Nikola Jović

About

Nikola Jović (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Јовић, pronounced [nǐkola jǒːʋitɕ]; born 9 June 2003) is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected 27th overall by the Heat in the 2022 NBA draft.

Jović was born in the Royal Infirmary in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, as his father, Ilija, was playing professional basketball there at the time. When he was nine, the family moved back to Serbia where he grew up playing water polo for VK Partizan as well as basketball. Jović was playing basketball for the KK Sava youth system before he joined the Mega Basket youth system in 2018. At the 2021–22 Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament in the Serbian capital Belgrade, he averaged 29.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 blocks in 28 minutes per game, while shooting 66% from the field and 17% from three and won the MVP award.

Jović made his senior debut for Mega Basket in February 2021 at the Radivoj Korać Cup tournament in Novi Sad. On 19 March, Jović made his ABA League debut in a 74–65 loss to Split, recording 10 points and…