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Denver Nuggets NBA championship parade and rally draws fans to downtown
FINAL
MIA 89 vs 94 DEN 
Your 2023 NBA CHAMPIONS
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Denver turned into the City of Champions on Thursday as the Nuggets players, coaches and owners were cheered on by fans during the NBA championship parade through the streets of downtown.
Watch a replay of the CBS Colorado coverage of the parade on our streaming service CBS News Colorado until 4 p.m., then again at 7 p.m.
Denver Nuggets celebrate their NBA Championship win during parade through the Mile High City
BY CBS COLORADO.COM STAFF
The BEST Moments From The Denver Nuggets 1st Champions Parade In 47 Years!
Parade day tips Celebration Info: http://Nuggets.com/Celebration Get pumped for the parade with some tracks our players picked out : http://nuggets.media/paradeplaylist
Denver Nuggets Introductions - 2023 NBA Championship Parade
Denver Nuggets - FULL Championship Parade Speech
Nuggets NBA Championship parade kicks off in downtown Denver!
The Denver Nuggets NBA championship parade kicked off downtown from Union Station at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Nuggets get awesome introductions at Civic Center Park rally
Kyle Speller, the Nuggets announcer in Ball Arena, introduced the Denver players at the rally in Civic Center Park rally. The last player to come out was Jamal Murray, holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
BY CBSCOLORADO.COM STAFF
Nikola Jokic glad he stayed for Nuggets parade
Serbian center Nikola Jokic said Thursday's parade in Denver to celebrate the NBA Championship was unforgettable, and a moment he'll never forget. The typically polite Joker even shockingly used a curse word to emphasize his point that he's glad he stuck around for it.
BY CBSCOLORADO.COM STAFF
Nuggets fan line downtown streets waiting for NBA championship parade
Attending Nuggets parade is a family affair in Denver
It's truly affair in Denver today. Reporter Karen Morfitt brought her children to the parade.
BY CBSCOLORADO.COM STAFF
She and reporter Conor McCue also interviewed the Martinez family. They talked about the excitement of the Denver Nuggets championship parade, which they watched from 14th and Broadway.
Denver police officer at Nuggets parade struck by fire truck and rushed to hospital
A Denver police officer was struck by a fire truck along the Nuggets' NBA championship parade route. The officer was struck at 13th and Cherokee Street and rushed to the hospital.
The officer's injuries are serious. On Thursday afternoon, the Denver Police Department tweeted that the officer was in serious condition and stable with injuries to the lower leg.
Police officer run over by Denver Nuggets parade truck
Jun 15, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone during the championship parade after the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals.
Story by Scooby Axson and Alicia DelGallo, USA TODAY
The Denver Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred during the Nuggets parade in the city celebrating the team's first NBA championship.
According to authorities, shots were fired Thursday at the corner of 17th Street and Curtis Street, near the city's central business district and the 16th Street Mall, an area filled with restaurants and stores.
Shooting injured 10 people after Nuggets win NBA Finals
Tuesday, 10 people were injured in a shooting within a mile of Ball Arena after the Nuggets' clinching Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat, delivering the team's first title as thousands of fans flooded the downtown area.
Police later said they suspect it was a drug deal that likely sparked the mass shooting; nine men and one woman were expected to survive.
"This really is about young people getting their hands on guns," Hancock said Thursday. "These are young people, 19 and 22 and 25, whose lives if they're not ended by the gunshot, they're ruined and ended because they're going to spend the rest of their lives in jail.
"And if you want to know why people are emboldened, there is a very prolific Fentanyl drug trade happening all over this country. And we have not been immune to it. So, join with us in being honest about what's happening here: Our young people are getting their hands on guns. They don't know how to solve
crises or challenges by having a conversation; they're shooting at one another. It makes absolutely no sense.
"This may have been a very targeted situation related to a drug trade, not only on Monday but today, and it's making everyone else unsafe."
Police said two male victims were transported to Denver Health and they are in serious condition.
Police have a photograph of the suspect, but he has not yet been identified or taken into custody, according to Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas, who added the shooting was a targeted incident "completely unassociated to the parade and subsequent events" and happened about an hour after the festivities ended.
