Nikola Jokic was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2014 and joined the team for the 2015-2016 season, the same season that veteran Mike Miller arrived. As the story goes, Miller recognized Jokic's talent immediately. And on top of that, he gave him his nickname.
On the latest episode of Podcast P with Paul George, Miller revealed the origins of "Joker" and it's about as simple as you can imagine.
Mike Miller reveals how he came up with Jokic's 'Joker' nickname 🃏
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) June 2, 2025
"I literally couldn't say, 'Jokic past the f***ing ball.'"@Pick6 pic.twitter.com/mipyDrZXvQ
"I gave him the nickname 'The Joker,' one because I couldn't say Jokic pass the ball, so I said Joker pass the ball," Miller explained. "HIs personality and the way he plays, it's like a joker. Like everytime I saw him that's a joke and I couldn't say Jokic fast enough to pass it to him. Joker was it."
Miller's only regret about the nickname was the fact that he didn't trademark it, because Jokic is now making $75 million and doesn't need it.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ex-Teammate Explains How He Gave Nikola Jokic His Nickname.
