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Currently playing with the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Nikola Jokic is a Serbian-born professional basketball player. His birth took place in Sombor, Serbia on February 19, 1995. Jokic is famous for his superb passing skills, flexibility and high basketball IQ. As the current NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 2020-21 season, he has proven himself to be among the best centers in the league.
Jokic has spent his entire professional career with the Denver Nuggets after being selected by them in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft. He was selected to the NBA All-Star team twice and was a first team All- NBA. The Denver Nuggets’ success has largely been attributed to Jokic, who also helped the team advance to the Western Conference Finals in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
Where was Nikola Jokic taken in the draft?
Nikola Jokic was not a player that many NBA clubs were keen on selecting in the 2014 NBA draft and were largely unknown. As the 41st pick in the draft, he was drafted with a short pick.
In the Adriatic League of Serbia, Jokic was then a professional player for Mega Vizura. Although he showed some promise as a youth, his draft position was not particularly high due to his lack of athleticism and doubts about his ability to defend in the NBA.
Second sportskeeda, the Denver Nuggets took a chance on Jokic in the second round of the draft after noticing something about him. The Nuggets’ pick greatly benefited them as Jokic developed into one of the best players in the league and a mainstay of their club.
A striking illustration of how talent can be discovered in unlikely places if teams are willing to take risks on unproven individuals, Jokic’s selection of the 41st pick is considered one of the greatest steals in NBA franchise history.
Nikola Jokic made an impact on the NBA in his first season
One of the most incredible success stories in recent NBA history is being selected in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft.
Jokic was not expected to make much of an impact in the NBA because he was a relatively unknown prospect. He soon proved those who had doubted him wrong, though, and developed into one of the most impressive players in the league.
Due to Jokic’s success as a final second-round pick, many other NBA clubs are now paying more attention to players from other countries and those who may not have garnered as much attention in the United States. His rise from unknown prospect to NBA superstar is testament to the value of perseverance, hard work and a positive outlook.
