For the current Denver assistant general manager, digging into numbers was - and still is - his bread and butter, and the numbers suggested Gordon would be the ideal player who could help the Nuggets take the next step forward. His way of changing his game has helped us a lot."įORMER NUGGETS VICE president of analytics Tommy Balcetis had pages of analytical data on Gordon heading into the 2021 trade deadline. "He is accepting a role to be less of a ball handler. "I think we've learned just by playing," Jokic said. But not even the Nuggets thought the pairing would become what it is this season: statistically one of the most dominant duos in the league. When the Nuggets traded for Gordon, they were acquiring a player they thought would develop an elite two-man game with Jokic. But, as much as their friendship off the court has blossomed, their connection on the court has skyrocketed. Their conversations largely have nothing to do with basketball. "I just really love to talk with him," Jokic said. Jokic described Gordon "as a guy who is kind of quiet." Jokic is too, so at first, there wasn't much to talk about.īut, sitting just two lockers away from each other, they built a friendship. Jokic admits Gordon isn't the personality he thought he was when they first met in 2021. The two quickly bonded in Gordon's two-plus seasons in Denver. But, then again, he hasn't had a teammate try and find him across the globe before. Jokic prides himself in his ability to disappear off the grid. ![]() ![]() "Yeah, I don't know about that," Jokic told ESPN, a boyish grin spread across his face. "After he's done playing basketball and disappears, I'll still be able to pull up on him." "I just wanted to let him know that he got a brother, no matter where he is in the world," Gordon told ESPN. ![]() Jokic thought he was still weeks away from reuniting with his peers on the Nuggets, but one teammate wanted to get a head start on rekindling his connection with the two-time reigning MVP.įorward Aaron Gordon took time during his European vacation to surprise Jokic, and he brought his mom along to boot. NEARING THE END of the NBA offseason this past September and over 5,000 miles from his adopted home of Denver, Nikola Jokic was playing alongside his Serbian national teammates in the EuroBasket tournament when a familiar face took a seat in the O2 Arena in Prague. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserįrom Prague to Denver, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic's friendship has led to success on the court
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