"Rest assured that our Denver police department will not rest until we apprehend the individuals who are responsible for today's shootings and unfortunately injured two people," Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock said during a news conference Thursday afternoon. "Shame on them."
Thomas said two unrelated arrests were made during the parade, one individual with a weapon and another who had a warrant and was "involved in a disturbance."
Denver firefighters excited for Nuggets championship parade
Some Denver firefighters are taking center stage on fire engines at the Nuggets NBA championship parade through downtown on Thursday.
BY JENNIFER MCRAE
CBS News Colorado Sports Romi Bean will be on one of those engines with four Nuggets players: Reggie Jackson, Vlatko Cancar, Zeke Nnaji and Thomas Bryant.
Michael Malone© NBA TV Story by Jorge Alonso
No one was having more fun than Nuggets head coach Michael Malone during the team’s championship parade.
On Thursday afternoon, the Denver Nuggets held their championship parade in downtown Denver.
It didn’t take long for Malone to pop champagne bottles with fans.
Throughout the parade, Malone was seen chugging beers and tossing the cans into the crowd.
Veteran Nuggets trio rock hilarious custom-made shirts at championship parade
Story by James Salmon
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray give Denver Nuggets NBA dynasty aspirations | Brother From Another
Jeff Green, Deandre Jordan and Ish Smith might have played a combined average of just 4.53 minutes per game in the Denver Nuggets NBA Finals win, but hey – they’re still NBA Champions, and they’re more than happy to let the world know all about it.
At the Nuggets championship parade on Thursday following their five-game defeat of the Miami Heat, the three of them rocked matching shirts and singlets. On them, the three veterans carry duffel bags filled with cash, and of course, a Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Ish Smith, Jeff Green and DeAndre Jordan sporting some custom-made shirts during the Nuggets championship parade today
Though Jeff Green was the only member of the trio to play any sort of meaningful minutes in the playoffs, it’s hard to begrudge any of these individuals from celebrating as though they won the Finals MVP. Each of them has had an incredibly long journey to becoming an NBA champion, with Green 36 years of age
and both Smith and Jordan 34.
Deandre Jordan had the longest stint on any team of these players, having represented the Los Angeles Clippers for ten seasons at the beginning of his career during the Lob City days. Since then, however, he’s been shopped around endlessly. He has played for no less than seven teams on his journey, and that’s the
lowest number of this trio by a fair margin. For Green, the Nuggets are team number 11, while Ish Smith has put on the uniform of nearly half the team’s in the NBA at 13.
The careers of each of them might be meandering towards a close, but for the time being, they’re NBA champions – and they’re enjoying every minute of it.
Throwback Thursday: Jeff Green Pays Homage to Sonics at Nuggets Championship Parade
© Provided by Sports Illustrated
Gov. Jared Polis proclaims June 15 as Denver Nuggets NBA Champions Day
Gov. Jared Polis addressed the crowd at the Denver City and County Building before the start of the parade. The Colorado governor just proclaimed June 15 as Denver Nuggets NBA Champions Day!
BY CBSCOLORADO.COM STAFF CBS
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope goes full Stone Cold Steve Austin at Nuggets’ NBA Finals parade
Story by Tim Capurso
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, or KCP, is stealing the show at the Denver Nuggets’ parade after their NBA Finals win over the Miami Heat. Not only did Caldwell-Pope take a leaf out of former Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith’s book by showing up to the parade shirtless, but he also channeled his inner Stone Cold
Steve Austin with a double beer smash that would make the wrestling legend shed a tear. Check out the footage of KCP,
KCP just did the Stone Cold beer smash at Nuggets' Parade
Like a perfectly executed Nuggets’ NBA Finals possession, KCP waited for the beer outlet pass from a fan, then sprang into action, smashing the two adult beverages together in perfect form.
But that wasn’t the Nuggets player’s only epic moment at the NBA Finals parade.
Like a true man of the people, Caldwell-Pope had a beer chugging contest with a fan, then came in for the bro hug afterwards.
Caldwell-Pope has plenty of reasons to be excited, as this is the first time he is actually able to celebrate an NBA Finals win.
KCP won a title with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers in the bubble, though there was no championship parade due to the ongoing pandemic.
