On his 30th birthday, let’s look at the top-five plays of his NBA career.
Image Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Denver Nuggets superstar, Nikola Jokic is going to celebrate his 30th birthday on February 19, 2025. Born in Sombor, Serbia was drafted as the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft during a taco bell commercial break. However, the Serbian made sure of it, that everybody remembers his name.
The three-time MVP is having one of the best seasons in the NBA history. He is on the verge of becoming only the third player in history to average a triple-double throughout the regular season after Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. On his 30th birthday, let’s look at the top-five plays of his NBA career.
Nikola Jokic is known for being one of the best passers in the history of basketball. One of the testaments to the statement occurred in the 2022-23 NBA season when Nikola Jokic received the ball on the three-point line and played a perfect no-look pass between his legs to Bruce Brown who was sprinting towards the rim. He finished it with a vicious dunk, adding more glam to the play by Jokic.
Nikola Jokic hit a 67-feet buzzer beater against the Sacramento Kings. At the end of the third half, with 01.7 seconds on the clock and the Nuggets with a 85-107 lead, Jokic hit the three-pointer and the crowd erupted like it was a game-winner. He ended the game with 35 points, 22 rebounds and 17 assists.
On March 15, 2019, Nikola Jokic hit a walk-off two over the Dallas Mavericks after Luka Doncic missed an and-1. With the score 99-98 and 5.0 seconds left on the clock, Jokic worked his way into the paint and hit a tough shot over Dwight Powell to seal the game for the Nuggets. He ended the game with 11 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Nikola Jokic has hit multiple game-winners in his NBA career but none compares to a step back three to win the game. With 11.9 seconds left on the clock and the Nuggets bringing the ball up, Murray passes the ball to Jokic at the top of the key and Jokic takes one dribble, a step back and hit the game-winner three over Franz Wagner.
Nikola Jokic hit a 40-feet walk-off game winner with 1.1 seconds on the game clock versus the Golden State Warriors. On January 4, 2024, the Golden State Warriors led by 13 points going into the fourth-quarter. As the Nuggets made a strong fourth-quarter comeback, the score was tied 127-127 with 3.6 seconds left on the clock and the ball goes to Nikola Jokic. In an absurd shot, Jokic shot the ball over Kevon Looney with 1.1 seconds on the clock and it was all net. He ended the game with 34 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
