Nikola Jokić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nikola Jokić

Jokić with the Denver Nuggets in 2020
No. 15 – Denver Nuggets
Center
Personal information
Born	(1995-02-19) February 19, 1995 (age 30) Sombor, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
Nationality	Serbian
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	284 lb (129 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2014 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41st overall
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Pro career	2012–present
League	NBA
Career history
2012–2015	Mega Basket
2015–present	Denver Nuggets
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2023) NBA Finals MVP (2023) 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (2021, 2022, 2024) 7× NBA All-Star (2019–2025) 5× All-NBA First Team (2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2020, 2023) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2016) 4× Serbian Player of the Year (2018, 2021, 2022, 2024) ABA League MVP (2015) ABA League Top Prospect (2015)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Serbia Olympic Games Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team Bronze 2024 Paris Team U19 World Championship Silver 2013 Czech Republic Team

Nikola Jokić (born February 19, 1995) is a professional basketball player from Serbia. He plays as a center for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). People often call him "the Joker." Many consider him one of the best players and centers ever. He is also seen as one of the greatest draft steals in NBA history.

Jokić has been an NBA All-Star seven times. He has also been named to the All-NBA Team seven times, with five first-team selections. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three times (for the 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2023–24 seasons). He plays for the Serbian national team. With them, he won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The Nuggets picked Jokić in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft. He was chosen for the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2016. In the 2018–19 season, he became an All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team. He led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Semifinals. In the 2022–23 season, Jokić won the NBA Finals MVP. He led the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship. He is third all-time in the NBA for most triple-doubles. He also holds the record for the fastest triple-double, which he achieved in just 14 minutes and 33 seconds. He is the only NBA player to ever have a game with more than 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists.

Early Life and Basketball Dreams

Nikola Jokić was born in Sombor, a city in the northern part of Serbia. He grew up in a small apartment with his two older brothers, parents, and grandmother. His father was an agricultural engineer. Nikola loved basketball from a young age, playing with his brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja. Both of his brothers also played basketball.

Besides basketball, Jokić loved harness racing as a child. He even competed as an amateur. This passion for horses is something he still enjoys today.

Professional Basketball Journey

Starting in Serbia: Mega Basket (2012–2015)

Jokić began his youth basketball career with Vojvodina Srbijagas. He caught attention by performing very well in games. In December 2012, Jokić signed with Mega Vizura. He mostly played for their junior team at first. At 17, he played a few games for the main team.

In the 2013–14 season, Jokić played more for the senior team. He averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in the Adriatic League. On June 26, 2014, the Denver Nuggets picked him 41st in the 2014 NBA draft. This was famously announced during a Taco Bell commercial.

In the 2014–15 Adriatic League season, Jokić had many great games. He was named MVP four times during the season. On March 26, 2015, he was officially named the Adriatic League regular season MVP. He also won the ABA League Top Prospect award for that season. In June, Jokić left the team to start his NBA career.

Becoming a Star: Denver Nuggets (2015–Present)

First NBA Seasons (2015–2018)

In the summer of 2015, Jokić joined the Denver Nuggets. He signed his contract after playing well in the summer league. On November 18, he had a great game with 23 points and 12 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs. He finished third in the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting. He also earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

In the 2016–17 season, Jokić continued to improve. On October 29, 2016, he had 23 points and 17 rebounds against the Portland Trail Blazers. He started the season on the bench but soon became a starter again. Fans even called December 15 "Jokmas" because it was when the team decided to build around him. On February 3, 2017, he got his first career triple-double. This means he had double-digit numbers in points, rebounds, and assists in one game. He had 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. He had six triple-doubles that season, ranking fourth in the league.

Jokić playing in 2018

In the 2017–18 season, Jokić became a key player for the Nuggets. On November 7, 2017, he scored a career-high 41 points. On February 15, 2018, he set an NBA record for the fastest triple-double. He achieved 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 17 assists in just 14 minutes and 33 seconds. He had 10 triple-doubles that season, setting a new record for the Nuggets. Despite his great play, the Nuggets missed the playoffs by one game.

