"Happier winning that than the NBA Finals" - Fans in stitches as Nikola Jokic celebrates winning horse race while Celtics hang 18th banner

Despite having a clear opportunity to be back-to-back NBA champions, Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets came up short in achieving their goal this season. After the Boston Celtics secured their 18th title in franchise history Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks, Overtime shared an image of the Nuggets big man posing for a picture following his horse, "Amsterdam," won a race in Sombor, Serbia.

Denver finished the season as the second seed in the Western Conference with expectations of a title repeat. However, the Nuggets ran into the imposing defense of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, which proved too much to handle by the results of the Game 7 loss.

The Overtime post featured Nikola Jokic carrying his daughter by his shoulders and posing alongside Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. In response to the post, several NBA fans shared their reactions in the comments section.

"He's happier winning that than the NBA Finals lol," a fan wrote.

Meanwhile, X user DaoJuice (@DTRJUICE) speculated Nikola Jokic's possible reason for getting eliminated in this year's NBA Playoffs.

"Now I see why he lost in the playoffs so he could attend this race," the fan posted.

X user DProdigy (@DProdigy) suggested that winning the horse race had bigger implications for Jokic compared to the NBA championship.

"Bigger than the NBA championship to him," the fan posted.

Additionally, X user 7AM (@XxDA7amxX argued that the Nuggets star considered his horses more important than the NBA.

"He looks so happy. Bro really cares more about his horses than the NBA," the fan posted.

Moreover, X user hades66 (@yagrlswrkhsbnd5) hilariously pointed out that Jokic didn't spend his vacation at Cancun like other stars in the league.

"Instead of Cancun it's the stables for Jokic," the fan posted.

Be that as it may, the Nuggets star remains a former NBA champion and one of the most elite players in his position. Denver has a great shot at redemption next season, given some proper moves being made in the offseason.

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Nikola Jokic talked about coming up short in being back-to-back NBA champions

During his postgame interview after the disappointing Game 7 loss to Minnesota, Nikola Jokic didn't have a clear answer on how the team came up short in winning the chip for the second straight year, as per FanNation's Farbod Esnaashari.

"I don't know," Jokic said. "We didn't accomplish that, so I don't know. It's hard because the teams are hungrier, better talented than last year probably. Everybody got better, everybody wants to beat us probably. That's my thought process."

Interestingly, Jokic highlighted the continuous evolution of the NBA landscape when it comes to the competition available. Every season presents new challenges for defending champions as several teams are hungry for a shot at the title.

Aside from the hunger and determination to go all the way in the postseason, having a competent roster filled with talent and high-IQ players is also pivotal.