At the NBA playoffs and now the NBA Finals series, a conspicuously interesting detail was that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic pointed to his ring finger while tying his wedding ring to his shoelace before the game started. . This is a procedure that has become Jokic’s trademark, and it’s something he does as a reminder of his family.

“More Important Than Basketball” with Nikola Jokic

When Jokic points to his ring finger, it’s not as sarcastic as you might think. While he usually does this when he’s just had a ball, his real intention is to share it with his young daughter Ognjena, who turns two in September. According to Jokic, it was a gesture taken from a song they sang together.

Tying his wedding ring to his shoelace is another act of reminding that he has family at home – and it’s something “more important than basketball”. It’s a symbol of keeping family close by.. Jokic says 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 while both were still in high school. Immediately after getting married, they welcomed baby Ognjena born in September 2021.