In the NBA playoffs and now the NBA Finals series, an interesting and easily seen detail is that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic pointed to his ring finger while tying his wedding ring to his shoelace before the match started. . This is a trademark procedure for Jokic, and it’s something he does as a reminder of his family.

When Jokic pointed to his ring finger, it wasn’t as taunting as you might think. Although he usually does this when he has just had a ball, the real intention is that he wants to share it with his young daughter Ognjena, who will turn two years old in September. According to Jokic, it was a gesture taken from a song they sang together.

Tying his wedding ring to his shoelace was another gesture that served as a reminder that he had a family at home — and that was “more important than basketball.” It was a symbol of keeping family close by. Jokic said that a former teammate in Serbia inspired the move.

Jokic married his wife, Natalija, in October 2020, although they had been together for a long time before that. The couple started dating in 2012 when they were both still in high school. Immediately after getting married, they welcomed baby Ognjena into the world in September 2021.