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Nikola Jokic has kept his personal life secretive despite being in the limelight lately. Many fans aren't aware of his family, especially his wife, Natalija Mačešić. Last year, Jokic's brothers showed up in the United States to defend him against the Miami Heat after the Morris Twins started a beef with the reigning MVP. It was the first time the basketball world was introduced to Jokic's family.
Jokic's postgame responses reflect how much he values his family and doesn't care about celebrating individual achievements. As reported by the Denver Post's Mike Singer, when asked how he celebrated his Western Conference Player of the Month award, Jokic replied:
"I was with my wife at home...I mean, that’s what I did."
Nikola Jokic flies to Serbia almost every offseason to spend time with his family back home. He doesn't engage in public events, and his social media is not as active as that of other NBA superstars of his stature. Let's take a look at his wife Natalija Mačešić, and their relationship.
What do we know about Nikola Jokic's wife Natalija Mačešić?
Natalija Mačešić and Nikola Jokic have been together since their teen days in Serbia. They attended high school together and have been in the United States since. She attended Metropolitan State University in Minnesota and earned a degree in psychology. She then attended the Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2018.
Like Jokic, Mačešić also has an athletic side to her. She played volleyball at a junior college in Oklahoma before pursuing higher education. The couple has reportedly been together since 2013, and they tied the knot in 2020.
The original ceremony was reportedly scheduled for early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed it. They married in October 2020 in Sombor, Serbia, Jokic's hometown. The wedding was private, with a limited number of guests. The two-time MVP can be seen dancing and singing on one of the most important days of his life.
The Denver Nuggets superstar and his wife announced that they are expecting their first child in September 2021. As reported by Mike Singer of The Burlington Post at the time:
"Joker and his wife, Natalija, are expecting. Jokic offered scant details on a conference call Wednesday, declining to reveal the gender of Baby Joker. All the reigning MVP would offer was there was still an ongoing debate between mom and dad over the baby’s name. When asked about his offseason highlights…It was short. Probably the highlight is we have a baby coming. That’s probably the highlight of my season, (of) my life."
The couple named their daughter Ognjena Jokic.
Natalija Mačešić's Instagram account was private until recently. After making her handle public, the world got a glimpse into the lives of Jokic and his wife.
Jokic was eager to spend time with his family after his daughter was born. With his priorities set, he reportedly couldn't wait to get out of the NBA drama and spend time with his newborn. At the time, he said:
"Whoever I talk to, they say it’s the best thing that ever happened to them."
Natalija Mačešić attends his games in Denver occasionally but doesn't speak publicly about him or their relationship. We can safely say that Nikola Jokic is a family man who has consistently prioritized his family over his NBA stardom.
Guess the Lakers players!
