Overview
- Roughly 50 members of the Tromeđa folklore troupe from Indiana reportedly waited in costume at the United Center to meet Jokic, who was said to have walked past with only a brief wave.
- The group performed in traditional dress during the Chicago Bulls’ Serbian Heritage Night and was shown on arena screens welcoming the Nuggets star.
- Serbian coverage cites a similar account from last year at the same venue, when about 300 Serbian children did not meet Jokic as Nikola Vučević came out to greet them instead.
- The Serbian Times column by Antonije Kovačević intensified criticism at home as the troupe described returning disappointed, even as their performance drew praise on social media.
- On the court, Jokic logged a 22-17-14 triple-double in Denver’s 136-120 win, bringing his career total to 182 and placing him second on the NBA’s all-time list.