Nikola Jokic

Who is Nikola Jokic?

Nikola Jokic, sometimes known as “The Joker,” is a Serbian-born professional basketball player. Nikola Jokic’s career did not follow the mold of a superstar. Jokic spent some time in Europe before entering the NBA, coming in at number 41 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Jokic, who was selected in the second round of the draft, is currently the league’s finest center and embodies the role of the modern NBA center.

He has become an offensive monster thanks to his playmaking skills and his adaptable scoring style.

His court vision allows him to find open guys for simple baskets even when teams double-team him.

Since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000, he is the current MVP Award winner and the first center to accomplish so.

By completing this, Jokic turned into the lone other second-round picks to win the prize.

He was also selected with the lowest overall draft pick to win MVP.

Childhood and Family

In the Serbian town of Sombor, Jokic was born.

The athlete, his two siblings, both parents, and his grandmother all shared a two-bedroom apartment where they all grew up.

Both a farmer and an agricultural engineer, his father was.

When Jokic was young, he first developed an interest in basketball while playing with his two older siblings, who were ten years his senior.

The second-oldest brother, Nemanja, attended the University of Detroit Mercy, while the oldest brother, Strahinja, played basketball in Europe.

The brothers’ friend is former NBA player Darko Milii.

Jokic also took an amateur interest in horse racing as a child and still enjoys it today.

More Facts about Nikola Jokic

Earlier Years

Jokic developed into a formidable player while playing youth basketball in Vojvodina Srbijagas, which attracted the attention of bigger teams.

Jokic signed a deal with Mega Vizura in the summer of 2012, however, he played much of his first season there in 2012–2013 with the club’s youth squad.

At the age of 17, he participated in five Serbian League games, averaging two rebounds and 1.8 points in 10.2 minutes per game.

He spent more time playing for the senior team in 2013–2014.

In 25 games for the Adriatic League, the player averaged 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.

He also made 13 Serbian League appearances for the team, scoring 10.9 points, pulling down six rebounds, and dishing out 3.3 assists each game.

Nikola Jokic’s profile as a player

Jokic is a center who only plays that position.

He is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) and 284 pounds (129 kg).

Jokic is regarded by many as the best passing big man in NBA history.

As a facilitator, Jokic frequently employs a range of no looks and uncommon deliveries to set up his teammates for scoring possibilities.

Particularly his one-handed passes, which have been compared to those of a water polo player.

Jokic typically waits after getting the ball to examine the floor for defensive lapses and potential openings because of his deliberate and sluggish style of play.

Lifetime NBA Draft

Following Ratko Varda’s departure and the Denver Nuggets’ selection of Jokic with the 41st overall choice in the 2014 NBA Draft on June 26, 2014, Jokic was one of the group leaders in the 2014–15 NBA season.

In the opening game of the Adriatic League, the basketball player helped his team defeat MZT Skopje 103-98 by tallying 27 points and 15 rebounds for a total index rating of 44.

He received the Round 1 MVP award.

He had 17 points, 12 rebounds, a season-high eight assists, and a total index rating of 40 in a 90-84 victory over Zadar on November 3.

The athlete earned the title of Round 6 MVP as a result of his performance.

A most valuable player in the league

Jokic became one of the Adriatic League’s most useful players despite Mega Leks being 10th in the league.

In 24 games, he scored 15.4 points, grabbed 9.3 rebounds, and provided 3.5 assists while leading the league with an index rating of 22.

He was voted the regular-season MVP of the Adriatic League on March 26.

He was also recognized as the 2014–15 ABA League’s Top Prospect.

After losing to Partizan Belgrade in the Serbian League semifinals, Jokic quit the squad to seek a career in the NBA.

In 14 Serbian League games, the player averaged 18.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 56.6 percent from the floor.

Season 2015–2016

One season after being selected, in the summer of 2015, Jokic signed with the Denver Nuggets.

On July 28, 2015, he agreed to a deal with the Nuggets after playing in five summer league games for the team and averaging 6.2 rebounds and 8.0 points per game.

He recorded a season-high 23 points and 12 rebounds on November 18, 2015, in a 109-98 loss against the San Antonio Spurs.

On January 10, 2016, in a 95-92 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, he recorded a career-high nine assists.

He achieved a new career best of 15 rebounds on April 8 in a 102-98 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

The athlete was chosen to the NBA All-Rookie First Team at the conclusion of the campaign after placing third in the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year voting.

Outstanding Season

On July 9, 2018, Jokic extended his deal with the Nuggets for five years and $148 million.

On October 20, 2018, he contributed 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists to the Nuggets’ 119-91 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

The only other NBA players in history to record a triple-double of at least 30 points without missing a field goal are he and Wilt Chamberlain (Chamberlain accomplished this feat twice, in 1966 and 1967).

Additionally, he joined Fat Lever as the only other Nuggets player to post a triple-double in each of the season’s first two games.

Jokic eventually took home the award for Western Conference Player of the Week during the first week of the current campaign.

He also became the sixth player in team history to take home the trophy three times or more.

For his achievements in 2018, the Serbian Basketball Federation recognized him as Serbian Player of the Year.

