The Nuggets celebrated their first-ever NBA title with a parade through the streets of Denver on June 15. The title came after a dominant season in which the Nuggets won 53 games. Serbian star Nikola Jokić, the Finals MVP, was crucial to the team’s success, with a historic playoff and Finals performance. The Nuggets selected Jokić 41st overall in the 2014 draft and head coach Michael Malone played a crucial role in turning him into a two-time MVP and team pillar.
However, much has been made of Jokić's seemingly unenthusiastic reaction to winning an NBA title. Furthermore, images of Jokić almost forcing himself to have a good time during the team’s post-game celebrations have emerged online. It's been very, very funny. Despite this, it's unfair to say that Jokić isn’t happy he won an NBA championship. Instead, he doesn’t need all the media attention and pomp. He did his job, won a championship. Now he wants to go home and enjoy his time off. Jokić typically spends his offseasons in Serbia.
Jokić Leads Rowdy Parade Speeches
However, all of Jokić's stoicism and lack of enthusiasm were gone by the time he took the mic at Civic Park. "Today is the best day of my fucking life," Jokić declared to the crowd of thousands. Furthermore, Jokić backtracked on previous comments that implied he didn't want to stay for the parade. "You know that I told [you] that I don't want to stay and parade, but I fucking want to stay and parade."
Malone also joined in the profanity when it was his turn to talk. "We're running this shit back!" Malone said, eliciting raucous cheers from the crowd. The speeches were just some of the wild moments of the parade. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope engaged fans in a beer-chugging contest, going viral as he dual-fisted beer cans. Meanwhile, rookie Christian Braun, just the sixth player to win NCAA and NBA titles in back-to-back years, greeted fans with a replica WWE belt. However, not everything was a positive experience. A police officer was injured when he was struck by one of the fire engines carrying the team. Elsewhere, a double shooting occurred 1.5 miles from the end of the parade. However, despite these events, it was an unforgettable day in Denver.
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