Serbia opened its EuroBasket 2025 campaign against Estonia with the spotlight firmly on Nikola Jokić. The NBA champion’s return to the national team is seen as a statement of intent — Serbia wants the title.
The game drew huge anticipation at home and abroad.
Jokić, who has often sat out national tournaments to focus on the NBA, is being hailed as the face not just of Serbian basketball but of European basketball itself.
Beyond sport, Serbia’s run in EuroBasket carries cultural weight. Success would boost national morale at a time of economic and political transition, and reinforce Belgrade’s ambition to remain a central player in Europe’s sporting map.
