Nuggets: Nikola Jokic's Former Teammate Claims Retirement is on the Horizon for the Reigning NBA Finals MVP
By Jeremiah Santos
(Photo : Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) DENVER, COLORADO - Nikola Jokic (#15) of the Denver Nuggets speaks with media after a 94-89 victory against the Miami Heat in Game Five of the 2023 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship at Ball Arena on June 12, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.
A former Denver Nuggets player about the retirement plans of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic.
During on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Austin Rivers said that the Serbian will be hanging up his shoes sooner than most people think.
When asked by Simmons if Jokic is one of those guys who will play in the league until they're 39, Rivers quickly rebuffed the notion.
"I have him playing another 5-6 years.. I have him playing until like 34-35.. I don't see him playing in the NBA until he's 39 years old," Rivers said.
Jokic is 28 years old, and his contract with the Nuggets runs until the end of the 2026-27 season, with a player option for 2027-28. He will be 32 and 33 years old by the end of those campaigns, respectively.
Austin Rivers shares story about Jokic
Rivers about Jokic after the Nuggets were eliminated in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
The 31-year-old guard went on to get his belongings from the Nuggets locker room two days after their last game, and when he asked about Jokic's whereabouts, the Serbian had already left for his home country a day before.
"I don't think he really gives a s**t about the American pop culture and trends and like fame and relevance. Those things just don't interest him, like really deeply to the core," Rivers mentioned.