As a result, Caldwell-Pope is letting out two NBA Finals’ runs worth of energy and excitement at the Nuggets’ parade- and fans are loving it.
KCP thanked the fans while speaking to a reporter at the parade, noting that it’s a special moment given that it’s the franchise’s first ever NBA Finals title.
Caldwell-Pope is certainly pulling out all of the stops in celebration.
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Nuggets rookie Christian Braun delivers special Stephen Curry shoutout during championship parade
Story by Paolo Songco
The Denver Nuggets were in an absolute jovial state on Thursday as they celebrated their title win with their fans during the championship parade. The players were clearly having the time of their life, and you have to say that they absolutely deserve all of it.
Even Nuggets rookie Christian Braun was living the good life during the championship parade on the streets of downtown Denver, Colorado. Apart from the fact that he had a WWE championship belt draped over his shoulder, the 22-year-old also had a bottle of bubbly in tow. At one point in the parade, Braun decided
to deliver a special Stephen Curry shoutout to honor the GOAT shooter:
Christian Braun hit Steph Curry's "night night" celebration at the Nuggets championship parade today
To be fair to Curry, that’s one of the baddest celebrations in the history of the game. It completely caught on and blew up as soon as he started busting it out — as with most things Steph Curry-related — and you could say that the savage celly absolutely took on a life of its own. So much so, that it’s even carried
itself over to the Nuggets championship parade.
As for Christian Braun, you can clearly see how delighted this young man is at the moment. Very few players are able to win a ring during their entire NBA career, and even fewer are able to bag that chip in their rookie year. Well, that’s exactly what the former Kansas standout did in his debut season. He didn’t get a
free ride either, with Braun also playing a key role off the bench in the Nuggets’ recent championship contest.
Nuggets fans break through barriers at NBA championship parade
Thousands of Nuggets fans broke through the barriers lining the NBA championship parade route as players made their way from Union Station to Civic Center Park for the rally on Thursday.
BY JENNIFER MCRAE CBS
Crowd of Nuggets fans grows in Civic Center Park
The crowd is growing in Civic Center Park for the Denver Nuggets rally. Anchor/reporter Kelly Werthmann interviewed fans who both love Aaron Gordon and expect this to be a dynasty, with many more NBA Championships to go.
BY CBSCOLORADO.COM STAFF
Jokic drinks a beer during Nuggets NBA championship parade
NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic celebrated during the Nuggets NBA championship parade by enjoying a cold one while making his way to Civic Center Park for the rally after the parade.
BY JENNIFER MCRAE
Nikola Jokic shows off Larry O'Brien trophy at NBA Championship parade
NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic is showing off the Larry O'Brien trophy during the NBA championship parade through downtown Denver.
BY JENNIFER MCRAE CBS
Jokic's daughter was also on the engine with her father, seemingly taking it all in.
Fan holds up sign "Let Joker go home"
A Nuggets fan at Civic Center Park held up a sign before the start of the rally for the Denver champions that plays off of Nikola Jokic's comments earlier this week. It says "Let Joker go home."
The NBA Finals MVP said he wasn't too thrilled that he's wasn't on a plane back to the Balkans right after Monday's Game 5 win. The center said on the court "the job is done, we can go home now."
He was forgetting about the fact that there was going to be a big parade to celebrate the franchise's first NBA championship in the Mile High City.
It appears the Joker will head home on Friday.
JJ Redick comes to the defense of Nikola Jokic, Nuggets, slaps Chris Mannix with truth bomb
Story by Rexwell Villas
The Denver Nuggets ruled the 2022-23 NBA season and they have a Larry O’Brien Trophy to show for it. No one can ever call them a ringless franchise anymore, but that doesn’t mean Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are completely insulated from unfavorable takes over their successful run in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. JJ
Redick isn’t one of them and he’s seemingly had enough of such comments about how the Nuggets had the NBA title handed to them because they faced a lightweight in the form of the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
“Guess what? Those teams weren’t good enough, 2 of them lost to the Heat and one of them couldn’t get past the Celtics,” Redick said in a recent episode of The OldMan & The Three podcast. “How is that a knock on [Nikola] Jokic?”
