Jokic Plays Through Illness to Push Serbia Past Italy in FIBA Qualifying

Nikola Jokic did not need a big scoring night to be the difference for Serbia. Playing through illness, the three-time NBA MVP finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds on 25 percent shooting as Serbia beat Italy 76-64 on Aug. 31 in FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifying.

Serbia’s coach, Alimpijevic, told reporters afterward that Jokic had been dealing with a serious illness in the days leading up to the game. “This gentleman who was next to me, Nikola Jokic, our captain, was very sick for the last three days. He refused to give up and leave his team alone,” the coach said. “He did what he did, and that’s why we are so proud to have a captain like him.”

The modest box score obscured how much Jokic’s presence mattered. Serbia had already handled Iceland 102-73 on Aug. 28, and the win over Italy pushed the team to 6-2 in Group J, good for second place behind an undefeated Turkey. A healthy Jokic almost certainly produces a bigger stat line, but simply being available and playing through his illness kept Serbia from having to lean on a lesser lineup against a determined Italy team.

That willingness to grind through a minor game for his country, rather than shutting it down, says something about how national team duty works for stars at Jokic’s level. FIBA windows carry real weight for European players in a way American audiences do not always appreciate. Representing Serbia is not an obligation Jokic treats lightly, even in a qualifying window against an opponent his team was favored to beat regardless.

For Nuggets fans, the larger storyline remains Jokic’s workload heading into a new NBA season. He finished second in 2025-26 MVP voting after another dominant year in Denver, and an illness picked up overseas during the offseason is the kind of thing worth tracking, if only to make sure it clears up before training camp opens on Sept. 29. Nothing in Serbia’s qualifying window suggests it will linger, but it is a reminder that the international calendar does not pause for anyone, MVP candidates included.