Nikola Jokic is one of the most formidable players in the NBA, averaging triple-doubles for fun and wowing fans with his incredible basketball IQ and showmanship.
It’s no secret that Jokic is a homebody, trying to avoid the fame and drama of the NBA circus. Let’s explore the woman behind the man, his wife Natalija, who keeps him grounded through all the trials and tribulations.
The Soft Side of Nikola Jokic and Natalija
Natalija and Nikola both hail from Sombor, Serbia — a small city in the Northwestern part of the country with around 50,000 people. Jokic described the city to Slam Magazine, saying, “It’s a small town in the northwest of Serbia. We have nice nature, but I just like the people there. It’s like a family.”
The pair have been together since high school and are teenage sweethearts. Many would assume it was Jokic’s basketball career that sent them to the United States, but you would be wrong.
While her future husband was still plying his basketball trade in Serbia, Natalija moved to the United States in 2013 to play volleyball at Seminole State College in Oklahoma. Natalija played as a setter and spent two seasons in Oklahoma. She is one of the main reasons Jokic decided to pursue his career in the NBA and move to America.
Jokic was famously selected in a Taco Bell commercial during the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft and joined the Denver Nuggets a season after being drafted by the franchise.
Upon his arrival in Denver and the United States, his girlfriend, Natalija, left her volleyball career behind in Oklahoma to pursue her studies at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. She graduated in 2018.
Nikola and Natalija moved in with his older brothers in a three-bedroom apartment in Denver. Jokic expressed the importance of his family being with him in the early days.
“My brothers came with me, and my girlfriend came with me, so we tried to make our home here and not allow all the different things to bother us.”
The pair got engaged in January 2020, and they finally tied the knot on Oct 24, 2020, after rescheduling the wedding from June, due to the end of the NBA season being played in Orlando because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The married couple welcomed their first child, their daughter Ognjena, in September 2021. In November 2024, they had a son named Ignjat.
Since welcoming children into his life, Jokic’s NBA fortunes have skyrocketed, securing three MVP awards, an NBA Championship, and the 2023 Finals MVP.