First appearances at the All-Star and NBA Games

Jokic was selected as a Western Conference reserve for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game on January 31.

He also became the team’s first All-Star since Anthony in 2011 for the Nuggets.

In Game 1 of the Denver Nuggets’ first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, Nikola became the fourth player in NBA history to post a triple-double in his playoff debut and the first since LeBron James in 2006.

He recorded 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists in a 101-96 defeat.

In 14 postseason games, the player averaged 25.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 8.4 assists while playing 39.7 minutes per game and shooting 50.6 percent/39.3 percent/84.6 percent.

Nikola received his first All-NBA selection as he was chosen to the First Team following the season.

Records and Accomplishments

The basketball player surpassed Wilt Chamberlain to become just the ninth player in NBA history to achieve 50 triple-doubles in a career, and only the second center to do so.

Jokic also passed Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson to become the third-fastest player in history to accomplish 50 triple-doubles in a career.

Jokic received the Western Conference Player of the Month award for games played in March for the second time in his career.

He, therefore, became the first Nuggets player in team history to take home the honor twice in the same campaign.

In addition, he was the only player in NBA history to start his first 500 games with 5,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists.

Summer Olympics and the World Cup

At the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, the Serbian U-19 national basketball team, which Jokic was a part of, took home silver.

Serbia lost to the United States by a score of 96-66 in the Olympic final, earning them the silver medal.

On May 24, 2019, Jokic declared that he would play for Serbia in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was expected to be won by the Serbian national team.

However, Argentina overcame them in the quarterfinals.

With victories over the Czech Republic and the United States, it came in fifth place.

Nikola Jokic’s Special Move

Jokic is a skilled playmaker who is also a dynamic shooter who can make mid-range and three-point shots in addition to finishing in the paint.

During his MVP season, Jokic shot.566 from the field and.388 from beyond the arc.

Chris Marlowe, the Nuggets play-by-play announcer, gave Jokic’s hallmark move, the “Sombor Shuffle,” its moniker in honor of his hometown of Sombor.

It entails hopping off his right foot before releasing a high-arching fade away.

While recovering from an ankle injury in 2017, Jokic devised the maneuver.

The unorthodox move, which has been compared to Dirk Nowitzki’s one-legged fadeaway, is challenging to defend.

Nikola Jokic’s spouse.

The NBA star Nikola Jokic is wed to the Serbian psychologist Natalija Macesic.

Ognjena, a girl, was born to them in September 2021.

Being the wife of the league’s MVP will draw attention to Natalija, who is known for keeping her private life and relationship with Nikola discreet.

In actuality, her Instagram account is secret.

Every NBA success story needs a strong foundation so the athlete can develop and concentrate on honing their talent.

For Nikola and Natalija, this is accurate. Since high school, Natalija has been a part of Jokic’s life.

She completed her secondary education at Sombor, Serbia, where the Serbian was born.

As a young child, this woman immigrated to the country, where she went on to live her greatest years.

She played volleyball at a junior college in Oklahoma before enrolling at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

2018 saw Natalija graduate from MSU Denver with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Natalija and Nikola Jokic met in what way?

Natalija and Nikola went to the same high school and were both born in Sombor, Serbia.

They’ve been together since high school, in fact.

As Nikola develops as an NBA player, Natalija will continue to be the foundation of his success.

On October 24, 2020, in their hometown of Sombor, Serbia, Nikola married Natalija after guiding his team to the Western Conference Finals.

Only those invited to the wedding were permitted entry into the church where the ceremony took place, and there was strict security surrounding the event.

Due to the NBA’s modified schedule as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the couple’s June wedding date was postponed.

After their wedding, Nikola and Natalija danced as a married couple for the first time, with the center showcasing some excellent dancing and singing abilities.

Nikola Jokic: Salary

The Serbian international is now sweeping the league thanks to his performance.

His new value has made a big difference in the league and caught the NBA’s attention.

The value of Nikola Jokic has grown recently. One of the top big guys in the NBA, according to many.

The Denver Nuggets organization has prospered as the Serbian international makes a name for himself in the NBA.

The latest estimation of Nikola Jokic’s net worth is $30 million.

Additionally, his most recent contract with the Denver Nuggets pays him $29.5 million annually.

The kid signed a significant 5-year contract extension worth roughly $147 million in 2018.

Endorsements

Popular major star Jokic’s net worth keeps rising as a result of his brilliance.

Major brands have taken notice of him after a great season and have endorsed him.

The current value of Jokic’s endorsement income is $750,000.

The athlete is only 27 years old, thus this number may increase dramatically.

He has a shoe deal with Nike. Another of his endorsement agreements with Panini is with Western Union.

Also read:     Maximilian Ibrahimovic     Yonka Clark     Amir Tyson

Social Media presence

On many social media sites, Nikola is highly active.

However, he is more approachable on Facebook and Instagram.

He has a Facebook account that has been validated, but he hasn’t updated it since last year.

On his Instagram page, Jokic mainly writes about his personal and professional life.

There are also a ton of pictures that were captured during photo shoots.

By clicking on the links below, you may access his social media profiles:

51.3k Instagram followers (As of Feb 2022)
Facebook has 641k fans (As of Feb 2022)