Only Charles Barkley could make Nikola Jokić laugh.
There’s a lot to be happy about for the Denver Nuggets, who just sent the Los Angeles Clippers — and James Harden — packing in a pivotal Game 7. The Nuggets, who have the Oklahoma City Thunder next on the docket, just won their first playoff series after firing Michael Malone.
The job’s not finished, though. So, typically, you’d expect a more reserved version of Jokić, the one the NBA media has grown accustomed to accommodating. You know, the one that deadpanned Charles Barkley after hitting an iconic buzzer-beater. And the same guy who gave a peak Nikola Jokić interview with Scott Van Pelt after recording the first 30-20-20 game in NBA history.
But Saturday night was different. Sir Charles made the Joker crack a smile.
Jokić gave three kisses to DeAndre Jordan during Saturday night’s 120-101 win over the Clippers. The NBA on TNT cameras picked up on it, so naturally Ernie Johnson asked Jokić about it postgame.
“It’s a Serbian thing,” Jokić offered. “He wants to be a Serbian. “So, um, you know…”
“The Black Balkan!” Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith chimed in.
“I got to let him have a little piece,” Jokić added.
“Is that the ugliest person you ever kissed in your life?” asked Barkley.
Barkley got a soft chuckle out of Jokić.
“No, he — actually, mhmm,” he said.
Jokić thought about it. He considered it. He didn’t actually give an answer, but his facial expression — and his laugh — said it all.
Only Charles Barkley could ask a question that made Nikola Jokić question all his life choices, including kissing DeAndre Jordan on national TV. Maybe the Joker’s finally coming out of his shell, and all it took was Barkley asking him to question some questionable life choices.