In a candid podcast appearance, former Denver Nuggets big man DeMarcus Cousins offered rare insight into the mindset of two-time MVP Nikola Jokić. While fans already know Jokić as a generational talent, Cousins pointed to something deeper that makes him so formidable—not just his skill, but his mentality toward the game.
“Bad dude,” Cousins said on the Straight Game Podcast. “What really makes me admire Jokić is his personality. If you ever get the chance to talk with him, you’ll quickly see—he genuinely doesn’t give a f*** about all this. He’s completely unbothered.”
According to Cousins, Jokić sees basketball as just one of several interests, and not necessarily a top priority. Cousins said Jokić ranks the sport third or fourth among his passions. Yet, even with that casual approach, he continues to dominate at the highest level.
“There are games where he puts up absurd stat lines… and he probably doesn’t even want to be out there,” Cousins said. “That’s the scary part.”
The two were teammates in Denver during the 2021–22 season, with lockers side by side. Cousins recalled joking with Jokić after a teammate signed a big contract, speculating about Jokić’s own looming payday. That’s when Jokić said something unexpected.
“He told me, ‘Cuz, I honestly think I might retire after this contract,’” Cousins recalled. “I said, ‘You’d really walk away from $300 million?’ I told him, ‘At worst, just sign the deal and get fat, man. Don’t pass on $300 million.’”
But Jokić wasn’t joking—he was serious about stepping away to enjoy a quieter life.
“He said, ‘I just want to go back to my valley and be with my horses,’” Cousins said. “And I told him, ‘You’ll still have the horses. Take the money, buy more if you want.’”
Jokić’s indifference toward fame, fortune, or legacy is rare in today’s NBA, and that detachment might be part of what makes him so dangerous. He plays for balance, not accolades—and still outperforms nearly everyone.
Despite his relaxed mindset, Jokić continues to build a résumé among the best in league history: multiple MVPs, a Finals MVP, and a reputation as one of the game’s elite triple-double machines. His IQ, vision, scoring, and rebounding are all elite.
That contrast is what stuck with Cousins—the idea that Jokić can quietly walk into an arena, dismantle the opposition, and walk back out without a second thought—because part of him is always with his horses in Serbia, not just on the court.
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