Who is Jokic? Meet the ‘Joker’ Who Overshadowed LeBron James in the NBA Playoffs

At age 28, Nikola Jokic is the big name in world basketball and one of the main highlights of the playoffs of NBA. While reserved, the Serb does not hide his good humor in front of the cameras and also does not care about some randomness he makes during his conversations with American journalists. So much so that his nickname ‘Joker’ suited him very well, who, with his spontaneity, gave no chance to the experienced LeBron James.

In the NBA since 2014, when he was selected in the second round of the Draft by the Nuggets, Jokic was not celebrated by many right away. Unlike the league’s big stars, the Serb was not popular and few knew his potential. On the day he was chosen by Denver, a simple pizza advertisement and the absence of a celebration began his walk in the world’s top basketball league.

A fan of soft drinks and Börek, a pastry typical of his region, Nikola even became overweight and drew everyone’s attention to the Nuggets. Gradually, many realized that his attention was not on the physical part, but only on having fun playing basketball. As the weeks passed, he understood what he would need to do to break out of ‘ostracism’ and become one of the best in the NBA.

Despite the initial difficulties and distrust, the player, who was born in Sombor, Serbia, on February 18, 1995, was not intimidated by the obstacles that arose. Without even thinking about a possible rivalry with Embiid or even LeBron James, Jokic showed his talent little by little and raised the bar for the Nuggets, who may end their lack of an NBA title this season.

The Serb’s growth in the league was notorious and earned him two consecutive MVPs, in addition to five nominations for the All-Star Game; he made the NBA’s all-star selection three times. This season, in addition to having beaten LeBron James and won the western conference title for the Nuggets, the ace also took the MVP of his region and now dreams of the national title.

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