Nikola Jokic shares interesting opinion about Game 1 of NBA Finals
May 16, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers during game one of the Western Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is a generational player. He makes history on the court and often offers up interesting quotes away from it.
On Thursday night, in a 104-93 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Jokic recorded a triple-double. He dropped 27 points to go along with 14 assists and 10 rebounds in his first-ever Finals game.
But for Jokic, it was just another day on the job. There wasn’t anything special, unique or interesting about it in his mind.
“To be honest, I couldn’t wait for the game to start, because once it started it felt normal,” Jokic said, via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. “I think people are making something bigger than it is. When the game started I felt really comfortable.”
That’s one way to look at it. Especially when considering there is nothing bigger in basketball than the NBA Finals.
But maybe there’s something to Jokic’s stoic approach to the league’s biggest and brightest lights. He genuinely appeared unfazed on Thursday night and that calm spread to his teammates. The entire Nuggets roster seemed indifferent to the enormity of the moment with four of the team’s five starters scoring double-digits. They were methodical — almost mechanical — from the opening tip to the final horn.
Adversity could change that but early on, the Nuggets, led by Jokic, seem to be extremely comfortable in what many would view as a nerve-wracking situation.
