Serbia has confirmed a star-studded roster for EuroBasket, led by three-time NBA MVP and 2023 Finals MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Serbian Basketball Federation finalized its 12-player list, which features four active NBA talents. Joining Jokic are Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Los Angeles Clippers, Nikola Jovic of the Miami Heat and Tristan Vukcevic of the Washington Wizards.
The remainder of the lineup consists of seasoned European standouts: Aleksa Avramovic, Ognjen Dobric, Marko Guduric, Stefan Jovic, Vanja Marinkovic, Vasilije Micic, Nikola Milutinov and Filip Petrusev.
Two players who appeared on the preliminary list did not make the final cut: Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Nikola Topic and former Golden State Warriors forward Alen Smailagic.
Serbia enters the tournament as FIBA’s favorite after compiling a 7-0 record in exhibition play, recording victories over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany and Slovenia.
The national team’s recent résumé includes bronze at the 2024 Olympics and silver at the 2023 World Cup—achievements earned without Jokic, who skipped the 2023 summer following Denver’s championship run. Serbia’s last EuroBasket appearance ended in a round-of-16 loss to Italy in 2022, a tournament eventually won by Spain.
This year, with Jokic back in uniform and momentum on its side, Serbia opens EuroBasket as the team to beat.
Source: Hoops Wire
