Why So Serious?

“The out-of-nowhere explosion of Nikola Jokic is one of the biggest yet most mysterious sports stories of this century. Until now. Mike Singer immersed himself in Nikola’s journey like no one before, delicately walking in the footsteps of his youth in Serbia and charting his unexpected but spectacular rise to the top of the basketball world.”  — Brian Windhorst“This is a fantastic book. Mike Singer, through moments large and small, captures the unlikely journey of Nikola Jokic with detail and texture, and with a style that holds the reader’s attention and energy from start to finish.”  — Bomani Jones“Singer unearths so many fun anecdotes in retracing perhaps the NBA’s most unusual superstar story ever. In vivid detail, he shows how Jokic’s hometown and family influence his mindset—and reveals new tales from inside the Denver Nuggets journey to the 20222-23 championship. A great read from someone with a front row seat to the rise of Nikola Jokic.”  — Zach Lowe“This is a deeply insightful and introspective look at arguably the best basketball player in the world—someone who has largely remained a mystery despite his historical accomplishments. This book makes us feel like we’re finally getting to know the man who has come to redefine basketball in his own way.”  — Jemele Hill“It’s been a pleasure reading about how the best player in the game is so humble and also realize basketball is what he does but not who he is.”  — Charles Barkley”Nikola Jokic is on his way to all-time basketball greatness. This is the definitive story of how it all improbably happened. Why So Serious is a basketball junkie’s dream.“  — Fran Fraschilla“The Joker is truly one of a kind both professionally and personally MVP’s with his unique combination of skill, basketball IQ and humility just don’t come around that often. You will get an engaging and unforgettable snapshot of what makes Nikola Jokic such a rootable character in the NBA’s nightly drama from Mike Singer. What a great read!”  — Ernie Johnson, Jr.

Mike Singer covered the Nuggets and the NBA for the Denver Post from 2018 through their title run in 2023. Named the 2021 Colorado Sportswriter of the Year, Singer was the national NBA editor at USA Today before moving to Denver, where he, his wife, and daughter live.