Serbian church in Colorado celebrates Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets' sweet victory
At times it seemed like it might not be the night at St. John The Baptist Serbian Orthodox Church Monday night. But at round tables set up in front of a large TV screen, church members watched their local hero, fellow Serbian Nikola Jokic, win the title and then be named MVP of the NBA Finals series between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat.
"Jokic is so good. Serbians are number one in tennis number one in basketball," said church member Sonja Kokotovic referring also to tennis star Novak Djokovic who won the French Open over the weekend.
While the hard fought game had ups and downs, the Serbians in the room were confident. Pastor Father Radovan Petrovic refused to talk about the potential of a loss.
"They are going to win, they're not going to lose," he said and turned out to be right.
The Lakewood church is the only Serbian church in Colorado. It has become a centerpiece for the small Serbian community. Many are former Bosnian Serbs who came to the United States as refugees in the 1990s as the Bosnian war tore the former Yugoslavia to pieces.
Mile Panic brought his grandson to watch the game. He came to the United States in 1995 after spending time in a concentration camp, then a refugee camp. He had a cousin already in Colorado when he was asked where he would like to move. Getting to the U.S. as a refugee at the time was not as hard a journey as many of today's refugees face. A card showing he'd been held captive was key.
"It was easy for us to come in here. Just show that card, easy to approve to come in here."
Working in construction, he helped create the church's building where the function room was in use to root for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
In 2015, his first year in Denver, Jokic and family members came by the church before Mile had any idea who he was. But a co-worker said he must be a basketball player with his size. Then a woman with Jokic said, "Nikola you will pay for candles, you have a lot of money."
"Man, I (didn't) know who is that. No idea," said Panic.
The following day they figured it out.
"My boss calls me and says go on the Google. I go on the Google and ... put in 'Nikola Jokic.' I put Nikola up, show my guy, yeah that guy yesterday was with us in church."
Jokic's brother visits the church from time to time. Nikola is too busy playing basketball, says Panic. Outside, inspired kids played basketball, challenging each other with NBA like intensity.
"Serbian kids play basketball and get better because he was like a second round pick, I wouldn't expect him to be a two time MVP," said 13 year old Gvozden Patrovic.
Inside, his father talked about how important the game and the player are to the church and Colorado's Serbian community.
"It means something to us as well as Nikola," said pastor Father Radovan Petrovic. "He definitely knows that we are cheering for him and that we love him and are wishing the best."
And they cheered as the game turned. Standing and throwing up their arms to hug each other in celebration.
"He's a beast, he's a beast," said Sonja Kokotovic. "We have passion. We have passion," she said proudly about Serbian people. "We give like a thousand percent in everything that we do. Everything that we do, from culture, sports, everything."
