NBA looking into alleged punching incident of Nikola Jokic’s brother Strahinja
The NBA is investigating a brother of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who was shown on video appearing to punch someone following the Nuggets’ win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night (Tuesday, April 23, Manila time), The Athletic reported.
A video of Strahinja Jokic made the rounds after the Nuggets beat the Lakers 101-99 in Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series.
It appears to show Strahinja and another Jokic brother, Nemanja, confront two men in the stands at Ball Arena, with Strahinja landing a punch with the right hand on the fan’s face.
The Nuggets have yet to issue a statement but reportedly are looking into the incident.
The elder Jokic brothers have been known to take exception to actions they consider disrespectful of their younger brother.
The brothers had a social media feud with NBA players Marcus and Markieff Morris, and in 2017, Strahinja had to be restrained from arena security to keep him from approaching a referee.
Strahinja has also faced trouble away from the basketball court. In 2019, he was arrested for allegedly choking and pushing a woman in an attempt to prevent her from leaving an apartment in Denver.
Strahinja ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of obstruction and trespassing and received a deferred sentence.
In Game 2, Nikola had 27 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists to give Denver a 2-0 series lead. The Serbian is a two-time league Most Valuable Player and is a finalist for the award this year.
On the season, Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists. In 675 career games, all with the Nuggets, the 29-year-old has averages of 20.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
The series resumes Thursday in Los Angeles. – Rappler.com