Nikola Jokic, player-coach?
Well, not actually, but the de facto Denver Nuggets leader has stepped into the coaching role multiple times this year after the team unexpectedly sacked Michael Malone with just three games left in the regular season.
Cameras caught Jokic drawing up a play on the sidelines two days after Malone's exit, and then, on Monday, captured a very fired-up Joker getting his team going during Game 1 of the playoff series vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the clip, the Nuggets were trailing by seven with about five minutes left in the half, and Jokic was standing in front of his guys, flailing his arms, and seemingly attempting to motivate and instruct them during a timeout.
Watch that below:
Jokić trying to get the guys going in Game 1 👀 pic.twitter.com/aJ2Kucf1Ml
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2025
Who knows if it was because of Jokic's pep talk (if that's what it was), but the Nuggets ultimately did squeeze out the win on Monday thanks to a clutch buzzer-beater from Aaron Gordon.
Moreover, Jokic's leadership skills have not gone unnoticed off the court, either. Speaking on Inside the NBA, former player and analyst Charles Barkley praised the Joker for how he is "taking control" of the Nuggets.
"It's all happened in the last month. We've been covering this team for years and the Joker don't ever show emotion," Barkley said. "But in the last month, he has been doing that. So it goes back—obviously coach is important—but Joker's like, 'No, no, no, this is my team. We gon' keep winning.' He's the one constant. It's great to watch, man."
Ernie Johnson even interjected at one point during Barkley's remarks and mentioned Jokic's control during a time-out huddle, as seen above.
"He is taking control of that team" 😤
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 6, 2025
Joker's leadership in Denver has Chuck impressed pic.twitter.com/Frxni2kZho
From a pure skill standpoint, the Nuggets are beyond lucky to have Jokic—possibly the best player in the world—on their side. But it's looking more and more these days like they're lucky to have him for his leadership, too.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as A Fired-Up Nikola Jokic Tried to Motivate Nuggets' Bench While Trailing vs. OKC.
