Nikola Jokic Postgame Interview After Winning His 1st NBA Championship!​

Mike on the right side, fourth row. Nicola, Mike Singer, Denver Post. After the Lakers series, you were asked, you know, who are you most happy for? Who are you most excited for? And you said Jamal. Now that you guys are NBA champions and you kind of look around the locker room and look at your teammates, who are you most happy for? All of them. You know, I think it's simple. It's all of them. You know, I'm happy for DJ. I'm happy for Jeff. I'm happy for Ish. Literally for everybody. Mikey, he had three surgeries and still came here and helped us win the championship. I'm burping, sorry. Jamal, who had a surgery and didn't play well at the beginning of the season, like I told you guys, that he's not going to be, but we all know what he's capable of. So it's every KCP, you know, he brought us that championship mentality. Bruce, Christian Brown. I don't want to say like literally every player, every player on this team. Melissa on the front. Melissa Roland, Fox Sports. Nicola, 41st pick in the draft. It's been an incredible journey for you to get to this moment. How would you describe the emotions of this all? It's good. I mean, it's good. We did a job, we did a job. I think we played the best basketball. I'm not a senior in the postseason, but I think we were there playing the best basketball. You know, today we didn't make shots, but still we defend and I think it's a great journey. Like you said, 41st pick, but to be honest, that doesn't matter. When you're here, you're a player and they have a couple of guys that not even drafted and they're still playing and contributing to them to win. Ohm over here on the left. Yes, I finished. Good job. Nicola, Ohm Yamasaki, ESPN. You've often talked about how you don't care about MVPs, you care about a championship. What does this championship mean for you compared to the MVPs and finals MVP? And when you look at the future, what is this capable of propelling you guys? Because I think you have the starting five locked down for maybe the next couple of years. I didn't know that. That's great. But to be honest, I don't think about the next year. I'm going to ask the coach to give me a couple of weeks more off so I can be ready for the season. That's supposed to be a joke and you didn't laugh. Good job, guys. But it's not the starting unit, guys. For real, it's the whole team. Like I said, since they won in San Diego, it was something different about this team. I felt something, some different energy. And every day since that day, I had the same feeling. So I'm not really an optimistic guy, but that gave me a hope that we can do something. Third row on your right. Hi, Nikola. Uygar Askan, Turkish television. Congratulations on winning the championship. European basketball, so much success in the NBA. You're one of the best players to come out of Europe. Can you talk about what Europe's impact is in the NBA right now? Yes, yes. We have an impact. But of course, Americans are the majority of the league and they're supposed to be because America, USA won, I don't know how many gold medals in a row, and then Spain won it last year. But I think there is some European players and there will be some players contributing to win and giving that edge to the good teams to win the championship. Ramona on the left side, the middle. Hi, Nikola. Ramona Shalmari, ESPN. Coach has talked a lot about part of the reason this group is here is because the organization was patient, that you guys have all been together for quite a while and that you kind of were patient through the injuries and through the last couple of years. But even stretching further back, how important was that and how important is that for a player to know that the organization believes in the core and believes in the group that you've had for quite a while? Yes. I mean, especially if you're a young player. I came here when I was 20. Jamal came here when he was 21 or 20. I'm by myself. You're not part of the Nuggets. I'm sorry, sir. Yes, the core, but then I think if you want to be successful, you need a couple of years. You need to be a bad, then you need to be the good, and then you need to figure it. Then when you're good, you need to fail. Then when you fail, you're going to figure it out. I think experience is something that is not what happened to you. What you're going to do with that is what happened to you. Yes, Jamal was injured. Yes, we lost the first round or second round in the playoff. I don't even remember who remembers. But there is a process that you need to, there is a step that you need to fill. There is no shortcuts. It's a journey, and I'm glad that I'm part of this journey. Front right. Are you drunk? Nicola, Darren McKeague, 104.3 The Fan. You said after the Lakers win, you said you were surprised that you didn't feel more. So I'm curious what you are feeling right now, and if you're looking forward to a parade coming up in Denver. When is the parade? Thursday. No. I need to go home. Okay. I mean, we succeeded in our jobs, and we won the whole thing. It's an amazing feeling. But like I said before, it's not everything in the world, you know. I think still if, okay, I won it. Okay, not I, we won it. But I think it's not the most important thing in the world still. There is a bunch of things that I like to do. I mean, probably that's a normal thing, you know. Nobody likes his job, or maybe they do. They're lying. But it's a good feeling when you know that you did something that nobody believes, and it was just us. It's just the organization of the Nuggets believe in us. Every player believes in each other, and I think that's the most important thing. It's special to have your daughter up there on the stage with you. Yes, not just daughter. You know, my wife, who is with me since they won, even in Belgrade, and my brothers, that I live with my brother. Actually, we all lived together in one moment, so it was a circus. But, you know, there are somebodies that in my life means a lot, and without them, I'm not going to be here 100%. Tim on the left, fourth row. Tim McMahon ESPN. Nikoli, there was a timeout in the third quarter when you guys are down, and you're slamming the chairs. You're yelling over there. What were you so fired up about, and how do you feel like your teammates and you guys responded after that? I didn't slam the chair, but I like how you make it bigger. Yes, I yelled at them because we were just shooting threes, and I think it was like four on three. We could just get an easy layup and just score the ball. I think in that situation, it means a lot just to score a ball, especially if it's a low-scoring game. We didn't make shots. They didn't make shots. It was a 90-something, 80-something game. I think the easy points are something that kills. You know, in that situation, emotions, yes, I yelled at them, but I think they're used to it. Sometimes I yell at them. Sometimes I cheer them, so that's part of the family and part of the team. Take last two. Joe, and then one in the back. Joe Varn, The Athletic. You got KCP pretty good up there. I'm wondering if anyone got you as well in the locker room. I don't remember, but yes, I think Sparky got me, but it's great emotions. Everything is in a good, positive way. Last one in the back, in the center. Nick from the JBK Show. Novak just won the French Open. You just won the finals MVP and the championship. Is this the greatest era of Serbian athletes? Got to be. Congratulations. I'm going to see if he's testing me, no? I don't know. I mean, oh, mama. How many texts do you have? A lot, a lot. I'm not going to, I'm going to turn off the phone, but yes, I think it's, you know, sport is something that is always in Serbia, was something that put us in front of everybody, even like 10, 20 years ago, whatever. But now when we have Djokovic, who won probably the best ever, for us, he's the best ever, of course. And now we have our NBA championship and I think it's a really good moment to be a Serbian. Thank you. Pleasure to call this, guys.