Nikola Jokić, born February 19, 1995, is a Serbian professional basketball player who plays for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association. Nicknamed “The Joker”, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and centers of all time!
Jokic has been named to the NBA All-Star NBA Best XI seven times (including four first-team selections) and the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2023-24 NBA Most Valuable Player Awards.
He won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics for the Serbian national team a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.In today's article we will find out more about this outstanding NBA star! Let get started!
Early life and education
Jokić was born in the city of Sombor in northern Serbia. He lived in a small two-room apartment with his two brothers, parents and grandmother. He attended the elementary school “Dositej Obradović”. His father is an agricultural engineer. Jokic grew up playing basketball with his two brothers, Strasinja and Nemanja, who are ten years older, and fell in love with the game.
Both brothers played basketball in Serbia, and Nemanja went on to play college basketball for Detroit Mercy and CW Post and for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Steamers in the Super Basketball League. The brothers are friends with former NBA player Darko Milicic. Jokic also enjoyed horse racing as a child, a sport he is still passionate about.
Professional Career
June 26, 2014 Jokic was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He finished third in voting for the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was named to the NBA's First XI of Best Rookies. Jokic finished second in voting for the 2017 NBA Most Improved Player Award and second in voting for the 2017 Assist of the Year Award.
February 6, 2014 in his 500th NBA game, Jokic picked up his 71st career triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals in a 124-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets; only Robertson ( 151 ) and Johnson ( 73 ) have picked up more triple-doubles in their first 500 games in league history.
January 1, 2023 Jokic notched his 85th career triple-double with 30 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and 0 turnovers in a 123-111 win over the Boston Celtics.
October 24, 2023 Jokic had a triple-double with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 119-107 to begin the defense of their NBA championship title.
January 2, 2025 Jokic scores 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists in 29:31 of action in a 139-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks. He became the first player in NBA history to post a 20/15/15 record in less than 30 minutes.
National Team Career
Jokic represented Serbia at the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade and earned tournament MVP honors, averaging 17.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Jokic and Serbia won the silver medal after losing 96-66 to the United States in the final.
On June 10, 2024, Jokic was named to Serbia's preliminary roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics.On July 31, Jokic scored 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists against Puerto Rico in the second game of the group stage of the Olympics. He became the first player in Olympic history to record 10+ points, 15+ rebounds and 5+ assists.
Skills Stunning Points
Jokic has been called the best passing “big man” in the history of the NBA, and some have called him the greatest passer of all time. As an organizational centerpiece, Jokic used his size and vision to create scoring opportunities for his teammates, often with a variety of no-look passes and unique passing styles.
His technique, especially one-handed passing, is reminiscent of that of a water polo player. Jokic plays slowly and cautiously, often stopping to observe the court after catching the ball, looking for defensive lapses and potential openings. His current and former teammates have said that they must always be ready to receive the ball, as Jokic often passes the ball at unusual angles, and in practice, he often hits unprepared players in the face with the ball.
In addition to his ability to organize the offense, Jokic is a versatile scorer who can finish effectively inside as well as hit mid-range and three-point line jumpers.
Summary
Many commentators have praised Jokic's game intelligence and offensive creativity, calling him a “basketball genius”. Jokic's statistical dominance in multiple categories has led many to rank him as one of the all-time greats, including Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who have compared him to Wilt Chamberlain.
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