Nikola Jokic
Mar 9, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Nikola Jokic is now an MVP candidate in the NBA but his path to the league did not predict such a bright future. Back in 2014, he was playing for Mega Basket in his native Serbia.

That year, he was eligible to be drafted at the NBA Draft. Joker was picked at number 41 by the Denver Nuggets. As Jokic revealed to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, he wasn’t even aware at the time that he got drafted.

“I didn’t even know. To be honest, I was sleeping,” Jokic said when asked by Nichols if he thought he was drafted too low. “My brother called, he was partying, opening champaign or something. He was in New York at that time. I was like ‘Come on brother, I’m sleeping.’ At that moment I didn’t even think it’s a big thing because I never imagined myself coming here.”

This season, Jokic is among the top candidates to win the MVP race. He is averaging 26.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game for the Nuggets.