Nikola Jokic Biography: Net Worth, Salary, Family and Career Stats

The quality center from the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic, "The Joker," is one of the most loved basketball players in the NBA. His large frame with passing abilities and knack for basketball have set new standards for the Center position players. Despite starting off as a club player in Serbia, he was able to reach the NBA and then secured NBA MVP and Finals MVP in the upcoming years. It explains the grit of the Nuggets star, but what about his life? Let's find out!

Nikola Jokic Early Life

Nikola Jokic was born to Branislav and Nikolina on February 19, 1995, in Sombor, Serbia. He grew up in a house where his parents and two older brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja, and his grandparents used to live in a two-bedroom place. Branilav worked as an agricultural engineer, and his wife was a nurse.

Money was an issue for the family from the start, but Nikola Jokic's father made sure that it was never less. Moreover, Nikola's brothers also motivated him to play basketball, after which he started honing his skills through local clubs and competitions.

Nikola Jokic Biography

Nikola Jokic Career

Nikola Jokic's career is more about overcoming the day-to-day adversities that challenge the growth of an individual. However, Nikola thrived in those conditions. When a competitive high school was not around to learn the fundamentals of basketball, he resorted to playing for local clubs. Eventually, such attempts took him to Serbia, where his club records and averages got the attention of the NBA scouts. Later on, he proved why he was picked from overseas for the NBA, showcasing his skills on the floor despite being a late pick.

Nikola Jokic High School Career

Nikola Jokic did not have the privilege of playing high school basketball. Rather, he loved to play for the clubs alongside his elder brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja. The latter brother also played with Detroit Mercy and C.W. Post when he was in the United States.

Nikola Jokic Professional Career

Jokic's professional basketball journey began with joining the Adriatic Basketball Association league with KK Mega Vizura in Belgrade, Serbia. He played for the team from 2012 to 2015 and averaged 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in 2013-14 after signing a four-year contract. The Denver Nuggets were even selected in 2014 as the 41st overall pick. However, he kept playing for the club and earned the Adriatic League regular season MVP title in 2015. He dished out 15.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game during the 2014-15 season.

But Jokic then left Serbia and joined the Denver Nuggets on October 28, 2015, to make his NBA debut. During his initial three rookie-level years, Jokic broke through his shell and received the NBA MVP award in 2021. He continued to dominate both sides of the rim and earned the honor in 2022 and 2024 as well. However, he did not win the former title when he won the championship with the Denver Nuggets over Miami Heat. He only won the NBA Finals MVP that year. Notably, he is the only player besides Jason Kidd to record a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut. It shows how much Jokic is adept at his skill. Here are the numbers he has put so far in the league:

Nikola Jokic Awards and Achievements

Just after entering the league in 2015, Jokic achieved fame for his All-NBA Second Team selection. However, he did not confine himself but kept growing on the court. It was the reason why he clinched the 2021 NBA MVP. After another season of MVP honor, he could not earn it in 2023. However, the Denver Nuggets won the NBA Championship that year.

After spending almost a decade in the league and international basketball, Nikola Jokic has achieved the following awards in his career so far:

Nikola Jokic Record

Nikola Jokic was the first player with at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season. Even his single-game records are unbreakable right now since he is the only NBA player ever to achieve 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 20+ assists in a game.

The Joker also holds the record for the fastest triple-double in NBA history, which he achieved in 14 minutes and 33 seconds. Due to the run-and-gun style of play, Jokic has become the first one to post 20-15-15 in less than 30 minutes. The immediate switch of pace often compels Jokic to post such records.

Apart from his career stats, Jokic is the first player with at least 10 triple-doubles in seven straight seasons (he’s still going at eight now). Also, in the franchise history, Jokic was the first player to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award. Here are the career records of Nikola Jokic in the NBA:

Nikola Jokic Net Worth and Salary

According to Forbes, the net worth of Nikola Jokic is estimated to be $56.1 million. Jokic was a top prospect, but it was the 2019 season that exploded his net worth in the league. He not only made it to the All-NBA First Team but also to the All-Star team. He also has endorsements with brands like Western Union, Somborac (Serbian fruit brandy), Panini (trading cards), and 361° (Chinese sports giant).

The Joker signed a multi-year deal with the Chinese sports giant 361° in late 2023. It is a signature shoe deal that enables Jokic to design shoes for the brand. Coming to the salaries part, Nikola Jokic is on a max five-year $276.122 million contract with the Denver Nuggets. According to his contract, his average annual salary is $55.22 million, and he is expected to earn $51.41 million in 2024-25.

Nikola Jokic Wife

Nikola Jokic is married to Natalija Jokic, who has been his high school love since both of them were teenagers. Both of them tied the knot together in October 2020. Natalija has been posting continuously about their relationship since both of them were 17 in 2012. She even admires and celebrates Nikola Jokic for his achievements.

When Jokic got his first All-Star selection in 2019, Natalija posted on Instagram with the caption, “All Star of my heart.” She moved to the U.S. before Nikola to play volleyball for Seminole State College in Oklahoma.

Nikola Jokic Parents

Branislav and Nikolina are the parents of the Denver Nuggets star, Nikola Jokic. The Joker is the youngest son of his parents since he was born after his older brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja. His father, Branislav, was an agricultural engineer and owned a horse stable while raising his kids. Jokic's parents noticed that he had a passion for basketball even during childhood since he used to watch his brothers play basketball.

His father said in an interview in 2023, “He started growing, both in height and in size, and he started to become aware that he could be a basketball player, but he had a great desire in those days.” However, Nikola had a knack for horseriding at that time. So his father convinced him to first follow basketball and then to be a horse lover in the later part of his life. That's why Nikola plans to go to his hometown after retirement and teach trotting to students.

Nikola Jokic Kids

Jokic and Natalija have two children. Natalija gave birth to her first child in October 2021. The couple welcomed a daughter and named her Ognjena, which means "fiery" in Serbian. The couple also welcomed a son in November 2024 when Nikola was absent from games. As per Serbian Times, he has become a father again. However, the Joker has not revealed much information about the name of the kid.

Nikola Jokic Shoes

Nikola Jokic has a shoe deal with the Chinese Sportswear brand 361 Degrees, with which he released his signature shoe, JOKER 1, in December last year. The theme of this model of Joker's signature shoe line was "Disrupting the Game." Jokic also had an association with Nike before, but he cut ties with the brand in 2023.

Nikola Jokic Jersey

Nikola Jokic has always worn the number 15 jersey in the NBA while playing for the Denver Nuggets. One of his most famous jerseys on the NBA store is the NBA Swingman Icon Edition. It comes in the core Navy Blue color with blue and white stripes.

How Many Rings Does Nikola Jokic Have?

Nikola Jokic has won one NBA Championship in 2023, playing for Denver Nuggets. It was the first franchise title, and Joker tallied 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists during the NBA finals series against the Miami Heat. The series ended after five games as the Nuggets won the series by a 4-1 record. Jamal Murray was another X factor in the Denver team who helped Nikola in securing the NBA title.