Nikola Jović
Nikola Jović | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 9, 2003 Leicester, England |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Known for | Playing for the Miami Heat in the NBA |
Nikola Jović (, ; born 9 June 2003) is a Serbian professional basketball athlete currently competing for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Heat selected him with the 27th pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
Early career
Born in Leicester, England, Jović arrived into a basketball family, as his father Ilija was playing professionally there at the time. When he was nine years old, his family relocated back to Serbia, where he pursued both basketball and water polo during his youth. He started his basketball journey in KK Sava’s youth ranks before transferring to the Mega Basket youth academy in 2018. At the 2021–22 Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament held in Belgrade, Jović posted averages of 29.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting an efficient 66%, which earned him MVP recognition.
Mega Basket (2021–2022)
Jović made his professional debut for Mega Basket during the Radivoj Korać Cup in Novi Sad in February 2021. His first appearance in the ABA League came on 19 March, where he tallied 10 points and pulled down 9 rebounds despite the team’s loss to Split. Shortly after turning 18, on 10 June 2021, he secured his initial professional contract with Mega Basket.
In the 2021–22 NBA GM Survey, Jović received votes as the top international prospect outside the NBA. He was also honored as the ABA League Top Prospect for that season in April 2022. Over 25 games, he averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per contest, shooting 42.8% overall from the field, 35.6% from beyond the arc, and converting 75.4% of his free throws.
Miami Heat (2022–present)
Jović declared for the 2022 NBA draft in April 2022 and was selected by the Miami Heat with the 27th overall pick on 23 June. He inked a multi-year rookie deal on 2 July and took part in that summer’s NBA Summer League.
On 23 October 2022, Jović received a one-game suspension without pay after leaving the bench area during an altercation between Miami and the Toronto Raptors. Later that year, on 30 December, he was assigned to play in the NBA G League. Jović participated in the 2023 NBA Finals where Miami fell to the Denver Nuggets in five games.
He achieved a personal best of 24 points along with seven rebounds on February 13, 2024, contributing significantly to a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
During the following season (2024–25), Jović appeared in 46 games including ten starts, averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. On April 28, 2025, he scored another season-high of 24 points during Miami’s first-round playoff defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers that ended their postseason run.
On October 3, 2025, Miami extended Jović’s contract with a $62.4 million rookie extension.
National team career
Due to a right arm injury, Jović was unable to participate in the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship.
In July 2021, he represented Serbia’s U19 team at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup where he averaged impressive numbers: 18.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists across seven games and earned selection to the all-tournament team.
Jović made his senior debut for Serbia’s national team during the February 2022 qualifiers for the 2023 FIBA World Cup at just age 18. Although initially named to Serbia’s preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2022, he was withdrawn following Miami Heat’s decision not to release him for participation.
At the August 2023 FIBA World Cup, Jović contributed averages of 10.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists over eight contests as Serbia secured a silver medal finish. He also helped Serbia claim bronze at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Regular season
| Season | Club | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Mega Basket | 4 | 24.7 | .550 | .400 | .750 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 11.8 | 15.8 |
| 2021–22 | 25 | 27.8 | .430 | .360 | .750 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 11.7 | 12.7 |
Regular season
| Season | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Miami Heat | 15 | 8 | 13.6 | .406 | .229 | .947 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 5.5 |
| 2023–24 | Miami Heat | 46 | 38 | 19.5 | .452 | .399 | .702 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 7.7 |
| 2024–25 | Miami Heat | 46 | 10 | 25.1 | .456 | .371 | .828 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 10.7 |
| Career totals | 107 | 56 | 21.1 | .450 | .370 | .804 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 8.7 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Miami Heat | 7 | 0 | 1.8 | .250 | .000 | — | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| 2024 | Miami Heat | 5 | 5 | 25.7 | .444 | .409 | .857 | 6.6 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 9.4 |
| 2025 | Miami Heat | 4 | 0 | 18.8 | .371 | .250 | 1.000 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 9.5 |
| Career playoff totals | 16 | 5 | 13.5 | .400 | .313 | .923 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 5.4 | |
See also
External links
- Player profile at euroleague.net
- Player profile at realgm.com
- Player profile at eurobasket.com