The first biography of the 3x NBA MVP

A revealing, intimate biography of basketball savant and enigmatic NBA superstar Nikola Jokić, filled with news-breaking interviews and deep reporting from Mike Singer, the Nuggets’ former beat writer for the Denver Post.

Why So Serious? takes readers on Nikola Jokić’s long, strange, and incredibly unlikely journey to becoming the heartbeat of the champion Denver Nuggets and the best basketball player on the planet. As he traces Jokić’s transformation from his humble beginnings in Sombor, Serbia, sports journalist Mike Singer captures the witty irreverence, unparalleled competitiveness, and slight mischievousness of the MVP fondly known as “The Joker.”

Behind his veiled public persona, who really is Nikola Jokić? Filled with exclusive, sure-to-be-headline-making interviews, including unique insights from Jokić himself, Why So Serious? delves deep into the soul of the mysterious center and reveals how the big man developed his relentless work ethic, exceptional court vision, and magical playing style that has redefined dominance in the NBA.

Like many NBA fans, Nikola Jokić’s rise to dominance has been fascinating to watch. Famously (and amusingly) drafted 41st during a Taco Bell commercial, he has risen from curiosity to champion in a relatively short time. He is also incredibly private, which means much of his story is not widely known. So, when I got the chance to read and review Mike Singer’s Why So Serious?, I jumped at the chance. While the synopsis oversells it a bit, this is nevertheless the biography Jokić fans have been waiting for.

Jokic’s game is, in many ways, so different to that of other mega-stars. He’s not the ball-dominant highlight-reel chasing mega-scorer (despite his career-high 56 point performance last night against Washington…). In Why So Serious?, Singer provides readers with an excellent account of Jokić’s somewhat improbably journey from Sombor to NBA Finals MVP. The author lays out his introduction to the game, his somewhat tepid dedication to the game (certain practice) — in fact, this was an interesting surprise, given how different he comes across to the other NBA stars whose biographies I’ve read. There is a fierce competitiveness, but it wasn’t Jokić’s obsession. (Yes, his horses are his main passion.)

“After two years in Mega, after a game in Sremska Mitrovica, my son, Strahinja, and Misko Raznatovic told me that Nikola was on the path to the NBA,” Branislav said. “I asked them, ‘Are you two on drugs?’ But it happened.”

Jokić’s early introduction to the NBA might be familiar to a lot of non-Western Hemisphere fans, too, given how difficult it was to find games and other content back in the day. (I had only watched maybe parts of two NBA games before I moved to Canada, and one of Jordan’s finals series games in 1996.)

What differentiated Nikola, by virtue both of his demeanor and second-round status, was his lack of entitlement. As a kid, reaching the NBA was a pipe dream. It was a league he consumed, sparingly, through YouTube. The 3 and 4 a.m. tip times made it a chore to follow back home. When he queued up YouTube, there were highlights of Magic Johnson’s passing, clips of Hakeem Olajuwon’s footwork, and flashes of Michael Jordan’s brilliance. That was his exposure to the NBA.

Singer takes us along for the ride, introducing the various actors who were key to helping Jokić achieve his potential in the game, and the taking him even further. Jokić is present throughout, but many of the chapters are told from the perspective of those around him — coaches, teammates, trainers, family, and so forth. This brings us back to the “lack of entitlement” in the above quotation — throughout the book, Jokić comes across as humble, and unselfish. In fact, it becomes a bit repetitive, as nearly everyone interviewed by Singer makes it very clear how different he is as a star player. His teammates rave about how much better he makes them: Aaron Gordon, for example, has been a perfect partner, and told Singer that his game has elevated and become much easier, playing alongside Jokić.

“I’m fine with [dishing to] the open guy, he’s wide open, so I don’t have any problems with passing the ball,” Jokic said. “If I force it, maybe it’s a bad shot, so I’m just going to pass it to [an open shooter], and that’s how we’re supposed to play.”

If the book is to be believed, Jokić genuinely is somewhat indifferent to the MVP award(s) — in part, at least, because he believes he is only as good as he is because of his teammates. We can disagree with this, if we want (his superhuman stats from yesterday are, at least in part, because nobody else on his team was matching up), but I do believe a star shines brightest when they have solid support from talented teammates. (Consider all the years LeBron James hasn’t won; or remove the GOAT Michael Jordan from those Bulls teams, and…) Reading about the lead-up to his first MVP, Singer paints a very endearing picture of a star who didn’t want his teammates to feel slighted, or miss out on justified attention to their skills and contributions.

Why So Serious? is a very good read, and even though it felt a bit repetitive (there are only so many ways you can describe Jokić’s lack of entitlement and selflessness on the court), I did come away with a deeper appreciation of Jokić’s skill and the kind of teammate that he is. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, and it is very clear why “Joker” is an entirely appropriate nickname. (Actually, his sense of humour and love of pranks is another oft-discussed topic.) It was refreshing to read about a star who is not All About Being A Star, who isn’t chasing the limelight more than he is devoted to chasing team success. Learning about his evolution as a player and team leader was also interesting. His contributions to the book — he seems to have been confused and a bit amused that someone wanted to write a book about him — are interesting. I think it is also, perhaps, entirely fitting that the book is in some ways a “team book”, told from the perspectives of those in Jokić’s orbit.

It’ll be interesting to see if he wins his fourth MVP this year. (There’s plenty of chatter already; and, as a fan of Jokić’s game, I think it would be perfectly justified.)

Fans of Jokić, the Denver Nuggets, and anyone interested in the NBA in general will find plenty of interest in Singer’s book. It takes readers behind-the-scenes of many elements of the NBA business and life. Recommended.

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Mike Singer’s Why So Serious? is out now, published by Harper in North America and in the UK.

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Review copy received via Edelweiss