The NBA is investigating an unfortunate incident that occurred after Game 2, the 2024 NBA Playoffs round 1 series between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, based on a video that appeared on TMZ.
Video content shows that Strahinja Jokić, the biological brother of Denver superstar Nikola Jokić, punched a fan in the stands of Ball Arena. The incident occurred not long after Jamal Murray threw the game-winning shot to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers with a score of 101-99.]
In the video, Nikola Jokic’s two brothers Strahinja and Nemanja approached two male fans in the stands, a consequence of the previous argument between the two sides.
It’s not clear what they argued about or if any inappropriate words were said, only that Strahinja approached and punched one of the two male fans.
Also appearing in the video are Nikola Jokic’s wife Natalija and daughter. Natalija seemed to have tried to intervene but could not reach Strahinja before the incident occurred.
According to TMZ, Denver police will also conduct an investigation because this is not the first time Nikola Jokic’s brother has been involved in fights and scuffles at NBA matches.
Previously, Strahinja Jokic was arrested by the police for assaulting a woman in a bar in 2019. According to The Athletic, Strahinja then accepted the blame for his inappropriate behavior and reached a compensation agreement with the victim. core.
By 2021, both of Nikola Jokic’s brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja, were warned by the NBA for repeatedly threatening to assault Markieff Morris, a Miami Heat player.
At that time, Morris had a rough foul on Jokic during the match and was retaliated by the Denver player, leading to injury and having to miss the rest of the season. Although Nikola Jokic apologized, his brothers still continued to threaten Morris on social networks.
This incident made Nikola Jokic’s historic performance somewhat incomplete. In Game 2, “The Joker” achieved a triple-double of 27 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. This is only the 4th time in NBA Playoffs history that a triple-double performance has been witnessed with the 25-20-10 index set. .
Nikola Jokic’s excellence set the stage for the Denver Nuggets’ comeback, erasing the Los Angeles Lakers’ 20-point lead before Jamal Murray brought the defending champions to victory with a stunning game-winner.
It is still unclear how the NBA will handle the situation at the 2024 Playoffs this time. Maybe the tournament will continue to warn the Jokic brothers or have certain punishments, for example banning Nikola’s two brothers from the field for one or more matches.
