Nikola jokic
Jokić was selected by the Nuggets in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2016. In the 2018–19 NBA season, while leading the Nuggets to the Western Conference Semifinals, he received his first All-Star and All-NBA First Team selections. The following season, he once again received All-Star and All-NBA honors, while leading his team to the Western Conference Finals. In the 2022–23 NBA season, he was awarded NBA Finals MVP after leading the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship. Jokić ranks among the top 4 on the all-time list of the NBA players with the most triple-doubles (regular season and playoffs), where he is the leading international player and center,[8] and he holds the record for fastest triple-double (achieved in 14 minutes and 33 seconds).
Early life
Jokić was born in the city of Sombor in the northern part of Serbia.[10] He grew up in a cramped two-bedroom apartment that housed him and his two brothers, both parents and grandmother.[11] His father was an agricultural engineer.[12] Jokić developed a love of basketball early in his life playing with his two older brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja, who were a decade older.[11] Both brothers played basketball in Serbia with Nemanja later playing college basketball for Detroit Mercy and C.W. Post and for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Steamers in the Premier Basketball League.[13] The brothers are friends with former NBA player Darko Miličić.[13] Jokić also loved harness racing as a child and competed as an amateur, a passion he still holds today
Mega Basket (2012–2015)
Jokić played youth basketball for Vojvodina Srbijagas,[16] drawing attention when he had achieved a total index rating greater than 50 in two consecutive games.[17] In December 2012, Jokić signed a contract with Mega Vizura, although in the first season with the team he played mostly for their junior team in 2012–13.[18] At the age of 17, he appeared in five games of the Serbian League and averaged 1.8 points and 2 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game.[19] In February 2013, he officially signed a four-year contract with the team.[20] In the 2013–14 season, he saw more minutes on the court for the senior team. Over 25 Adriatic League games, he averaged 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.[21] He also played 13 games with the team in the Serbian League and had similar production, averaging 10.9 points, 6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
2014–15 season: ABA League MVP and rebounding title
On June 26, 2014, Jokić was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft[22] In the first game of the Adriatic League, Jokić led his team to a 103–98 win over MZT Skopje, by scoring 27 points and grabbing 15 rebounds for a total index rating of 44.[23][24] On November 3, he recorded 17 points, 12 rebounds and season-high 8 assists for a total index rating of 40, in a 90–84 victory over Zadar.[25] On February 7, he scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 77–88 loss to Szolnoki Olaj.[26] On March 21, he scored a season-high 28 points and added 15 rebounds to help his team win with 100–96 over Igokea.[27] Even though Mega Leks finished in 10th place in the Adriatic League, Jokić became one of the league's most valuable players.
On June 8, 2015 Jokić scored 23 points in a loss to Crvena Zvezda in the playoff semifinals of the Serbian League.[28] Jokić averaged 18.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in the Serbian League.[29] In the 2014-15 ABA League, he averaged 15.4 points, league-leading 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while leading the league with an index rating of 22.[30] He was named MVP 4 times over the course of the season: for Round 1,[31] Round 6,[32] Round 21[33] Round 26[34] and was named MVP for February.[35] On March 26 2015, he was officially named the Adriatic League regular season MVP.[36] He was also named the ABA League Top Prospect for the 2014–15 season.[37] On June 9, 2015 he parted ways with the team to pursue an NBA career
series against the San Antonio Spurs, Jokić became the fourth player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his playoff debut and the first since James in 2006. He had 10 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists in a 101–96 loss.[104] In Game 6 of the series, he scored 27 of his 43 points in the second half of the Nuggets' 120–103 loss. He also had 12 rebounds and nine assists.[105] Those 43 points set a franchise record for most points in a playoff game.[106] In Game 7, he helped the Nuggets win the series 4–3 with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 90–86 victory.[107] In Game 1 of the second round, Jokić scored 37 points in a 121–113 win over the Trail Blazers,[108] becoming the first Nuggets player to score 35+ points in a conference semifinals game since Anthony (41 points) in May 2009.[109] In Game 3 against Portland, he had 33 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists in a 140–137 quadruple-overtime loss.[110] He also logged 65 minutes during the game, the most since 1953, where another quadruple-overtime game occurred in the playoffs.[111] In Game 4, he had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a 116–112 win.[112] In Game 5, he recorded 25 points and 19 rebounds in a 124–98 win. His 19 rebounds tied a team NBA playoff high.[113] The Nuggets were eliminated from the playoffs following a 100–96 loss to Portland in Game 7, despite Jokić's 29 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.[114][115] In 14 playoff games, he averaged 25.1 points, 13.0 rebounds and 8.4 assists in 39.7 minutes per game, with shooting splits of 50.6%/39.3%/84.6% field goals/three-point shots/free throws.[116] Following the season, he was named as a player on the All-NBA First Team, a personal first for Jokić
