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NBA Fans Loved Nikola Jokic's Joker-Inspired Suit Before Game 3 vs. Thunder
Denver Nuggets center and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic is fully embracing his "Joker" moniker ahead of Game 3 in a series tied 1–1 with the Western Conference No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder. As the second-round series moved to Denver, the MVP candidate rocked a purple and green Joker-inspired suit as he arrived to Ball Arena.
When the Joker broke out the appropriately awesome outfit, he drew flashbacks to last season's playoffs when he dressed as Gru from Despicable Me to promote the movie franchise's fourth film—and to provide some laughs by cosplaying as his animated doppelganger, of course.
Now, Jokic hopes to will the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals over the top-seeded Thunder, who won a league-leading 68 games over the regular season. What better way to tell the world you're locked in than a perfect villain-inspired outfit? The basketball world absolutely loved it:
this level of commitment to the bit just isn’t common these days https://t.co/bayzZ8ZSuc
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) May 9, 2025
— David Astramskas (@redapples) May 9, 2025
Purple suit with a green vest.
— Kalle📸 (@KalleSorbo) May 9, 2025
Joker going for 100 tonight. https://t.co/1YGGj1OXA1
Oh no, he got the Joker suit on too, he dropping 50 tn😭
— 2 (@HoodiiShai) May 9, 2025
Aura 💨 https://t.co/6S32Y86t29
— Damien Woody (@damienwoody) May 9, 2025
nothing to see here pic.twitter.com/jpVyAYzCV4
— snoozie 🥑 (@snoozie_v) May 9, 2025
Bro is dressed like the joker. Dude is about to deliver a clinic
— Gatsby (@GatsbyArts) May 9, 2025
Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals between Denver and Oklahoma City tips Friday evening at 10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. Jokic had 42 points, 22 rebounds and six assists in the Nuggets' miraculous, come-from-behind Game 1 win. The Thunder won Game 2 in a blowout, holding the Joker to 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
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Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.