As the final moments of the NBA Finals unfolded in June and the Denver Nuggets clinched victory, their standout player, Nikola Jokić, found himself in a solitary moment amidst the celebrations.

While the victorious team reveled, Jokić stood alone, engaging in a quiet exchange with members of the defeated Miami Heat, offering consolation with gentle gestures and heartfelt embraces. Despite bruises adorning his pale arms and confetti swirling around him, Jokić maintained his composed demeanor.

As ESPN reporter Lisa Salters approached him for a postgame interview, Jokić, towering nearly seven feet tall, attentively listened to her questions. Reflecting on the game, Jokić acknowledged the Heat’s resilience and admitted to the challenges faced during the match. Despite the Nuggets’ atypical reliance on defense over offense, Jokić highlighted the unpredictable nature of basketball, emphasizing its dynamic and fluid essence.

Recognized as one of the most innovative players in the sport, Jokić’s prowess lies in his ability to perceive the game holistically and anticipate plays before they unfold. His unique skill set enables him to seamlessly transition between positions, orchestrating plays with precision and foresight.

Renowned for his intuitive understanding of the game’s evolving dynamics, Jokić’s adaptive style and strategic insight have cemented his status as a basketball virtuoso. Whether executing precise passes or reading defensive formations, Jokić navigates the court with a fluidity and efficiency akin to water flowing over rocks, effortlessly finding pathways to success amidst the game’s complexities.

It’s a spectacle to behold. Yet, it appears challenging to promote. Since Michael Jordan’s second retirement in the late 1990s, a select few stars have been hailed as the world’s greatest basketball players. Among them, Jokić is arguably the least renowned. While basketball is a sport, the NBA is a commercial enterprise, surrounded by other businesses—some of which now include individual players who unabashedly refer to themselves as brands. Unlike many of his peers, Jokić is absent from social media platforms, dismissing them as a waste of time.

Moreover, despite displaying evident camaraderie with his teammates, he seems to prefer the company of horses, citing his fondness for their scent and the satisfaction of feeding them. When I reached out to Jokić’s Serbian agent, Miško Ražnatović, a former professional player who has facilitated the transition of numerous Eastern European players to the NBA, regarding an interview with his client, I received a curt response: “He doesn’t speak with media.”

While Jokić, like all NBA players, is mandated by the league to engage with reporters following games, this statement holds true otherwise. Jokić recently granted a rare one-on-one interview to a teammate, Michael Porter Jr., who hosts a podcast. During the conversation, Porter inquired about Jokić’s feelings regarding public attention, to which Jokić simply expressed a sense of melancholy.