Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and five-time NBA All-Star Nikola Jokic undoubtedly have the profile to be termed a “successful player.”
However, he lived a not-so-rosy life in Sombor city in Northern Serbia, looking up to his older brothers, Nemanja and Strahinja, who introduced him to basketball.
While the goddess of fortune has smiled at the Serbian superstar, he shares the beauty of his fame and success with his brothers.
Who are Nikola Jokic’s brothers, Nemanja and Strahinja? What do they do? How did they impact his career?
These and other plausible questions are what we will answer in this article.
Strahinja Jokic Quick Facts
- Full Name: Strahinja Jokić
- Birth Date: 1982
- Birth Place: Sombor, Serbia
- Nationality: Serbian
- Religion: Christianity
- Ethnicity: White
- Father’s Name: Branislav Jokic
- Siblings: Nemanja and Nikola Jokić
- Height: 7’0″ (213 cm)
- Hair Color: Brown
- Eye Color: Dark Brown
- Marital Status: N/A
- Kids: None
Nemanja Jokic Quick Facts
- Full Name: Nemanja Jokić
- Birth Date: August 26, 1984 (38 years)
- Birth Place: Sombor, Serbia
- Nationality: Serbian
- Religion: Christianity
- Ethnicity: White
- Education: Mechanical High School, University of Detroit Mercy
- Father’s Name: Branislav Jokic
- Mother’s Name: N/A
- Siblings: Strahinja Jokić and Nikola Jokić
- Height: 6’6″ (198 cm)
- Weight: 220 lbs (100 kg)
- Hair Color: Black
- Eye Color: Brown
- Profession: Mixed Martial Arts
- Marital Status: N/A
How Many Brothers Does Nikola Jokic Have?
While the topic of our discussion is Nemanja and Strahinja Jokic, one might wonder if Nikola has other brothers.
However, these seven-foot giants are the only siblings of the Nuggets’ man. Both are about a decade older and have contributed massively to his career’s success.
Who Are Nemanja and Strahinja Jokic?
Nemanja and Strahinja Jokic are the two older brothers of Denver Nuggets’ superstar Center Nikola Jokic.
Nikola, Nemanja, and Strahinja started as basketball players but are yet to reach the highest level of the professional stage.
Strahinja is an ex-basketball player at the Division 1 level, but Nemanja skillfully employs his physique in professional mixed martial arts.
Who Is The Oldest Of The Two Brothers?
Born in 1982, the forty-two-year-old Strahinja is the oldest of the Jokic brothers, making him about fourteen years older than the Nuggets’ Center.
Details about his birth date and month are unknown, but he, like his brothers, was born in Serbia.
Strahinja ventured into basketball in Europe but could not reach the highest level like his youngest brother.
Still, there is inadequate information on what he has done for a living since walking off the court.
The oldest of the Jokic brothers was charged with domestic violence after allegedly pushing and choking a woman in 2019.
Some reports rumored the woman to be his wife, while others documented that he was consuming alcohol with a woman in Denver.
While Strahinja looks like a violent giant, it is only fair to say his name is no misnomer, translating to “fear to others” from two words, “strah,” meaning “fear,” and “inja,” meaning “others.”
While Strahinja Jokic was never a promising basketball player, he has a winning mentality. He hates losing and shows his rage as a hot-headed man.
Nicola once reported that his brother’s playing style is similar to former professional basketball player Kendrick Perkins’s.
How Did Strahinja Impact Nikola Jokic’s Career?
Strahinja Jokic, having played as a professional basketball player in Europe, modeled his brother into the superstar he is today.
Strahinja introduced his brothers to the sport, with Nikola following his path despite Nemanja picking up an interest in martial arts.
The loving older brother was among the first to assess and acknowledge Nikola’s talents, sacrificing his time and comfort to guide the two-time NBA MVP during his early stints with Mega Vizura in Belgrade, Serbia.
Strahinja Jokic was so instrumental in his brother’s success that Nebojsa Vagic, a Serbian basketball coach, characterized Strahinja as the “locomotive of his brother’s career.”
Who is Nemanja Jokic?
While the younger of the two brothers, Nemanja, is not fully involved in basketball and Nikola’s career as Strahinja, he is enjoying MMA’s thrills and exhilarating moments.
Nemanja Jokic played college basketball but became interested in mixed martial arts along the line and turned professional.
Nemanja Jokic’s basketball potential in Europe presented him with the opportunity to school in the United States, featuring for the University of Detroit Mercy’s basketball team in the NCAA.
Nemanja’s basketball in college is so impressive that one would wonder why he did not go further to the professional level.
Evaluating this assessment, Nemanja recorded 32 assists in 29 games as a freshman before averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in five starts.
Nemanja Jokic specializes in Muay Thai. Nemanja began his MMA journey in 2018, spending time with SPARTA Sports and Entertainment and other promotions.
Reports reveal that he knocked out his first opponent and won the other fights via knockouts.
However, his most spectacular fight was against William Vandervier in April 2019, defeating the South Dakotan after dishing out a spectacular high kick.
Why and How Did The Jokic Brothers Go Viral?
Fame met the Jokic brothers within the NBA in November 2021 during an intense faceoff between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns.
An unintentional moment to ruin a buildup saw Nikola smashing his arms against Cameron Payne’s face, causing a brawl among both teams in the heat of the moment that prompted a furious Devin Booker to square up to Nikola Jokic.
While some believed Booker’s back off moments later was stirred by sportsmanship, many Tweeters speculated that he sheepishly walked away after the viral clip of Nikola’s two brothers screaming like blood-thirsty beasts by the sidelines.
Nicola Jokic’s giant brothers were ready to display their MMA skills on the court had the officials failed to keep them within the crowd.
However, they failed to let down verbally, pouring their outrage into words. Little did all three brothers know that the ugly incident would be the beginning of their new-found fame.
Are Strahinja and Nemanja Jokic Married?
Information about Strahinja’s relationship is not publicly available, and the 42-year-old is most likely single without a girlfriend.
His brother Nemanja is also not married, as he currently focuses on mixed martial arts.
However, Nikola the Nuggets’ superstar is married to his high school sweetheart, Natalija Macesic, excusing marital vows in October 2020 and welcoming a daughter in 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Strahinja Jokic in jail?
While Strahinja Jokic was charged with domestic violence after allegedly pushing and choking a woman in 2019, he is not in prison. The 42-year-old was with his younger brother Nemanja in November 2021 during Nikola’s game against Phoenix Suns.
Is Nemanja Jokic in the UFC?
Nemanja Jokic’s presence in mixed martial arts is yet to bless him with a stint in the sport’s most prominent promotion. However, he has recorded three victories in three games, winning all by knockout.
How close is Nikola Jokic to his brothers?
Nikola acknowledges his brothers’ sacrifices toward his success as they continue to stand beside him despite achieving stardom and winning one of the most prestigious awards in the NBA. All three Serbian brothers stay in the United States, and fans believe Nikola’s brothers’ actions affect him on and off the pitch. Following the brawl in 2019, some fans accused the Nuggets’ center of bringing his “emotional baggage” to the court.
Did Strahinja Jokic play in the NBA?
Nikola Jokic’s brother Strahinja introduced him to basketball, having played the sport professionally in Europe. However, he did not possess the ability to make it to the NBA and devoted most of his time to modeling and guiding his brother.
Wrap Up
Nikola Jokic’s story and relationship with his brothers sum up the fact that family is best in testing times.
The Nuggets’ Center thrives beyond his talents, enjoying crucial support from his tenacious brothers on and off the court.
The Jokic brothers can relate to Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana’s words, “Family is one of nature’s masterpieces.”
