Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokić was born on February 19, 1995, in Sombor, Serbia, a small city in the Vojvodina region. He grew up playing basketball with his two older brothers and was discovered by a scout from Mega Basket while still a teenager. Selected 41st overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets — a pick announced during a Taco Bell commercial break that has since become legendary — Jokić was considered a raw project. But he developed faster than anyone anticipated, revolutionizing the center position with an unprecedented combination of passing, shooting, and basketball IQ. He won back-to-back NBA MVP awards in 2021 and 2022, led the Nuggets to their first NBA Championship in 2023, and won a third MVP in 2024.

Nikola Jokić has fundamentally changed how the center position is understood and valued in basketball. His playmaking ability from the post — averaging near-triple-doubles annually — has no historical precedent for a player his size. Many analysts consider him the greatest passing big man in NBA history and a strong candidate for the greatest player of his era. His laid-back personality and genuine humility have made him one of the most beloved figures in the sport.