Denver Nuggets

Aaron Gordon is still loyal to his dog even after a scary incident that resulted in stitches and a trip to the hospital.

The Denver Nuggets power forward has missed the past two games due to injuries from a dog bite on Christmas. Gordon's dog, a Rottweiler that he adopted four years ago, bit him and forced Gordon to get 21 stitches — mostly in his right hand. He also sustained scarring near his lip.

Per the Denver Post's Bennett Durando, Gordon still has nothing but love for his dog.

"He's a good boy. He's a good dog," Gordon said. "… Very attached. Very sweet. Very strong. Great dog."

Gordon took responsibility for the incident, and he believes his dog didn't mean any harm with the bite. After dropping 16 points in a Christmas Day win over the Golden State Warriors, he said he might have enjoyed too much eggnog at home and got his dog riled up, resulting in the bite.

"I guess it's a little bit embarrassing, but not too embarrassing to where I can't talk about it," Gordon said. "I don't drink a lot during the season. I probably had a little bit too much eggnog. I was kind of roughhousing with my dog, and I think my dog got a little excited and just basically chomped down. Gave me a bite. And I was basically wrestling him off of me, and then he bit my hand.

"For lack of better words, I was (messing) around with my dog, and when you (mess) around, you find out."

Following the bite, Gordon went to the hospital to get the wound stitched up. The result of the stitches was Gordon missing the next two games. Now a few days removed from the incident, Gordon said he feels ready to play in the Nuggets' matchup with the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Gordon also mentioned that he has played with stitches in his hand before.

While it was a scary incident, Gordon said he thought the memes about the incident on social media were funny and that he appreciates all the well-wishes.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, who spends summers watching his horses race, is ready give up his fame once his NBA career is over.

"Being famous, some people like it, some people don't," Jokić told teammate Michael Porter on Thursday's episode of his podcast, "Curious Mike" (h/t Awful Announcing.) "When I finish my career, I really wish nobody knows me. I wish my kid or kids in the future… remember me as a dad. I think that's gonna be my goal in life."

Jokić's comments come around the 8:00 mark of the video below.

"I really don't like this life because, at the end of the day, we are just basketball players. We are just good at what we are doing," Jokić said. "But the media is something that is around us, and of course, we are getting paid because of the media, because of our popularity."

That popularity results in what Jokić described as people "taking their phones out and trying to record" him in public.

"I think that's really, I'm going to say, rude," Jokić said. "It's not that I'm out showing myself. I'm just who I am."

The 28-year-old spends his summers in his home country of Serbia, building his horse stable, Dream Catcher. He said earlier this season he plans to continue doing so after he retires from professional basketball.

"I love it," Jokić said in October, per the Denver Post's Bennett Durando. "It's my passion. It puts me outside of this thing."

Jokić's horses may still draw crowds in Serbia, but it is nothing compared to the attention the big man got after leading the Nuggets to their first championship in franchise history.

Those accolades are likely to continue as Jokić puts himself on pace for his sixth consecutive All-Star season by averaging 26.5 points, 9.2 assists and 12.3 rebounds through 31 games with the Nuggets.

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić weighed in on who he believes are the NBA's premier talents this week.

"I'm gonna say Joel [Embiid], Luka [Dončić], you gotta put [Kevin Durant] and LeBron there," Jokić said in an interview with teammate Michael Porter Jr. on his YouTube channel. "Even though they are a little bit older they can still perform…"

He also listed Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who have both won championships within the past five seasons. Although he was asked to name his five favorites, Jokić was unable to rank them given the immense talent and impressive résumé that each player possesses.

"I think it's really impossible to say," he later added. "I think you like some player more than some other player, but I think it's really hard to put that top five or even top 10, to be honest."

Jokić has battled with several of the names he listed in the postseason, defeating James' Los Angeles Lakers and Durant's Phoenix Suns in the 2022-23 Western Conference playoffs on the road to Denver's first NBA Finals victory in franchise history.

The five-time All-Star has the Nuggets in position to contend for the playoffs once again, leading the team to a 22-10 record through 32 contests.

Jokić has continued to flirt with triple-doubles on a nightly basis, averaging 26.4 points and 12.3 rebounds to go along with 9.2 assists per game this season.

The Denver Nuggets will be without Aaron Gordon for the time being due to a Christmas Day incident involving a dog.

