"The Story of Overcoming: Nikola Jokic Shines as Denver Nuggets' Star in NBA Playoffs"

The Serbian of the Denver Nuggets, who is crushing the Lakers in the West final, had a curious addiction as a boy and today he shines in the best basketball league in the world.

Nikola Jokic He is not only one of the best players in the NBA and his story of overcoming is fantastic. The Serb, twice elected as MVP (this season he was second in the vote), now he is going for a pending account: the ring. And it’s not far. Denver Nuggets is one win away against Los Angeles Lakers to advance to the finals. The series seems settled: 3-0.

Jokic is seen as different for many reasons. Beyond being a great scorer and rebounder and recording game numbers, the center stands out for his game creation: he has impressive vision, is very creative and has an ultra-precise pass. The thing to keep in mind is that normally the main role of a center is to get rebounds and be very physically dominant (both offensively and defensively). In other words, be a beast. The European escapes the rule and is basically an animal that has the playmaking of a point guard on top of it.. In any case, behind all this there is a tremendous life story.

The story of overcoming Nikola Jokic, star of the Denver Nuggets

Jokic began his path in the NBA in the 2015-16 season, after shining in the Mega Vizura of the Serbian League. Prior to his arrival in the most important basketball league in the world, The Serbian had an addiction problem that led him to be obese. This was reversed thanks to Denver setup men Steve Hess and Felipe Eichenberger.

“He drank about three liters a day of Coca-Cola. I never drank in the morning, yes, because I had to train and it didn’t feel good. But after training I couldn’t stop anymore, it was one glass after another. On my first flight to Denver I had the last one. Since then nothing, not one in a year and a half. And it has been easy and I feel very good, I like to see that I don’t need it”the crack himself told ESPN in 2017.

From 2017 to 2021 his physical change was noticeable, something that helped him improve his performance and better exploit his talent. Today, he does not have an aesthetic physique, but without a doubt he has an optimal body for his sport (it is worth mentioning that he measures 2.11 meters).

Nikola Jokic’s incredible playoffs

In the first round, averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9 assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the Western semifinals, posted 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists vs. Phoenix Suns. In that series, he had a 53-point game. And now, Against Lebron James’ Lakers, in the conference finals, he has averages of 27 points, 14.7 rebounds and 11.3 assists.