Nikola Vucevic is the centerpiece for the best Orlando Magic team since 2012 by virtue of the best season in his 8-year career. He averages 20.8 points and 12 rebounds per game for a 42-40 outfit that clinched the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
This past season also featured the birth of Vucevic’s first child, a son named Filip, in December. At the time, he missed a contest against the Spurs to be with Filip and his wife Nikoleta, who was in recovery. She’s a former athlete in her own right and also hails from a similar part of the world.
Here’s what you need to know about her.
1. The Couple Were Introduced by Her Brother, Former NBA Player Sasa Pavlovic
Vucevic is from Montenegro, an Eastern European country that borders with Serbia. It’s there that he met former NBA veteran Sasa Pavlovic through the national team circuit. Sasa acted as a mentor to Vucevic, which helped introduce him to Nikoleta.
Vucevic talked to the Orlando team site about how her experience dealing with an NBA brother has helped him now.
“She’s been great for me, and that’s really important to have,’’ Nikola admitted. “We’ve been dating for a long time, and she was always there for me. I’m kind of a low-key guy, but the NBA can get you into crazy situations. If you’re a young guy with a lot of money, you want to experience a lot of the fun things that are out there, but with me dating her I’ve been able to stay away from distractions, live a calm life and focus on the game. She’s helped me a lot with that.”
2. After Vucevic Moved to California for High School & College, Nikoleta Earned a Scholarship to Queens College in New York
In October 2007, Vucevic moved to Simi Valley (Calif.) to play basketball at Stoneridge Prep. He committed to keep playing in Southern California in 2008 by pledging to USC over offers from Hawaii and Nevada.
During his 3-year career for the Trojans, Nikoleta played volleyball at Queens College in New York. She was a middle blocker for the Knights and majored in Graphic Design. Her junior year bio reads:
ovana played youth and junior club volleyball back in Serbia for Red Star and Obilic, winning to gold medals and two silvers in national championship tournaments. She also won a gold and a silver at Obilic Tournaments and two gold medals at the Belgrad City Championships.
Additionally, in the senior level Jovana played for the Dunav Volleyball Club, winning a gold and two silver medals in the process.
In her three years on the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture team she won three more gold medals. While in high school, Jovana played basketball, soccer and volleyball and was named a Sportsman of the Generation in primary school.
The page says her name is Jovana, but several outlets in more recent stories call her Nikoleta. This is due to the Serbian practice of the wife typically adopting the name of her husband. Her full name then is Jovana Nikoleta Vucevic.
3. The Couple Got Married on Sveti Stefan
According to the Montenegrin magazine MNE Magazin, the couple got married on Sveti Stefan in April 2016. The google translation of the article reads:
Montenegrin national player Nikola Vučević married his long-time partner and sister basketball player Aleksandar Pavlović Nikolet on Sveti Stefan, learns MNE magazine.
Due to the wedding, the island is closed and access is allowed only to guests.
Per Discover Montenegro, Sveti Stefan is a scenic small isle inlet in Montenegro.
Sveti Stefan, pronounced, now Aman Sveti Stefan including the Villa Miločer; is a small islet and hotel resort in Montenegro, approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) southeast of Budva.
The resort includes the islet of Sveti Stefan and part of the mainland, where the Villa Miločer part of the resort is located.
4. She Gave Vucevic, a Big Star Wars fan, a Themed T-Shirt When Filip Was Born
Vucevic is apparently a big Star Wars fan, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel describes the 7-footer “devouring” the original trilogy after seeing “The Phantom Menace” when he was just 8. Knowing this, Nikoleta had a special present for her husband on the day their son was born.
Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel reported:
“She surprised me this morning with some stuff this morning and I’m sure there will be some more when I get home,” Vucevic said. “The one she got me this morning was pretty great. It was this Star Wars T-shirt with Vader on it that says, ‘Daddy.’ And there was like a little T-shirt for a baby that says ‘Daddy’s Jedi,’ so that was cool since we’re expecting a baby boy soon … pretty great.”
Filip’s first shirts were noticeably smaller, as he weighed in at 8 pounds, 12.4 ounces and measured 22.5 inches upon birth.
5. The Couple Were Spotted Supporting Her Brother Sasa at a Serbian League Game
In 2015, the couple were spotted by Telegraf at a Serbian League game to watch her brother Sasa play for KK Partizan.
The description of the video says that Vucevic is a big fan of the “Red Stars,” the nickname for the club. Pavlovic averaged 11.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game that season for the Belgrade-based franchise.
Nikoleta Pavlovic, Nikola Vucevic Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know