The offseason began far sooner than the Nuggets and their fans had intended, but that does not mean the players, including Nikola Jokic, can’t enjoy their time off. Days after the Nuggets were eliminated from the playoffs by the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Semifinals, Jokic was sighted visiting a major horse racing event in Sweden with some of his own horses.

And, while I’m sure Jokic wishes he was still playing and preparing for the NBA Finals, he appears to have gotten an early start on his usual summer plans. On Saturday, photos emerged of Jokic and a small party preparing to depart on what has become an annual rafting trip to Tara, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It’s always good to get a glimpse into Jokic’s life outside of basketball and the US. When he returns to Eastern Europe and is surrounded by friends and family, he appears to be in his element. Much has been made of his apparent disinterest in basketball on the surface.

Jokic narratives are fake

However, it is widely documented how hard Jokic works and everything he does to hone his profession, which has allowed him to become the best basketball player alive. It’s no surprise that he’s won three NBA MVP awards and is still the current Finals MVP.

He works as hard as anyone else, and the notion that he doesn’t care about basketball has become totally ludicrous and outrageous. It’s unfair to both Jokic and his teammates. It’s actually good to see that he has interests and hobbies other than basketball. This is not uncommon for professional sportsmen, but Jokic appears to be under a different microscope because his hobbies may not be typical of traditional American NBA stars.

If anything, Nuggets supporters should be pleased to see Jokic enjoying his well-deserved rest. This is more time off than he has had in previous years, and it should provide him with an opportunity to recharge his battery and return fresher than ever next season to try to lead the Nuggets back to the promised land.