Nikola Jokic's family tree: Meet Nuggets star's older brothers, wife and young daughter
01.06.2023 - 11:25
/ msn.com
MORE: Three reasons why the Nuggets will win the NBA FinalsNikola's brothers, Nemanja and Strahinja, have been standing alongside him through every step of his journey, from his humble beginnings in Sombor, Serbia, to NBA superstardom in Denver. Back in 2016, Nikola told Slam that he "fell in love with basketball because of [his brothers]. " Strahinja played professionally in Europe, and Nemanja received a scholarship to Detroit Mercy.
(While in Detroit, Nemanja lived with former Pistons center Darko Milicic. )"I made mistakes," Nemanja told Sports Illustrated in 2017. “When I was young, basketball wasn't my No.
1 priority. Going out, having fun, drinking, girls, that was my No. 1 priority.
I was making my own decisions — 'I'm not going to practice' — when I still needed family support. That's what I was missing. "Nemanja made sure that Nikola would have the support he was missing.
Nemanja and Strahinja moved to Denver with Nikola when he decided to make the jump to the NBA in 2015. They lived with Nikola and his then-girlfriend in a three-bedroom apartment. "He's an intelligent guy and I'm confident he wouldn't get off track here," Nemanja told SI.
"But this is such an important time and I want him to have the kind of support I didn't. I always tell him, 'You're living my dream. Don't take it for granted.
Don't make the mistakes we made. '"Nemanja and Strahinja have continued to be a strong presence in Nikola's life. Don't be surprised if you see them on a Finals broadcast.
(They'll probably be yelling about a crazy pass Nikola just made. )Nikola has been married to his wife, Natalija, since October 2020. They tied the knot in their hometown of Sombor.