Whether the Nuggets win or lose, whether Nikola Jokic achieves historic triple-doubles or has a quiet scoring night, his most devoted fans can always be found waiting eagerly just outside the Nuggets’ family room after the final buzzer. These fans, technically season ticket holders, don’t spend much time watching the game itself. Instead, on game nights, they engage in arts and crafts while Jokic is on the court delivering impressive performances like his 32-point, 18-rebound, 10-assist stat line in a recent win over the 76ers.
As Jokic approaches, these fans are filled with excitement, hoping to be among the lucky ones lifted and carried down the hallway by their larger-than-life superhero. Though they are children of Nuggets staffers, they might as well be Jokic’s personal fan club.
Before Jokic can even celebrate with his teammates in the locker room after another MVP-like performance, leading the Nuggets to their 33rd win of the season, he first pays his respects to these dedicated fans who have become viral sensations in their own right this season.
“I adore them. I really do,” Jokic expressed. “And they adore me back. I’m not sure why.”
While Jokic’s most dedicated supporters may have missed witnessing another stellar performance against Philadelphia, the packed crowd at the Pepsi Center couldn’t take their eyes off the star center. Jokic impressed from the very beginning against the 76ers, scoring 17 points in the first quarter on just 12 shots. This impressive display came just 24 hours after he watched the previous game against the Suns from his apartment, joined by his former teammate, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, Wilson Chandler, who came by to keep him company.
“I was feeling good with my shots,” Jokic remarked about his mindset in the first quarter. “So I just kept shooting.”
Teammates maintain that they’re no longer taken aback by Jokic’s impressive stat lines, but his latest performance certainly grabbed their attention. Facing the 76ers, Jokic notched his seventh triple-double of the season, etching his name in NBA history by becoming the first player to achieve 32 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists in 34 minutes or less. He joins a select group of players since 2010, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMarcus Cousins, and David Lee, to finish with at least 30 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. Additionally, Jokic fell just two rebounds short of a rare 30-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game, last accomplished by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1976.
“The things Joker does, it’s like at the end of a quarter, you look up and he’s got like 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and it’s the end of the first quarter,” remarked Torrey Craig, who contributed 15 points and six rebounds. “So by the end of the game, I’m not surprised that he stuffs the stat sheet the way he does.”
While Denver comfortably defeated Philadelphia, Nuggets coach Michael Malone acknowledged that it was a tougher matchup than anticipated. Despite missing key players like Chandler, Joel Embiid, and Jimmy Butler due to injuries, the 76ers still managed to score 37 points in the first quarter and shot efficiently in the first half. However, the Nuggets tightened their defense in the second half, limiting the 76ers to just 42 points on 33 percent shooting.
“Overall, I thought guys took it upon themselves to defend at a much higher level than we did in the first half,” said Malone. “… It was a good step in the right direction against a good team. They were without three starters, obviously, but still a tough challenge for us.”
Denver asserted control in the fourth quarter, securing a comfortable 16-point victory. Six Nuggets players, including Jokic, Craig, Will Barton, Mason Plumlee, Malik Beasley, and Monte Morris, scored in double digits. Despite shooting just 33 percent from beyond the arc, the Nuggets dominated in the paint, outscoring the 76ers 74-40.
But for the Jokic diehards, statistics and wins and losses take a backseat. They remain devoted to their larger-than-life superhero, indifferent to the numbers on the scoreboard, even as the Nuggets boast an impressive 22-4 home record this season.
“They don’t know nothing about basketball,” Jokic said of his personal fan club, perplexed by why those kids’ faces always light up every time their superhero lumbers down the hallway.
“Maybe, it’s because you’re you’re pretty tall,” I suggested.
“Maybe, it’s that,” he said.