basketball without bringing up Nikola Jokic, the man who has gone on to become a three-time NBA MVP and the centerpiece of the Denver Nuggets. By now, his role with the national team is also well documented, with highlights such as winning silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics and bronze at the 2024 Paris Games. But in 2017, Serbia entered EuroBasket without him, and the situation raised questions right away.

That summer, the spotlight was on Serbia’s roster decisions and their chances without their brightest star. They had already been hit by the absence of captain Milos Teodosic, and names like Nemanja Bjelica, Nikola Milutinov, and Miroslav Raduljica were also missing. Jokic, who had just finished his second NBA season, was unavailable too. And this made people wonder if Serbia could even make it past the early rounds. What happened next surprised many. A new leader emerged to steer the squad. So, how did Serbia perform throughout the 2017 League?

Tournament overview and final result of Serbia

EuroBasket 2017 was staged across four countries, with Serbia playing its group stage in Istanbul, Turkey. Aleksandar Djordjevic was the coach. Bogdan Bogdanović, then a rising Sacramento Kings guard, transformed from a supporting piece into the primary offensive engine. And against all expectations, Serbia dominated Group D in Istanbul, finishing with an 80% record. Their only loss came by a mere three points (75-72) to a tough Russian squad, a game they would avenge dramatically later in the tournament. But that wasn’t all.

Serbia’s path included an impressive victory over Latvia (92-82), as they also had a 4-1 record in the group stage. Turkey, Belgium, and Great Britain also fell flat in front of the Serbian dominance. Next, it was the round of 16, the quarter final, semi final, and the results were no different. Except for one thing.

The victims. Hungary fell 78-86, Italy 67-83. But the best was yet to come. Against Russia. 87-79 in Serbia’s favor, a revenge was due from the group stage, so this game on September 15-16th became an instant classic. Against the odds, Serbia battled its way to the championship game. The final on September 17 at the Sinan Erdem Dome matched them up against Slovenia, who were hunting for their first-ever EuroBasket crown.

For much of the contest, Serbia stayed right with them. In fact, with just over three minutes left, they were ahead 82-80. But Slovenia, led by Goran Dragic’s 35-point masterpiece, pulled off a 12-0 run to close the game 93-85. Serbia had to settle for silver. Bogdan Bogdanovic carried much of the offensive load, scoring 22 points and handing out 5 assists in that final, but fell short on the deciding night.

Bogdanovic, the star of Serbia’s EuroBasket 2017 campaign

Serbia’s campaign began with a tricky start, as Nikola Jokic’s absence was confirmed before the start, with FIBA announcing that the Denver Nuggets center would be resting after a long NBA campaign. That choice forced Serbia to rethink its system entirely. Serbia instead turned to Boban Marjanovic, Ognjen Kuzmic, and Milan Macvan to cover the interior, and they scored 400 points across the five games while giving up 353.

Bogdanovic, the star of the 2017 roster, opened against Latvia for 30 points, and Milan Macvan grabbed 10 rebounds. In their only GS loss, Bogdanovic and Boban Marjanovic each scored 19, reflecting the command they were in. The bounce back against hosts Turkey was critical, and Bogdanovic, with his 17 points, got a partner for the day: Stefan Jovic, who hit 15 that night.

Next in line, Great Britain (68-82), but it was business as usual for the Serbian number 7. He had a well-rounded effort with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. They wrapped it up with their most comfortable result, a 74-54 win over Belgium, as Marjanovic poured in 22 points and Bogdan hit 15 points with 9 assists.

From start to finish, Bogdanovic was the heartbeat of Serbia’s offense. He averaged more than 20 points in the group stage and became the on-floor leader without Teodosic. Serbia’s success rested on balance and smart execution. Boban Marjanovic and Vladimir Lucic chipped in solid minutes, while Jovic kept the ball moving. And this time with Jokic by their side, the Serbian fans would hope to see the Gold coming home.