It can be remembered that Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix implied that the NBA title of Jokic and the Nuggets don’t impress him enough because Denver did not face an elite team in the Finals.
It is not the Nuggets’ fault that the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics did not get their respective job done in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Bucks got stunned in the first round by the Heat, while the Sixers got trounced by the Celtics in the second round. Boston came just a win away
from joining the Nuggets in the NBA Finals, but they also got upset by Jimmy Butler and company in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
At the end of the day, the Nuggets won the NBA championship and just had a parade in downtown Denver.
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Check out the latest photos from the Nuggets NBA championship parade and rally
There was no shortage of memorable moments during the Nuggets NBA championship parade and rally on Thursday. Players and fans were celebrating in the streets, literally!
BY JENNIFER MCRAE CBS
Check out the best moments from the parade and rally in a photo gallery that shows Nuggets players, coaches and fans.
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Bruce Brown leaves questions about his future with Denver Nuggets: "One more year?"
During the NBA championship rally at Civic Center Park a shirtless Bruce Brown hinted that he'd like to be back in a Nuggets uniform next year.
BY CBS COLORADO.COM STAFF
Nuggets mascot Rocky shoots confetti from fire engine at NBA Championship parade
Nuggets mascot Rocky shoots confetti from atop a fire engine at the NBA Championship parade.
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Shirtless Nuggets Fans Gives Legendary Interview After Chugging Beer A Player Tossed Him During Parade
Beer tossed during Denver Nuggets victory parade© Getty Image
Story by Connor Toole
Nikola Jokić may not have been looking forward to the parade the city of Denver organized to celebrate the Nuggets winning their first NBA title in franchise history, but hundreds of thousands of people were predicted to descend upon the Mile High City on Thursday to celebrate the achievement.
Victory parades have historically been an excuse for teams and their fans to get absolutely plastered while basking in the glory of their championship, and it’s safe to say this particular gathering was no exception.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone seemed more than happy to use the occasion to treat himself (and some spectators along the route) to the champagne that was flowing very freely during the procession, but that was far from the only adult beverage that was being consumed.
You also had to keep your head on a swivel for the cans of beer that were being thrown at (and from) the vehicles the team was riding on, although Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made a brief pit stop when he hopped off of a fire truck and engaged in an electric chug-off with a guy behind a barrier.
Christian Braun, on the other hand, apparently spread the love by tossing some cans into the crowd, and even though the Nuggets were this year’s NBA champions, I’d argue the real winner of the entire affair was the guy who gave us an interview for the ages after snagging a brew the rookie chucked his way.
The fan in question was a shirtless bro named Isaiah who provided a KMGH reporter with a slightly profane play-by-play of what unfolded when he snagged the can of Coors Braun threw his way before crushing what he described as the “one of the best beers I’ve ever had in my life.”
You love to see it.
Isaiah Thomas
@isaiahthomas
That’s LOVE
@TD3OH3
We’ve got an @isaiahthomas siting. I respect this one. IT was awesome during his time here.
Nikola Jokic Hilariously Flips His Opinion On Parades During Nuggets Title Celebration
Nikola Jokic and teammates at parade celebration© Getty Image / Justin Edmonds
Story by Benedetto Vitale
The Denver Nuggets are celebrating their title win with a parade on Thursday and there have been plenty of viral moments already happen.
One person everybody was keen to see during the celebration was superstar center Nikola Jokic.
He went viral right after the title win, as Jokic wanted nothing more than to go home to Serbia. He could barely even handle it when he was told he had to wait three days for the parade.
Well, during the parade celebration, Nikola Jokic was humming a different tune.
The star center took the mic and shared with the crowd that he now “want to f****** stay at parade.” It was a hilarious moment you just have to see for yourself. Check out the video below!
YOU HEARD THE MAN
Look, championship parades look like an insane amount of fun. Especially if you’re a player or coach. Everyone just goes all out during the celebration. So, it’s no wonder Nikola Jokic changed his mind about the parade.
Additionally, this could add fuel to Jokic’s desire of winning another ring this time next year.
The Nuggets should be considered title contenders again next season. Especially considering Jokic is one of, if not, the best player in the world right now.
