He’s a two-time MVP who could be considered Colorado’s best professional athlete of all time. Here are some interesting facts about Nikola Jokic, the center for the Denver Nuggets.

1. Former teammate Mike Miller reportedly gave him the moniker “Joker” because he couldn’t pronounce Jokic (yo-kitch).

2. He adores the television show “Friends.”

3. Jokic was drafted in the second round. When this happened in 2014, ESPN went on hiatus. He got drafted while watching a Taco Bell ad.

4. He was hurt off the court once, suffering from wrist soreness as a result of signing too many signatures.

5. He used to drink three liters of Coke each day, but on his journey to Denver, he quit.

6. Jokic, 29, has been married to Natalija, his wife, since they were teenagers. They married in 2020 and have one child, Ognjena.

7. Jokic was discovered in a newspaper by a sports agent.

8. For fun, he ties his wedding band inside his shoes.

9. Jokic and his wife are natives of Sombor, Serbia. When his NBA career is finished, he plans to return to Serbia: “After my career is over, I’m gonna go back there,” Jokic told Bleacher Report. “It’s super slow—there’s not a lot going on—but you have everything.” You have a canal, nature; you may find serenity outside of the city. I just want to be somewhere where I don’t have to rely on navigation. Isn’t there no place like home? Something along those lines.”

10. He compares Denver to his hometown of Sombor. “…my brothers came with me, and my girlfriend came with me, so we tried to make our home here and not let all the different things bother us,” he told SLAM. I prefer Denver as a place because it reminds me of my hometown in Serbia, where I enjoy nature, mountains, rivers, and trees.”

11. He has had a fascination with horses since he was a child. He told SLAM that he used to compete in horse racing as a teenager and now owns several. Jokic accepted one of his MVP awards at his Serbian stable. His passion for horses led Denver Nuggets fans to donate to the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center.

12. As a teenager, he used to watch NBA games on YouTube.

13. He was roughly 5 years old when he was photographed wearing a Denver Nuggets sweatshirt.