Breakout Seasons and All-Star Appearances (2018–2020)

On July 9, 2018, Jokić signed a big contract extension with the Nuggets. In the second game of the 2018–19 season, he had 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. He became only the second player in NBA history to get a triple-double with 30+ points without missing a shot. He was named Serbian Basketball Player of the Year for 2018.

On January 31, 2019, Jokić was chosen for his first All-Star team. He was the first Nuggets player to be an All-Star since 2011. He had 12 triple-doubles that season. In his first playoff game, he became only the fourth player in NBA history to get a triple-double in his playoff debut. He scored a franchise record 43 points in a playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs. The Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Semifinals. After the season, Jokić was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time.

In the 2019–20 season, Jokić continued to shine. He made game-winning shots in back-to-back games in November 2019. On January 6, 2020, he scored a career-high 47 points. On February 4, he had 30 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists. This was the first time in four years any NBA player had such a game. He was selected for his second straight All-Star game. In the playoffs, the Nuggets came back from a 3–1 deficit twice. They beat the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers. This made them the first team in NBA history to do this in a single postseason. They reached the Western Conference Finals but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

MVP Awards and NBA Championship (2020–2023)

Jokić shooting over Nikola Vučević in a game against Orlando Magic in March 2021

The 2020–21 season was amazing for Jokić. He started with four triple-doubles in his first six games. On December 29, 2020, he had a career-high 18 assists. He became the first center since 1968 to have so many assists in a game. On March 2, 2021, he recorded his 50th career triple-double. He was only the ninth player in NBA history to do this. He led the league in many important stats. He averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. He became the first player ever to average 26+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 8+ assists on over 52% shooting.

Jokić led the Nuggets to the third seed in the Western Conference. Despite injuries to key teammates, he played incredibly well in the playoffs. He averaged 33 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in the first round. For his amazing regular season, Jokić won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He was the first center to win it since 2000. He was also the first Nuggets player ever to win it. He was the lowest-drafted player (41st pick) to ever win the MVP award.

Jokić at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

In the 2021–22 season, Jokić continued his dominance. On December 6, 2021, he recorded his 60th triple-double, passing Larry Bird. On January 25, 2022, he became the only player in NBA history to reach 5,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists within his first 500 games. He was selected for his fourth straight All-Star game. On March 6, he had an incredible game with 46 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. He scored 30 of his 46 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He became the first player in NBA history to average over 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists in a season. He also led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and field goal percentage.

On May 12, 2022, Jokić won his second straight NBA MVP award. He was the 13th player to win the award in back-to-back seasons. He was also named to his third All-NBA First Team.

On July 1, 2022, Jokić signed a huge contract extension with the Nuggets. This was the richest deal in NBA history at the time. In the 2022–23 season, he continued to make history. On November 3, he passed Wilt Chamberlain for the most triple-doubles by a center with 79. On December 18, he had a career-high 27 rebounds, along with 40 points and 10 assists. He was the first player since 1968 to have at least 35 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game. On January 18, 2023, he became the Nuggets' all-time assists leader. He was the first center in NBA history to lead a team in career assists. He recorded his 100th career triple-double on February 28, 2023. He was the sixth player in NBA history to reach this milestone.

Jokić led the Nuggets to the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time ever. He led the league with 29 triple-doubles. He was the only player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists on at least 60% shooting in a single season. In the playoffs, he continued his amazing play. He had his eighth career playoff triple-double in the first round. In the Western Conference Semifinals, he had a playoff career-high 53 points in Game 4. He also broke Wilt Chamberlain's record for most playoff triple-doubles by a center with his 10th.

In the Western Conference Finals, Jokić had four straight triple-doubles. He broke Wilt Chamberlain's 1967 record for most triple-doubles in a single postseason. He won his first NBA Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award. He led the Nuggets to their first NBA Finals appearance by sweeping the Lakers.

Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, Jokić and Jamal Murray celebrating the NBA championship in Denver

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Jokić had a triple-double. He was the first player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 10+ assists in an NBA Finals game. He and teammate Jamal Murray became the first teammates in NBA history to both have 30-point triple-doubles in the same game. In Game 5, Jokić led the Nuggets to their first NBA championship. He was named Finals MVP unanimously. He was the lowest draft pick in NBA history to win this award. He also became the first player in NBA history to lead the entire postseason in total points, rebounds, and assists.

Continued Excellence (2023–2025)

Jokić started the 2023–24 season with a triple-double. He tied Magic Johnson and LeBron James for fourth on the all-time triple-doubles list. On November 6, 2023, he passed them to take sole possession of fourth place. On December 14, he became the first player in NBA history with 10+ triple-doubles in seven straight seasons. On December 28, he had a triple-double while shooting 100% from the field. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to do this multiple times. For 2023, Jokić won the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete in the United States.

On January 4, 2024, Jokić hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. On January 25, he was named a starter for his sixth straight All-Star game. On February 2, he became the first player in NBA history to record 27 points, 22 rebounds, and 12 assists in a game. On February 22, he had a triple-double against every NBA team he had faced. On March 11, he had 35 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists, and six steals. On April 2, he passed Carmelo Anthony for third place on the Nuggets' All-Time Scoring List.

In the 2024 playoffs, Jokić had four games with at least 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists. He is the only player to do this since the NBA and ABA merged. On May 8, 2024, Jokić won his third MVP award. He became only the ninth player in NBA history to win the award at least three times.

For the 2024–25 season, Jokić continued to impress. On October 29, 2024, he had 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists. He was the first player in 62 years to achieve this stat line. On December 5, he passed Magic Johnson for third place on the NBA's all-time triple-doubles list. On December 8, he scored a career-high 56 points. On January 14, 2025, he became the fastest player to reach 15,000 points, 7,500 rebounds, and 5,000 assists. On January 23, he recorded his 150th career triple-double. On March 7, he made history again with 31 points, 21 rebounds, and a career-high 22 assists. He was the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double with at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists. On April 1, he scored 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, setting the record for the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history. He became the third player to achieve a 60-point triple-double. On April 11, he had his 34th triple-double of the season, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record for most by a center. He also became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season.

Playing for Serbia

Junior Team Success

Jokić was part of the Serbian U-19 national team. They won the silver medal at the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.

Senior Team Achievements

Jokić defending Kevin Durant at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

Jokić played for the Serbian national team at the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He was named the tournament MVP. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Jokić and Serbia won the silver medal. They lost to the United States in the final.

He also played for Serbia at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Serbia finished in fifth place. In 2022, Jokić returned to the national team for the EuroBasket 2022. He led Serbia to a perfect 5–0 record in their group. In July 2023, he chose not to play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup due to being tired after his NBA championship season.

On June 10, 2024, Jokić was named to Serbia's team for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He helped Serbia win a bronze medal. He recorded only the fifth triple-double in Olympics history in the bronze medal game. He led all players in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals in the tournament. He was named to the Olympics All-Star Five team.

Player Profile and Style

Jokić is 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 284 pounds. He plays as a center. His career averages are 21.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, he averages 27.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists.

Many call Jokić the best passing "big man" in NBA history. He uses his height and vision to set up teammates for scores. He often makes no-look passes and unique deliveries. His one-handed passes are sometimes compared to a water polo player's throws. Jokić plays at a calm pace. He often pauses to find mistakes in the defense before passing. His teammates say they always have to be ready for his unexpected passes.

Jokić is also a great scorer. He can finish shots close to the basket and make jump shots from mid-range and three-point range. His special move is called the "Sombor Shuffle." He jumps off one foot and shoots a high-arching fadeaway shot. This move is hard to block. People compare it to Dirk Nowitzki's famous one-legged fadeaway.

