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The Age of the Always-On Athlete
Nikola Jokic is troubled by fame and everything that it comes with, and he is a reminder of the elevated availability expectations of the modern athlete
During the sixth episode of The Last Dance, Michael Jordan is shown lamenting the cost of his fame and celebrity. Laying on a couch with a cigar in his hand, and opines “This is not one of those lifestyles that you envy, where you’re confined to this room. I’m ready for getting out of this life.” Tim Hallam, who worked in public relations for the Chicago Bulls for four decades, describes the toll of Jordan’s fame in the context of the iconic “Be like Mike” media campaign — constant media blitzes, autograph requests, interview appearances — and says “I wouldn’t want to be like Mike. It’s an impossible task.”
The exhaustion of athletic fame seems to be something that Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic can relate to. During a recent interview on the Jao Mile Podcast, Jokic reflected on his celebrity as an NBA MVP. Speaking in Serbian, Jokic said:
“I’m getting more and more bothered by popularity. This is going to sound corny, but, I’m getting ruder to people who approach me. Honestly, it’s tiring…Some people around me know, I don’t take pictures because it’s my time. I’ll sound rude again, but what can I do? If people can’t understand me, I understand everything, but it’s been 11–12…
