Nikola Jokić is not only the MVP of the NBA Finals but also of our hearts. The Denver Nuggets center has gone viral multiple times for his less-than-enthusiastic reaction to becoming the NBA champion. Furthermore, images of Jokić almost forcing himself to have a good time during the team’s post-game celebrations have emerged online. That’s not to say that Jokić isn’t happy he won an NBA championship. Instead, Jokić is just truly the basketball player’s basketball player. 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.
To cap off a historic playoff performance, Jokić was named Finals MVP. He averaged 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game during the Nuggets’ 4-1 series win over the Miami Heat. There was no one more deserving of the trophy than Jokić, who also finished as the runner-up in league MVP voting this season. However, in true “I don’t want to be here” fashion, Jokić has gone viral again, this time for his trophy antics.
Jokić Loses MVP Trophy In Locker Room
Nikola Jokic really didn’t know where his NBA Finals MVP trophy ended up
(via @malika_andrews) pic.twitter.com/D3cZaCI8NB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 15, 2023
First reported by ESPN‘s Malika Andrews, Jokić reportedly lost the Finals MVP trophy while celebrating. “I left it in the equipment manager’s room and it’s not there anymore,” Jokić admitted to Andrews. It’s not the first time that an athlete has lost an important trophy. In 2013, the Baltimore Ravens had to admit that they managed to lose the Lombardi Trophy after misplacing it during team celebrations after the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, in 2011, Real Madrid managed to get the Copa Del Rey trophy run over by the team bus while parading through the streets of the city.
Thankfully, Jokić’s story has a happy ending. Andrews later reported that “Rest assured, the Nuggets’ longtime equipment g*ru Sparky Gonzales has the trophy cleaned and detailed and it’s ready for Thursday’s parade.” However, the whole incident has only added to the mystique of Jokić’s post-championship demeaning. Speaking of the championship parade, that was another element of proceedings that appeared to physically pain him. “The job is done. We can go home now,” Jokić said in a post-game interview.
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