Sombor, situated in the West Backha District of Serbia is not particularly famous or historic but it is home to two of the biggest names in basketball history. The first of which is Radivoj Korac who excelled on the European stage during the 1950s and 1960s before tragically dying in a car crash at 30.
The second is 29-year-old Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who, according to the latest NBA Championship odds is on course to guide his side to back-to-back Championships.
In this article we shine a light on Jokic, charting his rise from the streets of Sombor to the bright lights of the NBA. Read on to find out everything you need to know about Nikola Jokic’s meteoric rise to stardom.
Humble Beginnings
Jokic spent his early years living in a cramped two-bedroom apartment with his parents and two older brothers. Those early surroundings clearly had no impact on his physical development as the Serbian now stands at a more than imposing 6 foot 11 inches.
In his formative years his brothers, who both played basketball in the Serbian leagues, got him into the game and developed in him a competitive streak that saw him excel for youth team Vojvodina Srbijagas who he joined at the age of 17.
Professional Development
After three years plying his trade in youth basketball, Jokic caught the eye of professional outfit Mega Basket after achieving a total index rating of over 50 in consecutive games. Over the course of his three years with Mega Basket, Jokic gained experience playing in both the Serbian and Adriatic leagues which helped him cut his teeth and develop his all-round game.
In his final season with Mega Basket he was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft before pushing his team onto the playoff semi-finals, winning the Adriatic League regular season MVP along the way.
(Nikola Jokic cutting his teeth with Mega Basket before moving to the NBA.)
NBA Rise
After joining the Nuggets in 2015 Jokic set about improving as a player and harnessing his raw talent. The key thing that he seemed to add to his game after joining the NBA was a greater game IQ and tactical understanding.
The raw talent was obviously there but it was only when he combined these two facets of his game that his hard work began to bear fruit. The 2018-2019 season was arguably Jokic’s breakout campaign, a season which saw him receive his first All-Star and All-NBA appearances.
The beginning of the 20’s however was when Jokic really started to assert himself as a global superstar. MVP awards came in 2021 and 2022 and were followed with an NBA Championship ring in 2023 and an NBA Finals MVP.
Now it is not so much a question of whether Jokic is a world class player, but rather how much more can the 29-year-old achieve in the rest of his career?
(Jokic finally crowned his talent with an NBA Championship last year.)
Accolades and Achievements
Below we have listed some of the standout accolades and achievements of Jokic’s basketball career so far:
ABA League Top Prospect: 2015
ABA League MVP: 2015
Serbian Player of the Year: 2018, 2021 & 2022
NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2016
All-NBA Second Team: 2020 & 2023
All-NBA First Team: 2019, 2021 & 2022
NBA All-Star: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024
NBA MVP: 2021 & 2022
NBA Finals MVP: 2023
NBA Champion: 2023
U19 World Championship Silver: 2013
Olympic Games Silver: 2016
Net Worth and Investments
Whilst net worth is notoriously tricky to pin down, it is estimated that Jokic is worth somewhere in the region of $60-70 million. He has recently however signed a contract rumoured to be worth $276 million over 5 years so, in conjunction with his numerous endorsement and sponsorship deals, his net worth is only likely to rise over the coming years.
Legacy
Nikola Jokic’s legacy is up to him to decide. If he continues on his current trajectory he will go down as one of the best to have played the game. However, if he manages to drag his team to more NBA Championships, he might start to see his name mentioned in the same breath as those of Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