But we’re just glad he’s finally having fun with the title win. In clips of the team celebrating, Jokic seemed like someone who just got off work from their late shift and was just ready to go home.
Anyway, congrats to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. They proved to be the best team in the NBA this year.
“We Love You Denver, This One Is For You” - Nikola Jokic Speaks At Nuggets 2023 Champions Parade!
Nikola Jokic sends epic message during Denver Nuggets' victory parade
Nikola Jokic sends epic message during Denver Nuggets' victory parade© Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Story by Benedetto Vitale
Nikola Jokic said he didn't want a championship parade. However, the MVP of the NBA Finals changed his mind. Check out the details of an incredible episode at Denver.
Nikola Jokic was extraordinary in the NBA Finals to give the Denver Nuggets their first championship in franchise history. During the series, Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat didn’t have an answer for the famous Joker.
The records were just impressive. For example, in Game 3, Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists. It was the first time in history that someone accomplished a 30-20-10 in the NBA finals.
Furthermore, in one of the greatest feats ever, Nikola Jokic led in points, rebounds and assists in the entire playoffs. That’s probable never going to happen again in the NBA. Even with all these achievements, the Serbian star was kind of reluctant to celebrate. Read here to find out why that mood suddenly
changed.
Nikola Jokic’s hilarious message during Nuggets’ parade
Just minutes after winning the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic was asked if he was ready to celebrate with thousands of Nuggets’ fans. His answer went viral on social media. “When is parade? When is parade? No. I need to go home.”
However, Jokic appeared this Thursday absolutely enjoying the event at Denver. It was all smiles for the finals MVP. “You know that I told that I don’t want to stay on parade, but, I want to stay on parade. This is amazing. We’re all gonna remember this our whole lives.”
In another important detail, Nikola Jokic said during an interview with ESPN that he had lost the MVP trophy in the locker room. Today, the intrigue was over as the piece appeared alongside the Serbian player. In the end, everything worked out for the best.
Nuggets fan dresses in layers, shows off multiple jerseys
One dedicated Nuggets fan was prepared for Colorado's changing weather at the NBA championship parade on Thursday- he dressed in layers- a LOT of layers. The fan took off not one, not two, not three, but five jerseys to show his team spirit along the parade route.
BY JENNIFER MCRAE
Once he showed some skin, though, CBS News Colorado's Michelle Griego and Brian Flores were happy that he stopped showing off his layers!
Lifelong Nuggets fan (and Michelle Griego's cousin) arrives at Union Station early
Denver Nuggets fans arrived early in LoDo on Thursday to get a good spot to watch the NBA champions parade through downtown. That included Ben and his family, who got to Union Station before 7 a.m. The parade starts at Union Station at 10 a.m.
BY CBSCOLORADO.COM STAFF
"I'm just here to take in all the experience," he said. "Finally celebrate a team that brought the NBA Championship to Denver. Just taking the day to take it all in."
Ben has been a Nuggets fan his whole life.
"Went to the first Nuggets game with my dad back when it was at McNichols Arena," he said.
While Ben was doing an interview on CBS Colorado Mornings, anchor Michelle Griego revealed that Ben is her cousin! Griego also grew up in the Denver area rooting on the Nuggets.
Story by Jack Deignan
The Denver Nuggets are living it up at their NBA Finals victory parade. When Michael Malone had his turn speaking to the massive Denver crowd, he made sure to silence any rumors of Bruce Brown leaving in NBA free agency.
“Is Brucey B going anywhere…hell no, hell no, hellll nooo…hey, we running this sh*t back, we running this sh*t back, get loud, get loud!”
Michael Malone is clearly under a little bit of influence, but so are the rest of the Nuggets and deservedly so; they snapped a 47 year streak of no championships, and this is their day to celebrate an incredible accomplishment. However, it is very on brand for Michael Malone to be looking ahead already and ensuring
that Bruce Brown will be on the Nuggets next season.
Bruce Brown played a pivotal role for the Nuggets all season and especially in the playoffs. He was an absolute spark off the bench and consistently made winning plays that the Nuggets needed. His shining moment came in Game 4 of the NBA Finals where he went off in the fourth quarter and helped the Nuggets
take a 3-1 lead over the Miami Heat.
