Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s brother was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault in connection with a fight at Ball Arena during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers in April.
Strahinja Jokic, 41, is charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and appeared in Denver County Court on Tuesday, according to court records.
Denver police first learned about the altercation through a viral TikTok video that showed “well-known family members of Denver Nuggets player Nikola Jokic engaging in an altercation with an unidentified fan in the stands,” according to an arrest affidavit.
The video showed a “verbal exchange” between a fan and Strahinja and Nemanja Jokic before one of the brothers hit the fan in the face, police wrote.
A Denver detective interviewed the fan three days after the April 22 game and noted he had cuts and bruising around and under his left eye.
The man told police he was punched in the face by one of the Jokic brothers, a “big guy with a mohawk,” and that the assault was unprovoked. Police later identified Strahinja Jokic through his neck tattoo.
The man was later diagnosed with a concussion, according to the affidavit. He initially didn’t want to press charges against Strahinja Jokic because he was afraid of retaliation and concerned for his family’s safety, but he changed his mind in early May.
When contacted by police, Strahinja Jokic told them he felt he had done nothing wrong because he was defending an older man whom he had known for a very long time.
A spokesperson for Nuggets owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment declined to comment on the case.
Strahinja Jokic is set to appear in court for an arraignment hearing Aug. 21.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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