Nikola Jokic — the league's ultimate no-frills star — is the perfect player to lead the Nuggets into the future

LAS VEGAS — Nikola Jokic strutted through Cox Pavilion Monday night as the Nuggets were tipping off against the Bucks in their third Summer League matchup to little fanfare. Sure, at Summer League, where basketball hipsters flock to the desert to watch not only top draft picks make their debuts but also to fall in love with fringe NBAers who have a remote shot to make the league, people know Jokic when they see him. But still, to many fans in attendance, Jokic was just another tall guy in the room who probably plays basketball instead of one of the NBA’s budding stars.

That’s exactly how he likes it, though. After signing the largest contract in franchise history in Denver Monday morning, Jokic flew private to Vegas and arrived at UNLV’s sprawling basketball complex in a purple polo shirt and black pants, flanked by the same three-person entourage that never leaves his side.

His two older brothers — 6-foot-8 Stahinja, who’s the eldest, and Nemanja, who’s a couple inches shorter — and his longtime girlfriend marched through the gym and sat courtside as the Nuggets topped the Bucks for their third Summer League win in as many tries. A few chairs down were teammates Trey Lyles and Paul Millsap. Next to them were Stan and Josh Kroenke, the latter of whom is at the head of the organization that will pay Jokic $148 million over the next five seasons.

Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, coach Michael Malone and other members of Denver’s front office also made the treck back to Las Vegas with Jokic.

“I’ve never seen a guy less enthused about a contract this big, and I say that in a positive sense,” Connelly said. “… He doesn’t like the spotlight. We have to talk him into doing a press conference. He just wants to play ball.”

Jokic is a complete outlier on an NBA landscape where max-level players roll in crowds five or 10 people deep. When canvassing the league, some All-Star-level players are more concerned with the constant curation of their image rather than their play on the court. But Jokic lives to play the sport he loves. He’s not concerned with what comes along with it.

The 23-year-old is a no-thrills star who’s unique and genuine personality makes him the perfect fit for Denver. Jokic is an advanced stats darling and platinum-level member of the NBA Twitter aristocracy. For the Nuggets, a niche NBA team with heavy international flavor, Jokic as the face of the franchise is ideal for Denver, which hasn’t had a player this talented since Carmelo Anthony.

In just three years, he’s grown close with the city. Jokic, like many that flocked to Denver for jobs over the past few years in the heart of the city’s current tech boom, is a transplant. But you get the feeling that Jokic now feels a sense of responsibility to put the Nuggets and Denver on the map that he didn’t feel when he first arrived. He really wants to bring Denver its first NBA championship. If the first three seasons of his career are any indication, Jokic has a shot to win a ring in a Nuggets’ uniform.

His unlikely rise through the basketball ranks fits the Nuggets’ status as the under-the-radar team that could be on one of the league’s most notable risers next season. He was once a fat point guard who fancied himself as more of a stableboy than a basketball player.

“When I was younger, my dream was never to sign a big contract or whatever,” Jokic said. “My dream was to have fun, win games, win some championship rings.”

Eventually, he grew into his body and began to show off a rare skill-set as a high-IQ big man with an uncanny feel for the game. Scouts began to take notice. The Nuggets identified Jokic as a unique talent and were intrigued enough to select him 41st overall in 2015. When he came to Denver after a draft-and-stash season in Serbia, expectations were low.

“Guys saw him at Summer Leauge, nobody thought he was that good. You saw flashes, maybe he’s going to be okay. But this?” Will Barton told BSN Denver. “He’s incredible. That guy is incredible. When he first came here he was just happy to be here, and now look at him. He just wanted to be one of the guys. He wasn’t even supposed to play. Seriously. He was not going to play. He was the last big man on the depth chart.”

Three years later, Jokic is only the fifth player in league history to tally at least 3,000 points, 2,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in his first three NBA seasons. His historic third year in the league was highlighted by a final 18-game stretch where Jokic carried the Nuggets back into contention for a playoff spot.

Jokic averaged 24.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists as the focal point of the offense over the final month-and-half of the season. This year, he became the third big man in league history (Wilt Chamberlain and Kevin Garnett) to average 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

While $148 million would change a lot of players’ mindsets, Jokic doesn’t fit that mold. He’s generous, kind and incredibly gracious for his opportunity. He’ll still have to adjust to the increased expectations placed on him to lead the Nuggets to their first playoff appearance in five seasons.

Soon, Jokic will head back to Serbia and disappear from the NBA radar. He’ll be largely off the map for the better part of the next three months. A few Zapruder film clips of his workouts will gradually leak out of Eastern Europe and make their way to the social media airwaves every now and then. Pictures and videos of Serbia’s first-ever Basketball Without Borders camp in August will likely be Jokic’s final public appearance before media day and training camp gets underway in September.

He’ll grant a few interviews here and there to different media outlets, and members of Denver’s front office and coaching staff will surely take a few more trips to Serbia and visit their franchise cornerstone and make sure he’s staying in shape. Malone recently returned from a trip to Sombor, Jokic’s hometown, where he’s considered a celebrity in his own right. Player development coach Ognjen Stojakovic, who played and coached in Serbia before joining the Nuggets in 2014, just spent seven days with Jokic.

While some around the league would be concerned that their brand could take a hit if their name stays out of the headlines for too long, Jokic would like his clout to stay low. His circle will remain tight. His personality will stay the same. His unselfish nature on the floor and ability to always make the right play will persist.

Over the next two months, much of the NBA world will forget about Jokic, which is exactly what he’d prefer.