While Michael Malone mentions next season, he will soon get back to celebrating with the rest of the Nuggets and the city of Denver. This team was one of the best in recent memory and deserves every bit of their NBA Finals victory, including the celebration that comes along with it. Stay tuned for more iconic
moments that arise from the Nuggets NBA Finals parade
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🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀 Micheal Porter Jr
Aaron Gordon
Nikola Jokic’s wife hit with stray beer can at Nuggets championship parade
Story by Jack Deignan
The Denver Nuggets are having a blast amid their NBA Finals championship parade. However, Nikola Jokic’s wife Natalija might not be having as much fun as everyone else, as she got nailed by a stray beer can during the parade.
Nikola Jokic's wife gets hit in the face by beer can thrown by fan at Nuggets parade
A stray beer can comes flying into frame and nails Natalija Jokic in the face. She is quickly attended to by the man on her left and Nikola Jokic behind her, and hopefully she is okay. As long as she is, she can go back to partying and celebrating the NBA Finals victory with the rest of the Nuggets.
The Nuggets are having the time of their lives at the parade and celebrating a championship that was 47 years in the making. It looks like the city of Denver showed out for the activities, and the Nuggets players and staff have responded by partying like animals. Overall, it is a great day to be a fan or a member of
the Denver Nuggets organization.
Despite the parade being for this year’s NBA Finals, Michael Malone has dropped multiple comments regarding the Nuggets desire to run it back next season. If the Nuggets are able to retain most of this roster, it would really come as no surprise to see them back in the NBA Finals in 2024.
If the Nuggets do make it back to the NBA Finals and win, then obviously another championship parade would be on the horizon. Nikola and Natalija Jokic might take more precautions then to make sure she doesn’t get hit in the face by a thrown beer can.
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🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀Love from AG
Bottomless bubbly
New NBA champ Uncle Jeff Green wore a Sonics lid for the Nuggets Parade today. That’s true 206 love
Viral video of Nugget center Nikola Jokic shows he played exactly same way as kid
Story by Trevor Booth
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic cemented his claim as the best basketball player in the world. The Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and finished with an impressive 16-3 playoff run.
Jokic was named Finals MVP after he averaged 30.2 points on 58.3 percent shooting (42.1 percent from 3-point range), 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists in the series. He is becoming one of the best big men of all-time thanks to his passing and overall offensive talent.
Thursday, a viral video surfaced of Jokic’s play as a kid. He dribbles the ball up the floor, attacks the offensive glass and passes in transition.
He seems to have never wavered from his strengths. Now, he’s a champion.
Jokic’s reign as the NBA’s best player is not likely to end soon. The Nuggets have him, guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr. under contract through 2024-25. Jokic has won two MVP awards and could win more thanks to his skill set.
Denver is also coached by Michael Malone, who has raised the Nuggets’ core and wants to be around for more title runs.
Jokic grew up in a difficult situation. Shortly after he was born, the NATO bombed Serbia for 11 weeks. Jokic was raised in a two-bedroom apartment that he shared with his parents, brothers and grandmother.
“I remember things like sirens, bomb shelters, always turning off the lights,” Jokic said in an interview with Bleacher Report. “We practically lived in the dark. Even at like 9 a.m., everything was turned off.”
Earlier this week, Jokic and his family got to celebrate an NBA championship after a difficult season in their life. The Nuggets have their championship parade Thursday.
Nikola Jokic's Attitude Is His Biggest Strength
What sets a great player from a good player is the attitude they come with, and Jokic showed what made him a success when he spoke about his approach to winning.
“If you want to be successful, you need to be bad, then you need to be good. Then when you're good, you need to fail. Then when you fail, you're going to figure it out... There are no shortcuts. It's a journey," the Serbian reflected on his success.
Jokic was phenomenal in the playoffs averaging 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists. No teams could figure out how to stop him offensively and that was a major factor heading into the Nuggets championship run.
It remains to be seen of the Finals MVP can keep up this level of consistency in the upcoming season.
The Denver Nuggets are the first West team not from California or Texas to win the NBA Championship since the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics
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