26-year-old Nikola Jokic has accomplished a lot in his career. A 3x All-Star, 3x All-NBA player, and reigning NBA MVP, he certainly has a lot to be proud of.
But, undoubtedly, his greatest achievement is going to come off the court.
As "The Joker" announced to the media on Wednesday, he and his wife, Natalija, are expecting their first child.
Joker and his wife, Natalija, are expecting. Jokic offered scant details on a conference call Wednesday, declining to reveal the gender of Baby Joker. All the reigning MVP would offer was there was still an ongoing debate between mom and dad over the baby’s name.
When asked about his offseason highlights, the Nuggets’ franchise superstar was forthcoming with the news.
“(The offseason) was short,” he quipped. “Probably the highlight is we have a baby coming. That’s probably the highlight of my season, (of) my life. Other than that, it was really short. The second good thing is my horses won 15-to-20 races this year. They’re doing a good job.”
It's obviously great news for the couple, and their family, as they get to welcome a new member to their ranks.
Of course, the pregnancy did alter some of Jokic's offseason plans. He was brought to America earlier than usual.
The couple’s pregnancy brought them back to Denver earlier than in other seasons, meaning Jokic’s offseason work continued here the past few weeks as opposed to Serbia. Since being back, Jokic has been a mainstay in the weight room, endured conditioning trips to Red Rocks and dominated team pick-up games.
It's always the proudest moment of any parent's life, and there is no doubt that Jokic is feeling very excited about what is to come.
As for what we can expect from him on the court this season, that much remains to be seen. But he's given us no reason to doubt him so far...
More must-reads: