The Serbian big man who took the league by storm with his highly skilled game finally won his first championship. Nikola Jokic, the two-time MVP is now an NBA champion and also a Finals MVP. Jokic wasn’t the most dedicated player growing up. His father had to convince his coach to put him back on the court. After much effort, Nikola was back in training, and he dominated high school basketball, putting up monstrous numbers on the stat sheet.
Off the court, Jokic had a very peaceful personal life. His girlfriend, now wife, Natalija Jokic was always by his side. Living in the small town of Sombor in Serbia, Jokic, and Natalija have spent a lot of time together back home. The couple now resides in Denver, still the couple frequently visit their hometown in the offseason. Natalija also spent her childhood in Somber, though as an infant, Natalija and her family faced their worst nightmare.
Natalija and her family were victims of Operation Storm
In 1995, the Croatian Army attacked the self-declared pro-state of the Republic of Serbia. Many families sought refuge during the war. Natalija was just 7 months old at the time. Her mother and family kept her safe from such terror, as Natalija was just an infant. During the operation, Bosnian Croats were forced to flee their home by the Bosnian Serb Army. Natalija’s family was the victim of the same event.
Natalija Jokic, wife of @nuggets basketball superstar Nikola Jokic, has a profound story that traces back to her infancy.
As a 7-month-old baby, Natalija was tragically among the 200,000+ Serbs ethnically cleansed from their ancestral homes in Croatia during Operation Storm,… pic.twitter.com/qltEcUgHAs
— Aleks Djuricic (@AleksDjuricic) June 15, 2023
Though later on, things went back to normal, as Natalija grew up in the northern town of Serbia. She met Jokic much later, as their relationship goes way back to their teenage. Her journey from the small town of Somber to the States is pretty interesting.
How did Nikola Jokic meet his wife Natalija Jokic?
The couple have been together since their high school days. As seen from Natalija’s Instagram, the two have quite a lot of photos dating a decade back. Natalija has always supported Jokic from the stands, ever since Nikola’s high school basketball days. Natalija was a volleyball player herself in high school. After graduating, Natalija came to the US to play volleyball for Seminole State College in Oklahoma. At the time, Jokic was back home in Serbia, playing competitive basketball. Nikola caught the attention of scouts from Barcelona’s basketball club.
Jokic was pretty low, as his girlfriend had left the country to pursue her career abroad. Being the talented player that he was, Jokic wasn’t able to perform in a game that was scouted by the Barcelona club’s members. They waited to see Jokic get back in his form before they could officially sign him. Though the Denver Nuggets called in time and were interested in having the big man on their roster. Jokic was hesitant at first, but his brothers were very much excited to visit the country, and of course, Natalija resided in the same land. When the big man finally moved to Denver, Natalija gave up her volleyball career to join Nikola in Colorado.
Living in Denver, Natalija lived with Jokic and his two brothers in a three-bedroom apartment. The three boys enjoyed their time playing basketball indoors for fun. In October 2020, the couple finally tied the knot and had a daughter the following year. Jokic’s career on the court has been pretty successful, winning two MVP awards, a Finals MVP, and a championship under his name. From staying afar from her husband to now supporting him in the stands, Natalija and Jokic have come a long way.