Nikola Jokić’s life and interests off the court can be of great interest to fans, especially since he sometimes seems more invested in those activities than in his NBA career. Aside from his hobbies, some people are also interested in his personal life.
Part of this interest stems from his past tradition of tying his wedding ring to his sneakers during games. Because of this, fans want to know the woman behind this interesting ritual.
The Woman Behind Nikola Jokić’s Ritual of Tying His Ring to His Shoes
The NBA prohibits wearing jewelry during games, so Jokić found another way to have his wedding ring with him when he steps onto the hardwood. According to him, it was a symbolic way to keep his family by his side even when he was battling on the court. Behind this interesting habit is Natalija Jokić, wife of the three-time NBA MVP.
Both Nikola and his wife, Natalija, are from Sombor, Serbia, and they were actually high school sweethearts. In an episode of “Curious Mike” from 2023, the Denver Nuggets’ center shared that he met his wife as a teenager. He said they lived about 5 minutes apart and that they had been friends for years before dating.
Interestingly, Natalija moved to the United States before Nikola. She became a member of the Seminole State College Women’s Volleyball team, playing as a setter for two years. Nikola shared that they began dating during the summer that she moved, and that they had a long-distance relationship for a while.
When Nikola eventually moved to Denver to play for the Nuggets in 2015, she also moved from Oklahoma to live with him. During those early years, they shared an apartment with his two older brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja.
In 2020, Nikola and Natalija got married in their hometown. Then, in 2021, they welcomed their daughter named Ognjena. Since then, both Natalija and Ognjena have been regularly spotted cheering for Nikola from the stands during the Nuggets’ home games, including in the postseason. In 2024, Natalija gave birth to a son.
Jokić’s tradition of attaching his wedding ring to his sneakers came to an end in 2024, but it wasn’t because a rule change prohibited him from doing so. Instead, it’s because he lost his first one during a game. Afterward, his wife gave him a replacement, but he lost that one, too. The unfortunate incident of losing his ring twice brought this touching tradition to an end.