Nuggets executives join Nikola Jokic at Serbia’s Riga session

Aug 26, 2025 4:50 PM

The Serbian national basketball team has officially landed in Riga, Latvia, ahead of the start of FIBA EuroBasket 2025, and their arrival quickly drew attention – not just from fans, but also from prominent figures within the NBA.

Among those greeting the team were representatives of the Denver Nuggets, underscoring the global spotlight on Serbia’s biggest star, Nikola Jokic.

According to Mozzart Sport, Serbia wasted no time and held its first training session late in the evening.

Watching closely from the sidelines were Ben Tenzer, the Nuggets’ vice president of basketball operations and a former interim general manager, alongside John Wallace, the team’s vice president of player development.

Their presence highlights just how much the reigning NBA champions are invested in monitoring their superstar center, who has already collected three NBA MVP trophies and is widely seen as the driving force behind Serbia’s ambitions at EuroBasket.

The Nuggets’ ties to the tournament extend beyond Jokic. Jonas Valanciunas, another Denver big man, is suiting up for his home country, Lithuania.

While he is currently based in Tampere, Finland, competing in Group B, there’s a chance he and Jokic could eventually cross paths in Riga once the knockout stage begins.

For now, Serbia’s immediate focus is on Group A play. The team will tip off its EuroBasket journey on Wednesday evening at 20:15 CEST, when they face Estonia.

The group promises to be highly competitive, featuring not only the host nation Latvia but also Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Turkiye.

With Jokic leading the way and strong support from NBA observers, Serbia is heading into the tournament with both high expectations and plenty of eyes watching their every move.