He’s back! Well, Nikola Jokic has been sidelined since November 10 due to personal reasons which were initially undisclosed. Obviously, the hoop community was beginning to get worried for The Joker’s family as he continued to miss game after game. But as it turns out, there was nothing to worry about all along.
As per veteran Insider Shams Charania, Jokic was on a three-game hiatus because he was expecting his second child with wife Natalija. And the couple welcomed a newborn son on Thursday night. While that’s amazing news, the big question now is… When will Jokic suit up again?
Well, the answer is tonight. Yes, he will return to the lineup tonight for the NBA Cup encounter against the Mavs. Coincidentally, Luka Doncic and Co. were also the last opponents Jokic played against before taking time off to prioritize the birth of his son. And he had a historic game that night dropping a 37-18-15 stat line for an insane triple-double. Moreover, the Nuggets won that battle by just two points.
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So, its great that Jokic is returning tonight because the Mavs will be looking for redemption. And Joker’s firepower will boost the Nuggets’ chances of winning. Sure enough, he has played at an MVP level so far, averaging a 29.7-point triple-double. He is also the league leader in assists and rebounds. But the most impressive part is that he is shooting a career-high 56.4% from deep range, best in the league. Obviously, not having him in the lineup has led to struggles for his team as they have lost two of the last three games. But that should change now that The Joker is back.
Nikola Jokic believes Fatherhood “Cannot Help” a player on the court
Although Jokic just welcomed a baby boy, he is no stranger to fatherhood as he also has a daughter who was born three years ago. And everyone knows how much he loves Ognjena as he even carried her in his arms during the Nuggets’ championship ceremony. However, Jokic does not believe the skills of fatherhood translate to the court as he said in an interview last year, “Nah, that cannot help you.”
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However, it does give Jokic a sense of comfort that he has something bigger to focus on in life other than basketball, “I knew that even before that basketball is not (the) main thing in my life and probably never gonna be, and I like it because I have something more at home that is more important than basketball.” Although Joker always had that mindset, the birth of his daughter made that belief even stronger, “I knew that but this kind of prove me that I’m correct.” And it is likely that the birth of his son will do the same.
Well, as long as Jokic gives maximum effort while on the job, basketball not being his topmost priority should not bother anyone. Do you agree?
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