Nikola Jokic’s brilliant season has suffered a severe setback, and the impact goes far beyond the Denver Nuggets. The team’s main name and favorite for the NBA MVP award, the Serbian now faces a forced break that could change the course of the individual race and the championship.
He injured his knee against the Miami Heat, underwent tests and the results were revealed this Tuesday (30). THE Sporting News show.
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What was Jokic’s injury? When will he return?
Nikola Jokic will be gone for about four weeks and runs the risk of losing strength in the race for NBA MVP. According to the American press, the Denver Nuggets star underwent tests this Tuesday and had diagnosed with hyperextension in the left knee.
The injury occurred at the end of the first half of the game against the Miami Heat, played last night and ended in a 147-123 defeat for the Nuggets.
The information was released by journalist Shams Charania, from “ESPN”. According to the findings, the positive point is that the player’s ligaments were not damaged. To date, the Denver Nuggets have not released a detailed medical report.
🚨 URGENT:
NIKOLA JOKIC SUFFERED A KNEE HYPEREXTENSION!
HE WILL MISS DENVER NUGGETS FOR AT LEAST FOUR WEEKS.
🗞️ @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/HV8RV3guPz
— NBA da bad (@NBAdabad) December 30, 2025
How was Jokic’s injury?
The move took place in a defensive play inside the box, when Jokic was accidentally stepped on by teammate Spencer Jones. The pivot immediately fell to the ground, holding his left knee, in the final seconds of the first half. He left the court limping, supported by his colleagues. Before leaving, he had scored 21 points, as well as 5 rebounds and 8 assists.
Can Jokic be MVP?
In a season of historic numbers, Jokic leads the race for MVP, but the time away could count against him. Denver will play 17 games over the next month — precisely the maximum number of games that the Serbian can miss to remain eligible for both the MVP award and a place in the All-NBA.
If the prediction is confirmed, this will be Jokic’s longest period of absence in his 11 seasons in the league. Current third place in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets are also going through a delicate moment in their squad. In addition to Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cam Johnson are handed over to the medical department, leaving the team without four of the five starters.
