Nikola Jokić Dresses as Gru Before Game 1, Bemoans Being Compared to Him in Despicable Me 4 Promos

Patrick Andres | Apr 20, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) gives direction. / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Most commentaries on Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić's success make a note to point out how resistant to traditional star-making apparatuses he is. In February, for instance, Louisa Thomas of The New Yorker wrote that Jokić "is certainly the least famous" of the post-Michael Jordan faces of the NBA.

However, even the least Hollywood among us cannot help but be charmed by Mr. Gru.

In an apparent attempt to promote Despicable Me 4, Jokić dressed as the Steve Carell-voiced cartoon supervillain before Game 1 of the Nuggets' playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday evening—black-and-gray striped scarf and all.

Jokic pulled up in the Gru fit 😂 pic.twitter.com/YSylCj81a0

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 20, 2024

That followed the release of a teaser for the film in which Jokić seeks therapy to deal with people comparing him to Gru—eventually telling Despicable Me's trademark minions, exasperatedly, "I'm not your boss."

Just when you thought it was impossible to like Nikola Jokić any more, he shows up in this Despicable Me 4 Trailer pic.twitter.com/Nk4rx0QuKr

— Katy Winge (@katywinge) April 20, 2024

Given some of his otherworldly feats on the court, be honest: would you put stealing the moon past Nikola Jokić?