Nikola Jokić Celebrated Nuggets’ NBA Title by Throwing Jamal Murray in a Pool

That’s one way to celebrate!
Nikola Jokić Celebrated Nuggets’ NBA Title by Throwing Jamal Murray in a Pool
Nikola Jokić Celebrated Nuggets’ NBA Title by Throwing Jamal Murray in a Pool /
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Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets captured their first-ever NBA title on Monday night, beating the Heat 94–89 in Game 5.

On the surface, Jokić didn’t seem too excited about the championship. In the immediate aftermath of the victory, he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters that winning the championship was “good” because “we can go home now.” He also appeared visibly frustrated in the postgame press conference that the victory parade wasn’t scheduled until Thursday because he couldn’t go home until then.

But that doesn’t mean Jokić didn’t have any fun at all. The Denver star was captured on video throwing star teammate Jamal Murray in the pool back in the team’s locker room area after leaving the floor.

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Nuggets coach Michael Malone was seen dragging Murray by the back of his shirt before Jokić picked up the point guard and dove into the pool with him.

It looks like Jokić is enjoying his first NBA championship after all!

Jokić won NBA Finals MVP after scoring a game-high 28 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the floor in Game 5. He also added 16 rebounds and four assists in 42 minutes of game action.

For the series, Jokić was dominant. He averaged 30.2 points per game, 14.0 rebounds per game and 7.2 assists per game on 55/46/80% shooting splits for the finals. 


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.