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We’ve heard stories about Sombor for years. For us, this is a distant land with a fairy tale essence. It always seems like a magical place. KK Joker, the local basketball club where Nikola Jokic used to play, Jockey’s former school and the concrete arena where he grew up, Sombor horse stalls and racetracks are located there. We knew these places existed, but we never knew we could afford them. Feeling For the truth.
We arrived in Sombor on Sunday afternoon and met Jokic’s first coach Serjan Stoykov at KK Joker. Srdjan gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of the entire facility, the team’s locker room and offices, and ushered us into the gym. It was a wonderful experience. Mostenga Hall, KK Joker facility is old and built in 1971. Some of the rooms look very old school and some have been remodeled.
Once through the doors, a dimly lit and pink brick walkway leads to a glittering court with seating for 1,000 fans. We’re told Jokic and his family help run the team and are heavily invested in the facility. They recently upgraded the court to the standards required to play in Serbia’s top division (KK Joker currently plays in the second division.) Nikola’s father, Branislav Jokic, is the president. The locker rooms and offices were also recently remodeled. Serjan shared stories about Jokic that he remembers coaching him and we started shooting around the court. It was special.
Then we went to the balcony with Sardjan. Yes, Dream Catcher Stables. Serrel doesn’t even begin to describe what it felt like to be there. It felt almost too perfect to be fake. But the funny thing is how you look in the picture. The dogs — the same ones that interrupted the MVP interview on TNT — are still barking. The chair and table he used during that interview are still there, next to the wall where they’ve probably sat for years. The treadmill is how you look. It is located on the street and behind the barn and the white door. There is a small grandfather stand on one side, and that’s it. Again, it’s perfect. It is simple, precise, quiet, calm and peaceful. Just perfect.
Next, Jokic’s old school and basketball court. It was also so perfect that it didn’t feel real. The picture pops out better than I expected in person. Surrounded by neutral colors and green trees, it stands out. We played on the court for about an hour. I felt special to be there. Following in the footsteps of the greatest player in the world. Playing on the concrete where he once played. Like I said, selfish.
Then dinner at Restaurant Sloan Sombor (Elephant Restaurant). It’s said to be a place where Jokic frequents. We had fish stew, Jokic’s favorite, and other traditional Serbian dishes, and plenty of Jalen beer, the most popular beer in Serbia. We remembered a wonderful day. An incredible day. We will talk about one day forever. Also with us at dinner was Srdjan Vlaskalic, our tour guide in Sombor. I will talk more about it tomorrow.
This trip has been a whirlwind. It was a blur. We have done a lot in a short time. But I’ve been able to be incredibly present the whole time we’ve been here. Maybe it was because every moment felt so important. It is impossible not to be in an instant I am experiencing this distant land. KK Joker, Horse Track, Mural and Sombor were the most intense places to visit.
One final note: We spent the night in Sombor at a place called The Old Brick Pub. Above it is a bar with dorm-like rooms. Yes, we slept over the bar. Also, shout out to Miroslav Kuk and Milan Mijalkovic from Serbia Corner and The Nugget Serbia Podcast who were lifesavers and drove us to Sombor with us every step of the way. Sitting in a circle outside the old brick at 1am, passing around a bottle of rakija and reminiscing about our experiences in Sombor, the nine are another flashbulb memory that will last forever.
what a day More from Somber tomorrow.
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