NBA champion Nikola Jokic won't be joining Serbia in Manila for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup that begins on 25 August.

Jokic, who was a key figure in the Denver Nuggets' title run, was reported to skip the World Cup to rest and recover according to eurohoops.com.

The Serbians are in Group B with China, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico.

Jokic joins the likes of Rui Hachimura (Japan), Ben Simmons (Australia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), and Victor Wembanyama (France) as more NBA stars opt to skip this edition of the world's biggest basketball spectacle.