Novak Djokovic has long been praised for helping Serbia gain international recognition. On Saturday evening, he spent time with another NBA player who had done the same: Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

Djokovic and Jokic spoke after the latter’s team defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles. Vic Lombardi of AltitudeTV interviewed Djokovic just before their meeting.

“I’m here to watch basketball, which is my favorite sport. Of course, I admire the excellence of LeBron James and Nikola Jokic,” Djokovic stated.

“He is big. He is one of the greatest Serbian athletes in history. What he has accomplished over the previous three years is very extraordinary, not just for Serbian basketball, but also for European basketball, as he competes in the world’s strongest basketball league. He is great. I absolutely love him as a person.”

Jokic also had lots of great things to say about Djokovic, emphasizing how important the 36-year-old is to Serbia.

“They see him as a winner,” Jokic explained. “He puts our country on top of the world many, many times.”

Djokovic will now return to the tennis court to prepare for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where he has won five titles.