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Vlatko Cancar: You know, some people believe in God, some in Allah... but in Denver, they believe in Nikola. Like he’s a holy icon — you come home, kiss his picture, and go to bed. I mean... that’s how it is for them. And... and again, I’m super grateful. I really appreciate now what it meant to be a part of playoff basketball for that many years in a row.
Vlatko Cancar: I’ve always been kind of critical — it actually made me sad how much people bashed Denver’s bench. Because, you know, people would say: “Denver’s starting five is the best in the league, but the bench is terrible.” And I’m like — come on, it doesn’t take a genius to see why that happens. Put everyone from the bench out there with Nikola, and let the starters... Host: ...Play without him? Vlatko Čančar: Yeah. Then we’ll see what’s what. You get what I mean?
Vlatko Čančar: One day I show up at practice, and I see Gordon rolling in with this old Ford Bronco. I think it was a '90s model — fully restored, looked brand new. Classic American muscle car. Host: Yeah. Vlatko Čančar: But here's the thing — the car has a manual transmission. I swear, I think he drove the whole way from his house to the arena in first gear. And it takes him, like, 20 minutes to get there. Host: He burned the car out. Vlatko Čančar: The clutch plate was completely fried. It melted — gone. Nothing left. So he shows up to practice — and respect to him — he walks straight up to Jokic, hands him the keys, and says: “This is my gift to you, because I wouldn’t have signed that contract if it wasn’t for you.” Host: Respect, honestly. Vlatko Čančar: He just goes, “Here, it’s yours.” Too bad that car’s just sitting in the garage now. Poor thing’s all dusty. Host: He didn’t let the story have a happy ending. Vlatko Čančar: He burned out the clutch, man — now he can’t even drive the thing. Host: Was Gordon usually… who was the most generous guy among your teammates? Vlatko Čančar: Gordon. Gordon, for sure. I really think that’s just... the kind of person he is.
Vlatko Čančar: We agreed... and mind you, everyone’s a philanthropist when it comes to talking about doing something good. But when it comes to actually making it happen? Then it’s a f****** no-show. Exactly. So we agreed to buy—well, it doesn’t matter now. I’m not trying to badmouth anyone, but I want to be honest. We agreed to buy a new car for the guy who washes our jerseys and gear. Yeah, yeah. I said, “Great, there’s about 18 of us. Each of us puts in $1,000–$1,500 — boom, there’s the car.”
Vlatko Čančar: So we see this car — it’s okay. I’m like, “Maybe we should check out some other cars.” It was kind of beat-up. Nothing fancy. And then they’re like: “Let’s find another car, man... it’s embarrassing to buy this one.” So I’m looking around and there’s this red one, and I’m like: “Okay, maybe there’s something better in the lot.” So we really start looking. But the way they look at cars? They see something that costs $20,000, for example — but they don’t think about taxes, warranty, all the extras. Host: There are like a thousand conditions. Vlatko Čančar: Right. So the price goes up. And then we realize: we don’t even have enough money. Total embarrassment. We’re making millions... And we don’t have money for a $20,000 car. Host: Man... Vlatko Čančar: Then, little by little, someone goes: “I gave mine,” ...and just walks off. And I’m like: “Guys, we can’t do it like this.” So I said: “Alright, me, Jeff Green, DeAndre... all of us who are here — KCP, I can’t even remember who else — let’s just put in more for now. We’ll get the rest from the others later.”
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Vlatko Čančar: And thank God, we managed to get that red car, you know? I mean, it kinda made me sad — people easily drop $50K on a chain or a watch. And let’s be real — I do the same. I buy myself a watch, I treat myself. But you can’t put down 2 or 3 grand for a car? Come on. Don’t embarrass yourself. Host: That’s actually hilarious. Vlatko Čančar: You feel me? In the end, we sorted it out — and the car’s great. It runs well, thank God. You know how it is — winter over there, it’s got all-wheel drive. You need that in winter. No way around it.
In his meeting with the local press in Slovenia, Luka Doncic implied that Vlatko Cancar and Josh Nebo, two key members of the Slovenian national team, will not play in the EuroBasket because they didn’t got permission from their club, Olimpia Milan. However this is not the case according to the Italian club. An official statement was released by Milan’s GM Christos Stavropoulos, in which he clarified the situation.
According to Stavropoulos the players agreed to stay out of the EuroBasket due to health concerns: “Regarding some recent media reports, I would like to clarify on behalf of the club that the health of our players has always been and always will be our priority. In the specific cases of Vlatko Cancar and Josh Nebo, I need to point out that both players are recovering from very serious injuries that severely limited their availability during the last season. In agreement with them, a procedure for their gradual return to action will be implemented to safeguard principally their health and long-term competitiveness.”
Before you joined the national team, there was a lot of talk about the cancellation of Vlatko Čančar and Josh Nebo. How did you see these two cancellations, did you resent them because they came so late? I didn't resent anything. As far as I understand, the club didn't allow them to come. In the end, the Lakers allowed it, Milan didn't. I'd rather not get involved in it, but that should be the player's decision. In my opinion. Those two are not at fault.
Ending a six-year experience in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets, Vlatko Cancar is making his return to Europe, signing officially on a multi-year agreement with Milan. This will be his debut season in the EuroLeague, as the Slovenian forward has never spent time on EuroLeague courts in his career. Until today, when his move to the Italian side was made official. Contributing to winning the NBA Championship in 2023, being drafted with the 49th overall pick by Denver in the 2017 NBA Draft, he has averaged 3.4 points per game over the course of his NBA career.
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Looking for a more important role, compared to his NBA run with the Nuggets, Olimpia Milan immediately drew his attention. “Milano came straight away, and they were eager to bring me in. And then, obviously, I got that feeling of being wanted and being important,” he explained.
During an appearance on the DNVR Denver Nuggets Podcast on Thursday, the 28-year-old Slovenian power forward talked about his departure from the Denver Nuggets and the process leading to a deal with the EuroLeague club. “After the season and before the free-agency, I was kind of talking with my agent, and then I was asking, ‘What’s going on with Denver?’. Unfortunately, they came out with the news, kind of like a remodeling, but not really a remodeling type of thing. They wanted to say thank you for everything that you did, but they’re trying to move on now and bring some new energy, some new players. And then I accepted it,” he said, “I’m glad I was part of the team for six years. For me, it was OK.”
Vlatko Cancar is expected to leave the Denver Nuggets and the NBA. According to BasketNews sources, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is emerging as the leading destination for Cancar. The two sides are in advanced talks, with the 28-year-old Slovenian forward nearing a return to Europe. Cancar spent the past five seasons with the Denver Nuggets, where he was part of the 2023 NBA championship team. Last season, Cancar appeared in 13 NBA games, averaging 1.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11 minutes of action.
Vinny Benedetto: Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji and Vlatko Cancar are available, Michael Malone says. Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon remain questionable.
