Deandre Jordan went all-in for the Nuggets' team Halloween costume contest. The veteran center rocked up to Ball Arena blasting "Bad Blood" and dressed as Taylor Swift. Jordan's costume was simple - a Chiefs letter jacket and a blonde wing. However, the visuals were absolutely fantastic. Several other members of the team also dressed up ahead of their flight to Minnesota. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was Michael Myers, Aaron Gordon was a pirate (guessing Robin Hood would be too on the nose), and Reggie Jackson came in one of those inflatable dinosaur suits. Even coach Mike Malone got on board, showing up to the flight as a championship-winning gorilla. The most notable costume absence was of course Nikola Jokić, who refused to dress up and told reporters he had no plans on getting into costume.
The Nuggets have begun their title defense 4-0, dispatching the Lakers, Grizzlies, Thunder, and Jazz. This week they look to extend their start to 7-0 with games against the Timberwolves, Mavericks, and Bulls. Jokić is already averaging a double-double, with 26.5 points and 12.8 rebounds a game. Meanwhile, Jamal Murray is nearing a double-double of his own, with 20 points and 8.5 assists a game. It remains to be seen who in the West is going to be able to hold a candle to Denver this season.
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Shaq Goes As Jimmy Butler
However, it wasn't just players who were dressing up. Shaq was without a doubt the winner of Inside The NBA's costume contest. Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson both played it safe, going the pop culture route as Top Gun's Iceman and The Godfather's Vito Corleone respectively. Meanwhile, Charles Barkley threw it back to an iconic Kevin Durant insult leveled at him, coming into work as a bus driver. However, Shaq took the cake as he rolled up to set as "Emo Jimmy Butler", a reference to one of the offseason's more viral moments. Everything about the costume was perfect, from the painfully 2000s wig to the fake nose and lip rings.
Butler wasn't playing on Tuesday night, with the Heat having lost to the Bucks on Monday night. However, it was definitely one of the standout costumes of the evening. Of course, Giannis had set the tone after that Bucks victory, showing up to his post-game press conference dressed as the Hulk. However, perhaps the closest contender to Shaq's meme reference was Victor Wembanyama. The 7"4 Spurs rookie perfectly embodied Slenderman as he rolled up to the team's game against the Suns. In fact, Wemby's outfit was referenced on Inside The NBA, with Barkley roasting Shaq for not knowing who Slenderman was.
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