Nikola Jokic and Coach Malone Pay Locker Room Leader DeAndre Jordan Due Respect For Massive Impact

DeAndre Jordan received his due credit after the Game 1 victory over the LA Lakers. The Denver Nuggets star came off the bench and played an impressive role in his 9-minute stay. While his efforts may have gone unnoticed on the floor, Nikola Jokic and Nuggets HC Michael Malone made sure that it doesn’t go disregarded.

In the post-game press conference, reporters asked both Malone and Jokic about Jordan’s impact on the team. The Joker in his own style dropped a few praising words on the 35-year-old center and Malone dived deeper with his appreciation. The Nuggets big man jokingly said, “I’m he’s a guy who’s talking too much. I cannot listen to him.” Then he continued, “Great person… locker room or team… He really likes to give advice on and off the court… to make fun of somebody… He is always up to something… To share a glass of wine too, he’s a really good teammate.”

On the other hand, Malone said, “I can’t say enough good things about DeAndre Jordan. I felt he had a real positive impact… The block and the paint tonight… That is a great lesson for the young players in the locker room.” Furthermore, he appreciated Jordan’s ability to stay ready whenever called upon.

While Jordan’s role on the court has been limited, he has expanded it off the court. Especially in the locker room. Apart from the starting 5, the Nuggets have a fairly inexperienced side: Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, and a few others. Traveling alongside the defending champions, the veteran center can drop insights from his 16-season-long career.

The 35-year-old center has played alongside superstars like Chris Paul and Blake Griffin during his 10-season-long stay with the Los Angeles Clippers. Especially, Jordan has a cherished bond with CP3 which both the stars carry even now despite the hurdles on their way.

Nikola Jokic shares the locker room leader role

The Serbian superstar already has the image of an uninterested center in a champion basketball team. There are multiple instances where he had a casual response while reacting to the massive stat line generated by him. For instance, when he passed Wilt Chamberlain for the most triple-doubles recorded by a center, instead of celebrating it, he had a hilarious response. He asked, “Where is Shaq in that list? Is Shaq in that list?”

While he has a hilarious on-camera persona, he has an entirely different persona behind the locker room. In fact, he holds the brink of DeAndre Jordan’s role. Ahead of their Game 1 against the Lakers, the star center hosted all his teammates at his home, as per sophomore Peyton Watson.

The 21-year-old revealed that Jokic invited everyone to his home to witness the Play-in game between the Pelicans and Lakers. Watson revealed that the star center treated his teammates with drinks, deserts and Rakija, a fruit brandy alcohol. As much as uninterested Jokic may seem, he has worked on building the team’s bond ahead of the playoff series.