In a statement issued by the team on Wednesday, Gordon is in "good condition" after suffering lacerations to his face and hand when he was bit by a dog.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Gordon required a total of 21 stitches to repair the injuries. Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports reported Gordon's absence likely won't be a lengthy one:

Denver hosted the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. Gordon played 32 minutes, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the 120-114 win over the reigning NBA champs.

The 28-year-old Gordon previously missed four straight games from Nov. 26 to Dec. 1 with a heel injury. He has played in 12 consecutive games since returning to the lineup on Dec. 2.

Losing Gordon for any length of time takes away a huge piece on both ends of the court for head coach Michael Malone. He's shooting 52.5 percent from the field, ranks third on the team in rebounds (6.9) and steals (1.0) and fourth in scoring (13.6 points per game).

When Gordon sat out with a heel injury, Justin Holiday moved into the starting lineup. The 34-year-old played well, averaging 10.8 points on 50.0 percent shooting from three-point range and 3.3 assists per game in those four starts.

The Nuggets have plenty of depth to get by while Gordon recovers. They have won five straight games and eight of their last nine to move within 1.5 games of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the top spot in the Western Conference.

Denver has a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder. It will have the next two days off after that before hosting the Charlotte Hornets to wrap up a four-game homestand.

Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo gave plenty of praise to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić on the latest edition of The OGs with ex-NBA players Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem (31-minute mark).

Adebayo said that he believed Jokić was the toughest player in the league before adding this comment

"The thing that like I most like about him is he don't flop...he not trying to get 16-17 free throws. He tryin' to get buckets."

That's an interesting note after Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr lamented officials "legislating defense out of the game" after his team fell 120-114 to the Denver Nuggets. Jokić notably shot 18 of Denver's 32 free throws, making them all.

"I have a problem with the way we are legislating defense out of the game," Kerr said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

"We're just enabling players to BS their way to the foul line. If I were a fan, I wouldn't have wanted to watch the second half. It was disgusting."

Jokić gave his take on his free throw count afterward, per ESPN's Kendra Andrews.

"I was missing shots, so I was just trying to be aggressive in another way, maybe play a little more physical," Jokić told Andrews. "It just happened to be that kind of night. This is the most I've ever had."

His 10.1 free throw attempts rank seventh in the league and second among centers behind the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid.

As it stands, the reigning NBA Finals MVP is off to another great start with 26.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game. His Nuggets rank second in the Western Conference with a 22-10 record.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is set to venture into the sneaker game.

The two-time MVP is set to launch his first signature shoe after signing a multi-year deal with Chinese Brand 361°. He said the process of developing the shoe and building a relationship with 361° is already underway.

"We've already been putting the time and work together to bring my first signature shoe to life," Jokić said, per Nick DePaula of Boardroom Sports. "It's been a fun journey, like how I watch my horses and their races play out."

Jokić wore 361° shoes during Wednesday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors and will be rocking them for the foreseeable future.

He previously had a deal with Nike, though the two sides did not develop a signature sneaker together. His decision to team up with 361° was influenced by teammate Aaron Gordon, who has a deal with the brand as well.

"I talked with AG about everything, and he said to me that they are really good and quick and listen to you," Jokić said, per DePaula. I am really happy with the relationship that I have right now with them."

Jokić has not yet revealed a timeline for when his first signature sneaker will be released to the public.

Nikola Jokić is pushing back on the notion he already committed to playing for Serbia in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

"It's far. Some people put words in my mouth that I said something that I didn't. The head coach is the first to know [my commitment]. I always talk to the family and the team after the season," Jokic told Aleksandar Zigic of RTS.

Božidar Maljković, President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, said in October that the reigning NBA Finals MVP was committed to playing next summer in Paris.

"We didn't have NBA MVP, Nikola Jokić. Neither Vasilije Micić, the MVP of the EuroLeague. Nor Nikola Kalinić. ... By the way, I already announced that in Paris, they will be all, Jokić included," Maljković said when discussing Serbia's second-place finish at the FIBA World Cup.

Serbia is currently the fifth-ranked team in the world in FIBA's rankings, but the top countries in the world arguably have a smaller separation than ever. The United States is expected to bring a star-studded cast to Paris, with LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry all expressing interest in being part of Team USA.

Serbia will likely need all hands on deck to compete for a gold medal.

