| Full Name | Nikola Jokic |
| Date of Birth | February 19, 1995 |
| Age | 27 Years |
| Nationality | Serbian |
| Height | 6 ft 10 in |
| Current Team(s) | |
| Draft | 2014 |
| Role | Center |
| Debut | June 26, 2014 |
| Nickname | Joker |
| Spouse | Natalija Mačešić |
Nikola Jokić or ‘The Joker’ is a Serbian professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Denver Nuggets. He is arguably the best center in the league at the moment and epitomizes the modern NBA center. His playmaking skills along with his versatile scoring have made him a monster on offense. Even if teams are to double-team him, his court vision allows him to make passes to the open man for an easy bucket. He is the current holder of the MVP Award and the first center to win the award since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.
Jokić was born on February 19 1995 in Sombor, Serbia. He lived in a small apartment with his parents, grandmother, and two older brothers. His brothers introduced him to the game and he fell in love with it. Jokić played youth basketball for Vojvodina Srbijagas. He received interest from bigger clubs and during the summer of 2012, he signed for Mega Basket. He declared for the 2014 NBA Draft after playing two seasons and was selected 41st overall. He played the 2014-2015 season in Serbia and won the ABA League’s MVP.
Even though Jokić was drafted in 2014, he only signed a deal in 2015. He started off his career in fine fashion as he made the NBA All-Rookie First Team and finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting. His passing and playmaking at the center position made him an intriguing prospect.
He developed his game further, finishing second in the 2017 Most Improved Player voting. In 2018, He nearly led the Nuggets to the playoffs for the first time since 2013 but narrowly lost out to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Before the 2018-2019 NBA Season, Jokić signed a $148 million max extension. He repaid the team’s faith in him by earning his first NBA All-Star and All-NBA Team selections.
During the 2019-2020 season, alongside Jamal Murray, he led the team to their first conference finals since Melo was on the team in 2009.
Much was expected from Nikola and his team for the 2020-2021 season. He upped his production from an All-NBA level to an MVP level. He would average 26-11-8 for the season and picked up the MVP over Steph Curry and Joel Embiid.
| Award/Accolade | Year |
| NBA MVP | 2021 |
| NBA All-Star | 3 times (2019-2021) |
| All-NBA First Team | 2019, 2021 |
| All-NBA Second Team | 2020 |
| NBA All-Rookie First Team | 2016 |
He achieved the NBA's quickest triple-double in 14 minutes, 33 seconds surpassing Jim Tucker's previous record of 17 minutes.
By scoring the eight triple-doubles he became the only Nuggets player to achieve this record in a regular season since Fat Lever's nine triple-doubles in 1988–89.
Jokic and Wilt Chamberlain are the only NBA players who have recorded a triple-double with at least 30 points.
He was the third youngest player after Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson to record 20 triple-doubles at the age of 23.
He became the first Nuggets player and the first center since Kareem Abdul Jabbar to score at least 50 points and 10 assists.
He was the first player for the Nuggets and the first center since Shaquille O Neal in 2000 to be awarded as the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
The Joker has amassed a net worth of $30 million over his six-year NBA career. His current NBA Contract will pay him $31,579,390 through the 2021-2022 NBA Season. He has endorsement deals with Nike, Western Union, and Panini. The reported amount he earns is around $750K but with him winning the MVP, the amount is bound to rise.
Nikola Jokić was born in Sombor, Serbia. His father’s name is Branislav Jokić and his brother’s names are Nemanja and Strahinja. His mother’s identity is unknown. He married Natalija Mačešić on October 24, 2020, in his hometown of Sombor.
The American center for the Denver Nuggets married his longtime partner Natalija Mačešić. She studied psychology at Minnesota's Metropolitan State University and graduated from there. They both have been together since their childhood days in Serbia. Jokic Mačešić also loves to be in sports and she played volleyball at a junior college in Oklahoma. The couple started dating in 2013 and got married in 2020 and together the couple has one daughter Ognjena Jokic.
