Nikola Jokic and his family is out for parade. Watch their celebration
On Thursday, Nikola Jokic appeared surprisingly delighted to be in Denver while participating in the Nuggets title parade.
The 28-year-old Serbian superstar was beaming in a snapshot posted by his wife Natalija on Monday following the team’s victory over the Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. However, he didn’t appear too eager to stay in Denver.
The parade route was supposed to start at Union Station, and the pair could be seen strolling through downtown Denver’s streets.
Natalija led the way as Nikola Jokic raised his fist to the audience while the couple’s 1-year-old daughter, Ognjena, sat on his shoulders.
Ognjena looked adorable in a yellow T-shirt and Nike sneakers, while Natalija dazzled in a trendy blue Denver Nuggets jacket and trousers.
Following Monday’s game against the Heat, in which Denver won 94-89 to win the championship, Natalija also shared a happy family photo on Instagram.
The couple could be seen kissing the side of Ognjena’s face while she was staring at the gold championship trophy in the picture, which was captioned with a straightforward red love emoji.
The image included Jokic’s Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy as well.
The Jokic family rarely makes an appearance in the postseason because they typically return to their hometown of Sombor after the season is over.
Jokic didn’t seem too excited about the prospect of staying in Denver for the parade after Monday’s game, and he even considered asking team president Josh Kroenke for a jet to travel home.
Jokic responded,
The image included Jokic’s Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy as well.
The Jokic family rarely makes an appearance in the postseason because they typically return to their hometown of Sombor after the season is over.
Jokic didn’t seem too excited about the prospect of staying in Denver for the parade after Monday’s game, and he even considered asking team president Josh Kroenke for a jet to travel home.
Jokic fam ready for the parade!#bRINGItIn
Watch Denver's championship parade at 12 PM ET on NBA TV.
📲 https://t.co/Y9eOWIeBoi pic.twitter.com/pOLbEwlCOE
— NBA (@NBA) June 15, 2023
Jokic responded, “Yes, I need to go home. On Sundays, I have my horse racing” when questioned about the championship celebrations during a post-game interview with NBA TV. I participate in horse racing on Sundays.
“I don’t know how I’m going to arrive. Thursday, late. Friday, maybe,” he said. “I’m going to ask Josh [Kroenke] to give me a plane.”
The protest in Civic Centre Park is supposed to cap off the Nuggets parade, which began at 12 p.m. Eastern Time.
Both of Jokic actually borrowed the jet and whether the squad has any post-parade preparations are unknown.
The usual travel from Denver to his birthplace is around 6,000 miles away and takes about 12 hours.
The NBA is aware of Jokic’s passion for horses and his commitment to maintaining a private life.
The Denver Post claims that Jokic is guarded about his personal time at home.
In fact, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, then-club president Tim Connelly, and some team members surprised the 7-footer in Sombor to hand-deliver the trophy after Jokic earned his second consecutive MVP award in May 2022.