Jokić previously earned a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics as part of the national team and returned to national team action at EuroBasket 2022. He sat out this summer's World Cup after leading the Nuggets to an NBA championship.

It's likely Jokić's availability for Paris will be directly related to how far Denver goes in the postseason again this spring.

The Denver Nuggets will be without their star player for Monday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Nikola Jokić will miss the contest because of a lower back injury, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. The big man played in Sunday's win over the San Antonio Spurs but will not take the court in the second leg of the back-to-back.

The two-time MVP has been excellent again this season and is averaging 28.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from deep.

Monday's game will be the first one he has missed this season.

Jokić's durability has been important for the Nuggets because Jamal Murray has been sidelined since the Nov. 4 win over the Chicago Bulls because of a hamstring injury. Aaron Gordon will also miss Monday's game because of a heel injury.

That means the Denver team that takes the floor against the Clippers will be quite different from the one that defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals last season. Jokić, Murray and Gordon are three of the go-to options, meaning the reigning champions will have an uphill battle against the Clippers.

Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji are candidates to see more playing time in the frontcourt against Los Angeles with Jokić and Gordon sidelined.

Fortunately for the Nuggets, they are still in the early portion of their season as they navigate so many high-profile injuries. Such a spell is better in November than the playoffs in May when they are looking to defend their title.

Still, they face Western Conference playoff contenders in the Clippers, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings in the next four games, which will be a difficult stretch with health concerns.

Sunday night was the first matchup in what could turn out to be a lengthy rivalry between Denver Nuggets' superstar Nikola Jokić and San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.

And despite Jokić and the Nuggets coming out on top, the two-time league MVP was still extremely impressed by the No. 1 overall pick and is excited about what his future will be like.

He's definitely buying into the generational hype surrounding Wembanyama.

"He is 19 years old. He is not getting scared of getting tired. He's playing hard," Nikola Jokic said via The Denver Post's Bennett Durando. "… He doesn't take it for granted. He's making mistakes, which is normal. I think the media around him doesn't help him, but he's gonna get used to it. He's gonna change the game, 100%. And he's already on that path."

A matchup against the defending champs was certainly a learning experience for Wembanyama as Jokić was cooking to the tune of 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 132-120 victory.

Just showing off all the facets of his game that have made him one of the best players of this generation.

But the rookie wasn't far behind, putting on a show for a lowly Spurs squad.

Wembanyama dropped 22 points, to go along with 11 rebounds of his own, two assists, six steals and four blocks as he caused havoc everywhere on the defensive end of the floor.

It's that part of his game that Jokić enjoyed watching the most.

"The guy is guarding everybody on the floor. He can literally guard one through five," Jokic said. "And I think that's a good thing for him, just to learn every possible spot on the floor. Just experience-wise. I'm sure for him it's hard to chase guys around, just because he was probably playing center back in France."

It'll likely be a while until Wembanyama and the Spurs are competitive enough to contend for a title like Jokić and Co. But when that time does come, the NBA is gonna be in for something special as the era of dominant big men continues.

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić and head coach Michael Malone were both ejected in the first half of the team's Monday night matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

Jokić was tossed after picking up his second technical, arguing that he felt a foul should have been called after committing a turnover.

Malone was ejected earlier in the half, racking up two quick technical fouls in succession before the end of the first quarter.

Jokić recorded nine points, five rebounds and five assists before he left the game.

This was the eighth career ejection for the two-time MVP and his first since the 2021-22 season.

The perceived lack of foul calls has been a common theme for the Nuggets' players and coaching staff throughout the season so far. Denver was attempting 18.8 free throws per game heading into their clash with the Pistons, the third-lowest mark in the NBA.

This is despite the Nuggets averaging 28.6 shots per game in the restricted area this season prior to Monday night. That's the seventh-highest mark in the association, according to NBA.com.

Denver entered the night with a respectable 9-4 record as the franchise attempts to defend its 2023 NBA Championship, although the Nuggets were riding a two-game losing streak.

Malone's team was already without star guard Jamal Murray, who continues to deal with the lingering effects of a hamstring issue. Denver is just 3-3 in the games that Murray has missed so far.

While the team around him has struggled, Jokić has continued to perform exceptionally well. The 28-year-old has averaged 28.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game while shooting 58 percent from the field in 13 contests.

Despite the pair of ejections, the Nuggets still led Detroit at the half 56-55.