Nikola Jokic had the most on-brand response after he was seen limping Sunday in the Denver Nuggets’ matinee matchup against the Boston Celtics.
The Serbian superstar appeared to tweak his ankle after losing the opening tip to Celtics center Luke Kornet. Jokic was immediately seen limping off the center court logo at TD Garden in Boston, Mass.
Despite being visibly hampered by the leg issue early in the contest, Jokic still played 39 minutes against a Celtics defense that was hellbent on trying to limit him.
May 4, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) on the bench in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game one of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
When reporters asked Jokic about his limp during his postgame press conference, the Joker said it was “nothing.”
“Yeah, I’ve limped basically the past 14 years,” said Jokic.
Nikola Jokic, when asked about him moving around with a limp in the first quarter after appearing to tweak something on the initial jump ball to open the game:
“Yeah, I’ve limped basically the past 14 years.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 2, 2025
Jokic has indeed resembled a hobbled old man throughout his entire playing career. It’s part of why his utter dominance of the NBA over the last half decade has looked so impressive. It’s also likely why he fell to the 41st pick in the 2014 draft and got selected during a Taco Bell commercial.
Jokic’s durability is also another reason he has three MVP trophies. Nikola has missed just five of his team’s first 61 games this season. He’s played at least 69 games in each of his first nine full NBA campaigns and appears likely to surpass that number again this year.
Even with a noticeable limp, Jokic remained effective as ever Sunday against the Celtics. He tallied 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists in the 110-103 loss.