26-year-old superstar Nikola Jokic has accomplished a lot in his NBA career. A 3x All-Star, 3x All-NBA player, and reigning league MVP, he certainly has a whole lot to be proud of.
But, undoubtedly, his greatest accomplishment will come in a few months.
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, his wife’s 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.
Regardless of how much things will change for the Jokic family, it’s always the proudest moment of any parent’s life to welcome a new child, and there is no doubt that Nikola and Natalija are feeling very excited about what is to come.
As for what we can expect from the father-to-be on the court this season, that much remains to be seen. But he’s given us no reason to doubt him so far. With his firstborn on the way, he’ll have some extra incentive to play well.
In the meantime, he’ll be plenty busy just deciding on the name…
