Strahinja Jokic, the eldest brother of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, has been charged with third-degree assault after allegedly punching a fan during a playoff game in April against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The incident, which took place after the Nuggets secured a 2-0 lead in their first-round series, was captured on video and circulated online. Although the NBA launched an investigation at the time, no immediate action was taken. However, Strahinja was later charged with misdemeanor assault in July.
The fan who was allegedly attacked sustained a concussion along with cuts and bruises to his face. Initially reluctant to press charges, the victim reported the incident to the police three days after it occurred.
A judge has since ordered Strahinja to stay away from the victim. Strahinja claimed that his actions were in defense of an older man during the game. He is required to complete fingerprinting and return to court in October to enter a plea.
This isn’t Strahinja’s first run-in with the law. In 2019, he faced felony assault charges after being accused of choking and restraining a woman who tried to leave his apartment.
He initially faced several charges, including second-degree assault, false imprisonment, and obstruction of phone service. However, after pleading guilty to obstruction of phone service and felony trespassing, the trespassing charge was later dismissed following two years of good behavior during an unsupervised probation period.
Strahinja, along with his other brother Nemanja, is often seen supporting Nikola Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, at Nuggets games.
