Nikola Jokic Reflects on Time Missed Due to Injury Absence

The Denver Nuggets wound up losing their three-time MVP big man Nikola Jokic for 16 games earlier this season due to a hyperextended left knee, sidelining him for nearly the entire month of January to rehab and get right for the rest of the year.

The injury was just another entry into the Nuggets' consistent injury woes that have spanned all season long, but being without someone like Jokic on the floor for that amount of time was uncharted territory.

The knee injury marked the longest absence that Jokic has faced throughout his entire career since being drafted. The big man has always been one of the most reliable and durable stars throughout his time in the league until going down earlier this year, so missing multiple weeks squarely in the middle of the regular season was far from ordinary.

Jokic sat down with ESPN's Malika Andrews in a one-on-one interview, breaking down what it was like to miss so much time in the season— describing the experience as "really interesting" to take on considering he's been so available throughout his career.

"It was actually really interesting because I haven't been injured before, and it was a completely new moment in my career," Jokic said of his injury. "I'm so used to playing, so used to being on the floor, that I felt like I was missing out."

Without Jokic, Nuggets Kept Rolling

Thankfully, the Nuggets were able to hold down the fort while without Jokic during that timeframe. In those 16 games, Denver, without the help of their three-time MVP, rattled off a 10-6 record to maintain their standing near the top of the Western Conference, largely thanks to the help of Peyton Watson and Jamal Murray keeping things afloat.

That made the return to action for Jokic much easier to ease into at the end of the month. And while the Nuggets had been up-and-down before the All-Star break with their star big man back in the fold, having him on the floor once again is a whole lot better than having him off it.

Jan 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) on the bench in the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Jokic clearly agrees with that sentiment, and even though it may seem as if the Nuggets' star is unbothered or unphased by the ups and downs of the year, he certainly cares about not only playing the game of basketball but winning as much as possible too.

"I care a lot," Jokic said. "I think if you don't care for winning, you're not supposed to be in the sport. Just my personality, maybe is a little bit different where I accept victory and accept success in different ways. But, I think I care about basketball. I love to play basketball. I enjoy it."

This year, even when factoring in the missed time, Jokic has been putting together his typical dominant, and unmatched stat line for another MVP-level campaign, averaging 28.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 10.7 assists a night while shooting an absurd 59.0% from the field and 42.0% from three-point range throughout.

Now that he's gotten a bit more time off to utilize due to the All-Star break, that should allow Jokic to be more energized, prepared, and ready to push forward for what could be another MVP campaign at the end of the year, and a surge from the Nuggets as a whole, so long as he can keep his health in check for the weeks ahead.