2x MVP Nikola Jokic has been through the trenches to reach the NBA

We know the story of the Joker rising from the 41st overall draft pick to a 2x MVP, but there are some pretty crazy life-threatening events the Joker endured that many don't know about.

The odds of Nikola Jokic making it to the NBA were 1 in a trillion 🤯

TLDR:

• Nikola was raised in a small town in Serbia with his mom, dad, two brothers, and grandma in 2 bedroom apartment. Watch this clip.

• For months in 1999, Nikola’s hometown was under attack by NATO and endured an onslaught of airstrikes.

• After the bombings subsided, Nikola still faced abuse and bullying from his older brothers.

• Nikola’s dad first introduced him to the sport of basketball although he hated it at first.

• After being scouted by a Serbian basketball club team, Jokic put in the work and paved his way to where he currently sits as a 2x MVP player on a No.1 seed team in the NBA.

We all gotta start somewhere, and for NBA star, Nikola Jokic, he had real humble beginnings in his home country Sombor, Serbia. On top of being raised in a poverty-stricken area, his hometown was also bombed into darkness.

With Serbia being a developing country, Jokic really had to make do with what he had. I mean, the odds of Nikola Jokic making it to the NBA were one in a trillion. He made it look easy as he tries to go back-to-back-to-back with the MVP trophy, but in reality, this man has overcome the biggest hurdles just to even get into the league.

Let’s take it way back first…little Nikola was born in 1995 and was the youngest of 3 brothers. You can imagine a house full of young boys would need all the space, but his family was raised in a small 2-bedroom apartment. As a young kid, Nikola of course enjoyed playing outside, but the outside environment looked a lot different in Serbia with so many bombing dangers. In 1999, Serbia’s tensions peaked with NATO, which made conditions risky for Serbians.

The country was under attack by NATO for months. Towns were destroyed with even hospitals left in dust. There were also airstrikes that a power outage that left Nikola and his family along with others in Sombor Serbia in darkness for weeks. Nikola was only 4 at the time, so just imagine how crazy that is for a young boy! Although some families immigrated to other nations, Jokic’s family decided to stay.

Even as the war subsided, Nikola had to put up with other challenges— his brothers. Anyone with siblings is familiar with the dynamic in households with fights and arguments between sisters or brothers, but for Nikola, he experiences straight-up abuse.

Want to hear the wildest thing the brothers did?! They held Nikola down by his arms to throw knives around his head for the sport of it. They sure had a different definition of fun and games. It could have been off with the Joker’s head with one little slip-up.

Even with the harsh childhood, basketball was positive in Nikola’s life. Nikola’s dad was told he would be able to hoop. He had the height for it no doubt about that. Even though many were excited to see Nikola hoop, Nikola hated the idea and actually cried when his dad forced him to play basketball for the first time.

He’s sure came a long way in his skill and interest level. For one, I bet you didn’t know that Nikola’s first love was horses. Believe it or not, the Joker was actually obsessed with horses and began competing at 14. Now that is a sight to see: a 7-footer riding a horse.

Luckily for the horses— and for Jokic— he was discovered for his basketball potential instead.

Misko Raznatovic, owner of the prominent Serbian basketball club team, Mega, discovered Jokic…by accident. He read in the paper that Jokic dropped a 20-20 game in a local juniors league. To give you an idea of this club, it’s pretty much like the European Kentucky, where they scout for the best future basketball players in the country, sign them, then sell their contracts to the bigger leagues like the NBA.

Now, Jokic was pretty good at the time but was slept on primarily because of how overweight he was. Many scouts thought his weight would hold him back once he reached the next level. Misko didn’t seem to be phased by that and quickly brought him on the club team…but of course, forced Nikola into the weight room before he could get some playing time. Jokic then slimmed down and if you thought he was a beast before, he was even more of a force on the court after he dropped some pounds.

There were clearly some roadblocks, but it all worked in the Joker’s favor and made him hungrier than ever. You know what they say: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Fast forward to the present day, Jokic is one of the most dominant players in the league on a No. 1 seed team in the Western Conference. I’m sure he’s glad he stuck out the basketball route compared to horse-riding.

• I give this guy’s flip a 10/10 😮

• LeBron is a legend for many reasons 😂

• Imitation is flattery, what can he say 👟

• Imagine if these two players were teammates 🤔

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