Nikola Jokić
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Nikola Jokić ( YOH-kitch; Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Јокић [nǐkola jôkitɕ] ; born February 19, 1995) is a Serbian professional basketball player who is a center for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Joker", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and centers of all time, and is often considered the greatest draft steal in NBA history. A seven-time NBA All-Star, Jokić has been named to the All-NBA Team on seven occasions (including five first-team selections), and won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2023–24 seasons. He represents the Serbian national team, with which he won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Jokić was selected by the Nuggets in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2016. In the 2018–19 NBA season, while leading the Nuggets to the Western Conference Semifinals, Jokić received his first All-Star and All-NBA First Team selections. The following season, he once again received All-Star and All-NBA honors, while leading his team to the Western Conference Finals. In the 2022–23 NBA season, Jokić was awarded NBA Finals MVP after leading the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship. He ranks third all-time among NBA players with the most triple-doubles and holds the record for the fastest triple-double (achieved in 14 minutes and 33 seconds). He is the only NBA player ever to achieve a 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 20+ assists game.