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Report: NBA Investigates Nikola Jokić's Brother Punching Fan on Video at Lakers Game

Doric SamApril 23, 2024

DENVER, CO - APRIL 22: Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets prepares to wipe away his sweat after the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena in Denver on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post

Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets are riding high after Monday's epic comeback victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series, but an off-the-court incident quickly brought the star center back to earth.

According to TMZ, the NBA is investigating an incident in which Jokić's older brother, Strahinja, appeared to punch a fan in the stands following the 101-99 win:

ClutchPoints @ClutchPoints

Nikola Jokic's older brother Strahinja threw a punch at a fan following the Nuggets' 20-point comeback win vs. the Lakers 👀<br><br>(via cgallegos67/TT)<a href="https://t.co/gjYzt7c1kE">pic.twitter.com/gjYzt7c1kE</a>

TMZ also reported that Denver police are reviewing the situation, though nobody has filed a police report.

Per TMZ, witnesses said the fracas began shortly after Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray made a buzzer-beating jump shot in the face of Lakers star center Anthony Davis to propel Denver to victory. The Nuggets trailed by as many as 20 points in the game but managed to storm back in front of their excited home fans at Ball Arena and take a 2-0 series lead.

In the video, Strahinja can be seen hopping over a seat to confront a male spectator. After he appeared to throw a punch, he continued shouting toward the fan while his brother, Nemanja, was behind him in support. Jokić's wife Natalija was reportedly just feet away from the two brothers during the incident, and she was holding their daughter while reaching out to try to get Strahinja to calm down, per TMZ.

While it's unclear what led to the altercation, the Jokić brothers are known for their passionate support of the two-time NBA MVP. They have not been shy about getting into it with fans, referees or even other players, like when they took a shot at the Morris twins when Marcus Morris defended Markieff Morris following an in-game altercation with Jokić.

The NBA has been known to take a hard stance on fan incidents, so it will be interesting to see how it handles the brothers of one of the best players in the league.