Nikola Jokic Tells Booing Nuggets Fans They Are 'Not Welcome Anymore'

Nikola Jokic, the star center for the Denver Nuggets, has stated that fans who booed the team during their home opener are no longer welcome at Ball Arena. His remarks came after the Nuggets staged a significant comeback to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 in overtime on Saturday night.

"We get booed in the first home game," Jokic told reporters after the game. "I think those fans who booed us, they don’t need to come anymore. Because if you guys follow us, you know that we never quit. And we came back from much worse or similar situations."

The Nuggets trailed by as much as 23 points in the second quarter, prompting boos from the home crowd. By halftime, they were down by 16 points to the Pelicans. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone described the team's first-half performance as "dismal."

Despite the slow start, the Nuggets mounted a comeback. Jokic was instrumental in the rally, scoring eight of his 35 points in overtime. He also contributed 15 rebounds and 10 assists, marking his 222nd career triple-double across regular season and playoffs, surpassing Russell Westbrook for the combined record. He has 199 regular-season triple-doubles, second only to Westbrook's 209.

While the crowd cheered Jokic's historic performance and the team's victory, the center's postgame comments focused on the earlier negative reception. He emphasized the team's resilience and history of comebacks, suggesting that fans who express dissatisfaction with such early deficits do not understand the team's character.