The NBA season had barely begun, and some fans at Ball Arena already seemed to be running out of patience. After a road loss to Oklahoma City and less than three quarters of poor basketball against New Orleans, boos started coming from the stands. They were booing a team that had built its reputation over the years on coming back from games that seemed lost. Nikola Jokić wasn’t going to let that behavior pass without comment.
Denver really did look bad in its first home game of the season. The Pelicans built a 23-point lead in the second quarter, scored 73 points in the first half and were ahead 108-89 entering the final 12 minutes. The crowd’s frustration grew louder as the game went on, although the first signs had come before tipoff, when some fans booed head coach David Adelman during the team’s introductions.
Jokić Brought Up the Boos Without Being Asked
Jokić wasn’t willing to let it go, even after Denver completed a remarkable comeback and won 141-135 in overtime. Reporters hadn’t even asked him about the crowd’s behavior. The question was about the contributions of the bench players who sparked Denver’s rally, but the Serbian center brought up the subject himself.
“I’m actually so glad that you mentioned that, because we got booed in our first home game. I think those fans who booed us, they don’t need to come anymore. If you guys follow us, you know that we never quit, and we’ve come back from much worse or similar situations. So if you ask me, they’re not welcome anymore”, Jokić said.
When asked whether he expected the fans to support the team even when it was playing poorly, his answer was brief.
“Yes. If they’re Nuggets fans, they should support us”.
Nikola Jokić has a message for the fans who booed.
“If you ask me, they are not welcome anymore.” https://t.co/xG3DZBW0u8
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) October 25, 2026
Denver Once Again Proved Why Jokić Expected More Patience
Denver won the fourth quarter 37-18, erasing a 19-point deficit and tying a franchise record for a fourth-quarter comeback. The rally began with a lineup of Tyus Jones, DeMar DeRozan, Trevon Brazile, Aaron Gordon and Marvin Bagley III, before Jokić and Jamal Murray finished the job. The Serbian center recorded 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, while Murray, a member of Canada’s national team, scored 42 points.
Jokić also revealed afterward that Murray had kept telling his teammates they could win, even when Denver was trailing by 16.
Back in 2019, the Nuggets erased a 25-point deficit against Memphis to win 95-92. That same year, they entered the fourth quarter against Philadelphia down 19 points and still came away with a 100-97 victory. Those were two examples from an era in which Jokić became the greatest player in franchise history and Denver went from fighting for a playoff spot to winning its first NBA championship.
He Had Already Defended a Teammate From His Own Crowd in 2019
Jokić had a similar reaction in April 2019, during a playoff series against San Antonio. In Game 2 of the first round, Nuggets fans booed Will Barton, who was struggling badly with his shot. The American forward made just one of his 10 field goal attempts, and Denver trailed by as many as 19 points. Led by Murray, the Nuggets eventually came back to win 114-105.
After the game, Jokić also spoke up for his teammate without being asked.
“I kind of want to say something. I didn’t like that the crowd and fans booed Thrill. I think he did a lot of things for this team and this organization. He was injured. He’s finding his rhythm, so when he comes back he’s going to be the old Thrill. I just wanted to say that.”
Barton was still working his way back from a serious injury and surgery, and Jokić felt that his previous contributions to the organization, along with the circumstances surrounding his struggles, deserved more understanding.
Expectations in Denver Have Changed With Jokić’s Success
Seven and a half years later, Jokić was again standing up for his teammates in front of his own fans. In the meantime, he had won three MVP awards and an NBA championship, while expectations among Denver’s supporters had grown considerably.
Denver’s previous season ended with a first-round playoff exit. The Nuggets then opened the new campaign with a loss to Oklahoma City in which they scored just 84 points, before allowing New Orleans to shoot nearly 66 percent from the field in the first half of their home opener. Adelman himself admitted that his team had been awful in the opening half.
It’s hard to expect applause for that kind of basketball, especially from people paying for tickets and expecting much more from a team led by Jokić and Murray. Still, such a harsh reaction in the very first home game of the season is worth questioning, particularly when the boos begin during the coach’s introduction.
Denver Has Earned More Than Three Quarters of Patience
Jokić has also been willing to criticize his own team. After last season’s elimination by Minnesota, he openly admitted that Denver was far from competing for another championship. He also recently spoke about European basketball and how seriously every EuroLeague loss is taken, particularly in the atmospheres created by fans of Olympiacos, Crvena zvezda and Partizan. He understands pressure and how much results affect the mood in the stands.
Denver’s success has raised expectations, and some fans have become quicker to lose patience. Jokić cannot demand applause for poor basketball, but he has reason to expect more faith in a team that has repeatedly come back from games that looked all but lost. And that’s exactly what happened against New Orleans. The boos started long before Denver had finished the job.