Why Is Nikola Jokić Called The Joker?

“What’s in a name?”

Well, a name that led the Denver Nuggets to the ultimate feat ought to be recognized.

Nikola Jokić, born on 19th February 1995, is about to mark a decade’s worth of career milestones.

After the epic comeback story of Caleb Martin, who led the Miami Heat last week, Jokić is the talk of the town with his beastly performance. It seems like the Joker is creating havoc, and we are here for that.

Nikola Jokić Stats and Performance

Born and brought up in Serbia, young Nikola lived in a congested apartment with his parents and two older brothers. Coming from a humble background did not deter him from pursuing his dream.

His agent narrates how he discovered Nikola’s potential early on during his draft.

He was drafted in the second round for Denver Nuggets in 2014. With consistent performance and improvement with every match, he was recognized as NBA All-Star five times between 2019 to 2023. The 6 ft 11″ Serbian giant would dominate some of the greatest players in NBA history and still managed to bag the MVP awards twice!

He also represented Serbia in FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2016 and won a silver medal for his national team in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

His stature and skills can be mapped through his consistent career graph– proving that a trajectory is a compilation of minor improvements each time.

In the recent matches against the Miami Heat, he scores triple-doubles with an average of 27 points. But yesterday, he carried the team on his shoulders with 41 pts, 4 assists, and 11 rebounds albeit their loss to the Miami Heat by 111-108. So far, he has averaged 29.9 pts per game, 13.3 rebounds per game, and 10.3 assists per game, raising expectations for Denver’s entry to the finals.

With such stellar stats, he is said to be qualified for yet another MVP for 2022-23.

Who Is Called the Joker in the NBA?

Nikola Jokić, the lead performer of the Denver Nuggets, is widely known as the “Joker.” Even after historical stats, the crowd cheers him as the Joker.

Well, to be fair, he is a menace to the opposing team, causing panic with unfathomable gameplays. The next few matches will cement his power as the Joker– the NBA villain not to be messed with. Thus, earning a reputation as the DC comics, Joker.

How Did Nikola Jokić Get the Joker Nickname?

Nikola did not get the nickname, Joker because he is the equivalent of a DC Villain. It all started because of his name. Mike Miller, his former teammate and mentor, was influential in molding Nikola’s skills from 2015-2017. However, Miller had a hard time pronouncing his name.

Nikola’s last name, Jokić, is rather pronounced as “Yo-kitsch,” considering the Serbian alphabet. Miller found this inconvenient and wanted a more accessible name so that even the crowd could cheer for him. So instead of Jokić, he played on the words and knighted him with the world-renowned nickname–Joker.

What do you think of this adorable reason for Nikola’s nickname? Do you think Nikola should win the MVO this year? Who are you rooting for in the Denver Nuggets v/s Miami Heat games?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.