Nikola Jokic last played on November 10, when the Nuggets beat the Mavs 122-120. While he recorded 37 points, 18-rebound, 15-assist, and triple-doubles, he was missing for the next three games. In his absence, his team 1-2. They also had to play without Aaron Gordon, who had been dealing with a right calf strain. No wonder the Nuggets need Jokic back and fans want to see him on the court soon. But why was Jokic missing in the past few games?

Fans were concerned about the basketball player and his family. Even head coach Michael Malone didn’t reveal much. Then lead assistant David Adelman too kept the mystery intact when he stated, “It’s personal reasons for him. It’s things at home. For somebody, that’s their business. When he feels like he’s ready to come back, he’ll come back.” To make things worse, the player was absent from practice on Thursday.

But put all worries to rest. As per veteran insider Shams Charania, Jokic was on a three-game hiatus because he was expecting his second child with his wife Natalija. Charania wrote on social media, “Sources: Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic – out since Nov. 10 due to personal reasons – will return to the lineup tonight vs. the Dallas Mavericks (10 pm ET, ESPN). Jokic and his partner welcomed a newborn son Thursday night.”

Isn’t that amazing news? Yes, he will return to the lineup tonight for the NBA Cup encounter against the Mavs. Coincidentally, Luka Doncic and Co. were also the last opponents Jokic played against before taking time off to prioritize the birth of his son. He had a historic game that night, which could have gone either way. It was a close win. After all, the Mavs’ Kyrie Irving dropped 43 points on 17-of-22 shooting in that game.

It’s great that Jokic is returning tonight because his team will need him. Plus, the Mavs will be looking for redemption. Joker’s firepower will boost the Nuggets’ chances of winning. Sure enough, he has played at an MVP level so far, averaging a 29.7-point triple-double. He is also the league leader in assists and rebounds. But the most impressive part is that he is shooting a career-high 56.4% from deep range—the best in the league. He has had a strong season so far.

However, not having him in the lineup has led to struggles for his team, but that should change now that ‘The Joker’ is back.

But will fatherhood boost his skills on the court?

Nikola Jokic believes fatherhood ‘cannot help’ a player on the court

Although Jokic just welcomed a baby boy, he is no stranger to fatherhood as he also has a daughter who was born three years ago. And everyone knows how much he loves Ognjena (it means ‘fiery’ in Serbian) as he even carried her in his arms during the Nuggets’ championship ceremony. In fact, his daughter has attended several games to support him. In March 2023, Natalija shared a photo on social media, which showed their daughter holding the ball from Jokic’s 100th triple-double.

However, Jokic does not believe the skills of fatherhood translate to the court, as he said in an interview last year, “Nah, that cannot help you.”

However, it does give Jokic a sense of comfort that he has something bigger to focus on in life other than basketball. “I knew that even before that basketball is not (the) main thing in my life and probably never gonna be, and I like it because I have something more at home that is more important than basketball.”

Although Joker always had that mindset, the birth of his daughter made that belief even stronger. “I learned this. I knew that but this kind of proved me that I’m correct.” And the birth of his son will probably do the same.

Jokic married Natalija Macesic in October 2020, in a private wedding. They were high-school sweethearts.

Well, all that being said, are you excited to see him return to the court? Dallas and Denver are both 1-1 in the NBA Cup until now. So, today’s game will be quite important. What do you think will happen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.