Commentators often call Jokić a "basketball genius" because of his smart play and creative offense. He is known for getting high numbers in many different stats. He is also praised for becoming a top defender, even though he is not the most athletic player.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2015–16	Denver	80	55	21.7	.512	.333	.811	7.0	2.4	1.0	.6	10.0
2016–17	Denver	73	59	27.9	.577	.324	.825	9.8	4.9	.8	.8	16.7
2017–18	Denver	75	73	32.6	.500	.396	.850	10.7	6.1	1.2	.8	18.5
2018–19	Denver	80	80	31.3	.511	.307	.821	10.8	7.3	1.4	.7	20.1
2019–20	Denver	73	73*	32.0	.528	.314	.817	9.7	7.0	1.2	.6	19.9
2020–21	Denver	72*	72*	34.6	.566	.388	.868	10.8	8.3	1.3	.7	26.4
2021–22	Denver	74	74	33.5	.583	.337	.810	13.8	7.9	1.5	.9	27.1
2022–23	Denver	69	69	33.7	.632	.383	.822	11.8	9.8	1.3	.7	24.5
2023–24	Denver	79	79	34.6	.583	.359	.817	12.4	9.0	1.4	.9	26.4
2024–25	Denver	70	70	36.7	.576	.417	.800	12.7	10.2	1.8	.6	29.6
Career		745	704	31.7	.560	.360	.824	10.9	7.2	1.3	.7	21.8
All-Star		7	5	17.9	.667	.400	.000	5.9	4.9	.9	.1	6.9

NBA Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2019	Denver	14	14	39.7	.506	.393	.846	13.0	8.4	1.1	.9	25.1
2020	Denver	19	19	36.5	.519	.429	.835	9.8	5.7	1.1	.8	24.4
2021	Denver	10	10	34.5	.509	.377	.836	11.6	5.0	.6	.9	29.8
2022	Denver	5	5	34.2	.575	.278	.848	13.2	5.8	1.6	1.0	31.0
2023	Denver	20	20	39.4	.548	.461	.799	13.5	9.5	1.1	1.0	30.0
2024	Denver	12	12	40.2	.545	.264	.901	13.4	8.7	1.4	.7	28.7
2025	Denver	14	14	40.2	.489	.380	.772	12.7	8.0	2.0	.9	26.2
Career		94	94	38.3	.525	.388	.826	12.3	7.6	1.2	.9	27.4

ABA League

Amazing Records and Achievements

Nikola Jokić holds many impressive records in the NBA:

• He has the highest single-season player efficiency rating (PER) in NBA history.
• He has the most regular season triple-doubles by a center.
• He has the most playoff triple-doubles by a center.
• He achieved the fastest triple-double in NBA history (14 minutes and 33 seconds). This is a Guinness World Record.
• He scored the most points in a triple-double game in NBA history (61 points).
• He is the only center to average a triple-double for an entire season.
• He is the only NBA player to finish in the top three for points, assists, rebounds, and steals per game in a season.
• He is the only NBA player to record a game with 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 20+ assists.
• He is the only NBA player drafted in the second round to win the MVP award.
• He is the only NBA player to reach at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season.
• He is the first player in Olympic basketball history to lead the Olympic tournament in points, rebounds, and assists.

Personal Life

When Nikola Jokić first moved to Denver, he lived with his girlfriend and two older brothers. He married his longtime girlfriend, Natalija Mačešić, on October 24, 2020, in his hometown of Sombor. Nikola and Natalija have two children. Their daughter, Ognjena, was born in September 2021. Their son, Ignjat, was born in November 2024.

See also

In Spanish: Nikola Jokić para niños

• List of NBA drafted players from Serbia
• List of NBA career triple-double leaders
• List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
• List of NBA single-game scoring leaders
• List of NBA single-game playoff scoring leaders
• List of NBA career playoff triple-double leaders
• List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise
• List of European basketball players in the United States
• NBA regular season records
• NBA post-season records
• List of Serbian NBA players
• List of Olympic medalists in basketball
• List of foreign NBA players
• KK Joker