Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Strahinja Jokić’s assault case continues

Strahinja Jokić, the older brother of the Denver Nuggets center, will continue his court case on Jan. 6 with a plea and setting hearing for a third-degree assault charge that stemmed from a savage punch against a fan at Ball Arena during a game versus the Los Angeles Lakers in April. The battering left the victim with a concussion, bruising and lacerations. 

A witness captured video of the incident. S. Jokić is 6-foot-9 and weighs 287 pounds. The person he struck appears to be of normal size.

S. Jokić came alone for his court date on Tuesday, save for his attorney, Abraham Hutt. Originally, a plea and setting hearing was scheduled, but Hutt requested and was granted extra time to negotiate with the City Attorney’s office.

On Aug. 21, S. Jokić’s fingerprints and photograph were taken for the case. Additionally, a protection order was enacted that day, barring him from contact with the victim, per court documents.

S. Jokić previously was in legal trouble in Denver in 2019. Then, he was charged with assault in the second- degree for strangling Maria Jokić, and accused of false imprisonment plus obstructing a telephone or telegraph service. He later accepted a guilty plea for obstructing a phone service and trespassing in a deferred prosecution arrangement, eliminating the charges. The trespassing charge was removed in 2022.