The Denver Nuggets are projected to take a step back this season, and Nikola Jokic took an unusual step in the first week by going toe-to-toe with fans who booed the team at Ball Arena.
After Jokic posted a 35-point triple-double as Denver returned to beat the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime on Saturday night, the Serbian superstar said those who booed were “not welcome” as fans. Jokic’s stark comments came as he awaits a massive contract extension next summer and the team tries to return to the NBA Finals after a 2023 title.
Among the many critics of Jokic’s surprising quip was Stephen A. Smith, who offered familiar criticism of the Nuggets star on his radio show Monday.
“If ownership for the Denver Nuggets are having a heart attack from what they just heard, please forgive them,” he said. “Because that is one of the most ridiculous things you could ever want to hear from any player, let alone a superstar.”
“Fans have a right to boo you. And the bigger point is, even though they booed, you know what else they did, Nikola Jokic? They stayed. So they booed you, probably to inspire you to come back and do what the hell you did. As long as they didn’t leave, why are you tripping?”
Smith has repeatedly said he sees his job as making his bosses more money. And he believes Jokic would do well to embrace the same mentality.
“Nikola Jokic seems to be a really great guy. He’s a great superstar for the game,” he said. “But you still can’t say that. You can’t say that. Not unless you’re playing for free. If you are getting paid, and this brother is in position to get a $300 million-plus extension. If you are getting paid, you cannot say stuff like that. You cannot disregard the importance of generating revenue. ‘Oh, there goes Stephen A. again … talking about money.’ Shut up.”
Smith also contrasted Jokic’s defensive posture with LeBron James’s over the weekend, who said Philadelphia fans were right to boo the 76ers after their loss to Detroit.
While Smith’s take seems in line with most Nuggets fans’ perspective, it is worth remembering that Jokic hails from a part of the world far more loyal to its sports teams. Countless viral videos have captured the incredible crowds for Serbian basketball. It would take far more than a mid-game deficit to draw boos from those fans.
Also, to be fair to Jokic, the Nuggets have been decimated by failed transactions since their championship run. The team’s struggles are almost never his fault or that of the team’s core players.
Still, fans have to voice their frustration somehow — even if it is toward the front office or ownership. As Smith notes, players must navigate that noise and connect with fans despite their frustration.
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