Nikola Jokić biography: 13 things about NBA player born in Sombor, Serbia

Nikola Jokić is a Serbian professional basketball player nicknamed the Joker. He was born in Sombor, West Bačka, Bačka, Vojvodina, Serbia.

Jokić’s older brothers Strahinja Jokić and Nemanja Jokić are also basketball players. Their father was an agricultural engineer.

Nikola Jokić (©NBA)

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Strahinja is 2 years older than Nemanja and 13 years older than Nikola. Before becoming a National Basketball Association player in the United States, Nikola competed in horse racing as an amateur in Serbia.

Standing 6’11”, Nikola plays exclusively at the center position. His signature move called the Sombor Shuffle was coined by Denver Nuggets play-by-play announcer Chris Marlowe.

Nikola’s listed weight is 284 pounds. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. From 2012 to 2015, he played for Košarkaški klub Mega Basket, a men’s professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia.
2. He was a member of the Serbian U-19 national basketball team that won the silver medal at the 11th edition of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) Under-19 World Championship, which was held in the Czech Republic from June 27, 2013 to July 7, 2013.
3. On June 26, 2014, the Denver Nuggets, an NBA team based in Denver, Colorado, USA, selected him with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
4. On July 28, 2015, he signed a contract with the Denver Nuggets.
5. He represented Serbia at the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which was held in Belgrade from July 4-9, 2016.
6. On February 3, 2017, he recorded his first career triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in a 121–117 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, an NBA team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
7. On February 15, 2018, he recorded the quickest triple-double in NBA history in 14 minutes and 33 seconds. On July 9, 2018, he signed a 5-year, $148 million maximum contract extension with the Denver Nuggets. On October 20, 2018, he became the second player in NBA history to post a triple-double with 30 or more points without missing a field goal. The first was Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in 1966 and 1967.
8. On January 8, 2019, he became the third youngest player to reach 20 triple-doubles next to Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson, who were both 22 at the time of their 20th.
9. On October 24, 2020, he and Natalija Mačešić got married in Sombor.
10. On June 8, 2021, he won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, making him the sixth international player to win the award. In September 2021, Mačešić gave birth to their daughter. On November 8, 2021, during an NBA game between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, which is based in Miami, Florida, USA, Miami Heat player Markieff Morris shoved him then he shouldered Morris in the back so they were both ejected. On November 9, 2021, the NBA announced that they had suspended him for one game without pay.
11. On February 6, 2022, he played his 500th NBA game. In a game against the Brooklyn Nets, which is based in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA, he logged his 71st career triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals on 12-of-15 shooting from the field. On March 26, 2022, he became the second player in NBA history with three or more career 35/10/5 games on 85% shooting following Chamberlain. On April 7, 2022, he became the first player in NBA history to tally at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season. On May 12, 2022, he won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. On July 1, 2022, he agreed to a five-year $264 million supermax contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, the richest deal in NBA history.
12. On December 10, 2022, he became the second NBA player to put up at least 35 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists in a game. The first was Chamberlain in 1968.
13. On May 5, 2023, he became the first player in NBA history to record 25+ points, 15+ rebounds and 15+ assists in a playoff game. On June 7, 2023, he became the first player in NBA history to finish an NBA Finals game with at least 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. He was 28 years old when the Basketball Federation of Serbia announced on July 24, 2023 its roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup without him.