Medal favorite Serbia was facing elimination in the Olympic basketball tournament after falling behind Australia by 22 points in the first half. But a second half comeback from the Serbs, led by NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, forced overtime in their quarterfinal matchup.
In the overtime period, both teams traded buckets until Serbia had a one point lead with possession and under 30 seconds left. Who else in the world would you want to turn to in that moment than Nikola Jokić?
Thankfully for Serbia, Jokić delivered with a patented rainbow turnaround jumper from the baseline. And while the call on American television was good, there’s nothing like hearing the call of the home nation after some Olympics heroics. Just listen to the Serbian call and the fantastic “Sombor Shuffle Baby!” The laugh at the end makes it all the more worthwhile, almost as a message to the world that says, “We have Nikola Jokić and you don’t.”
Sombor shuffle baby @nuggets pic.twitter.com/hCFlqh2aC2
— Aleksandar Ilić (@aleks89ilic) August 6, 2024
For those of you that are curious, Jokic hails from Sombor, Serbia, hence the signature call. The “Sombor Shuffle” is definitely a call that you should see Dwyane Wade and other NBA announcers utilize next season though, it’s that good.
Up next for Jokić and Serbia is a showdown with (presumably) the United States after their quarterfinal matchup against Brazil. Serbia is seen as one of the toughest tests for Team USA, even though LeBron James and company won by 26 points during group play.
