Lawsuit Details Lakers Fan’s Account of Alleged Assault by Nikola Jokic’s Brother at 2024 Nuggets Playoff Game
Strahinja Jokic, brother of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, is facing additional legal trouble after a civil lawsuit was filed against him, stemming from an alleged assault during a high-stakes playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 22, 2024, at Ball Arena.
The lawsuit was brought by Nicholas Meyer, a Lakers fan who claims he was targeted, heckled, and ultimately assaulted following the Nuggets’ buzzer-beating win that night. The incident, which was caught on video, shows Strahinja Jokic—who stands 6’9″ and weighs over 280 pounds—climbing over rows of seats and throwing a punch at Meyer’s head. Jokic has already been criminally charged with assault and has pleaded not guilty. His criminal trial is set for May 7.
In the civil complaint, Meyer alleges the trouble began earlier in the game when he was repeatedly heckled for supporting the visiting team. At the buzzer, Meyer said he was shoved from behind into another seat, which he believes was done by the same man who heckled him during the game. The situation escalated as Meyer and his friend stood to leave. According to the lawsuit, a second man slapped Meyer’s hat off his head just as Strahinja Jokic allegedly surged forward from a nearby row, stepping over seats and pushing through fans.
Meyer claims that Jokic punched him “squarely in the face,” resulting in a concussion, a deviated septum, facial bruises and cuts, and other serious injuries. The lawsuit further alleges that while Meyer searched for his hat, Jokic began “wildly kicking” at him and his friend. Meyer said he attempted to locate security but found no personnel nearby, prompting him to leave the arena and take a taxi home. He also claimed that Jokic appeared intoxicated and that he had done nothing to provoke the physical assault, stating he was “only speaking.”
Meyer is pursuing a jury trial and has filed claims of assault and battery, negligence, and negligence per se, seeking damages for the injuries and trauma sustained during the incident.
