By Nick Georgandis
As the reigning No. 1 player in the world and a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, Novak Djokovic doesn't get star-struck often these days.
But all of that changed the weekend before Indian Wells began when the Serbian sensation got to attend his first NBA game in person, which included taking part in a pre-game shoot-around with NBA all-stars Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Just a day after winning the tournament title at Dubai, Djokovic was 8,328 miles away at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to watch the Lakers take on the Atlanta Hawks.
Djokovic made a three-pointer while on the court under Bryant's careful watch.
"It was great," Djokovic told reporters at Indian Wells on Friday. "They're great athletes and great personalities, all of them. I was really surprised that they liked tennis."
Djokovic revealed that Howard, the Lakers' seven-foot center, revealed that he had played tennis in his youth and won a tournament in eighth grade.
"So maybe with those shoulders, he can have a big serve," Djokovic said with a smile. "Maybe he can break the (fastest-serve) record."
Serbia is one of the most passionate European countries when it comes to basketball, having produced a number of professional players who have starred in the NBA including Vlade Divac, who shined for the Lakers in the early 1990s.