The NBA MVP race tightened Saturday night, and the debate between Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama picked up even more steam. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains in the conversation, but the spotlight stays locked on the other two.
Wembanyama might be leading the pack right now, but Jokic keeps making his case impossible to ignore. He came into the matchup averaging 37.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 9.1 assists against the San Antonio Spurs this season, and his defensive presence only adds to the resume.
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Saturday’s performance backed up those numbers. Jokic dropped 40 points in a narrow 136-134 victory for the Denver Nuggets, while Wembanyama put up 34 for the Spurs.
Viral clip shows Nikola Jokic’s brother reacting to fan
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic
But the game drew attention for something that happened off the court. A viral clip showed Strahinja Jokic, Nikola’s older brother, confronting a Spurs fan who appeared to laugh after a foul on the reigning three-time MVP.
“Spurs fan just got absolutely chewed out as he kinda taunted or celebrated toward Strahinja Jokic (who is in some box seats behind him.) He made the Spurs fan sit down FAST lol,” Nuggets reporter Rachel Strand wrote as she shared the video of the incident.
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The moment escalated fast. Strahinja stood up and shouted at the fan, motioning for him to sit back down. The video spread quickly across social media, and the message to the fan apparently came through clearly. Nobody laughs at Nikola’s expense without hearing about it.
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Nikola stands 6-foot-11 and weighs around 284 pounds, making him one of the league’s most physically dominant figures. Strahinja reportedly carries the same height but closer to 350 pounds. When someone that size stands up and reacts, people notice.
“I met Strahinja at the Einstein Bagels on Broadway a few years back and he was extremely nice and down to earth/very easy to talk to, with him even asking about my day and plans for the weekend, etc… So whatever the fan did it must’ve been crazy for him to act like this 😂” One fan chimed in with some context about Strahinja’s usual behavior.
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Strand later clarified what triggered the reaction. Nikola took a hit to the throat and went down, and a Spurs fan decided to taunt him. That didn’t sit well with his older brother, and the response drew plenty of attention from everyone nearby.
