Denver Nuggets Owner Josh Kroenke on Drafting Nikola Jokic and Watching His Rise to MVP

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Josh Kroenke sits down with MPJ and discusses drafting Nikola Jokic, sticking with him over Nurkic, and watching him become far greater than expected

[@draganstojilkovic1017]

Everyone laughed when Gregg Popovic said 5-6 years ago that Nikola Jokic reminded him of Larry Bird

[@SoloPerICommenti]

Nobody laughed, that was already 1st team All NBA Jokic

[@daddyfuse50]

1st team is a faaaar stretch from getting Bird comparisons. Pop was right and ppl did still clown that take.

[@kingad8869]

​@@daddyfuse50Oldheads will still clown that take.

[@BobSaint]

Yeah, what does Pop know about basketball? 😅

[@crystalizedExposed]

@@daddyfuse50 people compare ant to mj and i don't think hes even made an all nba team yet

[@LixtianShanghai]

Comparing Jokic with Bird was genius

[@moshimosan]

it really came out of nowhere, too absurd to even consider it was possible lol

[@onlyfacts3178]

also they dont realize JOKIC numbers are from now a inflated STATS ERA...

[@onlyfacts3178]

@@moshimosan only if you dont understand that STATS now are SUPER INFLATED...

[@BenGreen1980]

​@@onlyfacts3178 that's why relative stats are useful. Even by relative stats, Jokic's performance is all time elite levels. Which is to say he outperforms his own league the way other all time greats outperformed their leagues.

[@erizabeta]

I gasped

[@dodongsmith9779]

Many many years ago, early on in Jokic playing career, Reggie Miller told Shaq,and Chuck that he was going to be better than Arvydas Sabonis. Both laughed, I laughed, guess Reggie was right.

[@djukafox]

how do I find this video?

[@dodongsmith9779]

@@djukafox It was Denver game, Reggie was the commentator, he mentioned it and at either halftime or end of the game, Shaq and Chuck laughed about it. I remember telling my son that Reggie is out of his mind.

[@djukafox]

@dragicaandrejevic2060 hvala ti dragice, bas si car

[@jorgovan-ni9kz]

Ti samo spamuješ sa tim komentarom​@dragicaandrejevic2060

[@profesorz642]

@dragicaandrejevic2060 forgot to take your meds again?

[@blewidescorpio]

I worked at a restaurant in 2017 and this 19 year old coworker I had told me that Jokic will be an MVP and gets us a Championship. I'll never forget that because he was always getting shit from some of the Lakers fans line cooks. He always just responded with a just wait and you'll see

[@ronburgundy8941]

I’m a diehard Cavs fan . Jokic cooked the Cavs in both games each season 15-16 I knew he was the one

[@edross2826]

He is the Laker's worst nightmare. Bron has wet dreams with Jokic.🤣🤣🤣

[@gonacci1692]

Me when i lie:

[@Sosa_handles]

I called this one too 😂😂😂 if you know euro league, yk

[@blewidescorpio]

@@Sosa_handles That's fair. I don't

[@Talbott9]

Micheal Porter Jr. Is such a special individual. You saw him start with a lot of individual drive. Now he is so team focused, Nikola fan, and humble. And is 10x better individually than when he started. I love his interviews. He is such a key key piece of the epicness that is the Nuggets. Best team I’ve watched. I was obsessed with 90’s basketball but 2024 Nug’s supersede it all. I really wanna see them take out Lakers again. Tough match up.

[@mar9335]

Dragice ne kenjaj

[@mja4wp]

Nuggets got me back into NBA ball.....hope their style and culture continue to influence the entire league and new generation of players

[@Dipset415]

Honestly MPJ is just playing the catch and shoot role he’s actually a lot better as far as getting his own shot he just doesn’t need to on this team

[@athenasf]

​@@mja4wpMe too. I was a Laker fan growing up, way back when they played at the Fabulous Forum. My hero back then was Jerry West. We had West, Abdul-Jabar, Baylor, Goodrich, Riley, and others. I stopped watching when Magic Johnson retired. I felt the game was becoming too "me" oriented rather than team oriented. Fast forward to now when I kept reading about The Joker in news clips and decided to check him. I loved his post game interviews! And watching him play reminded me of why I originally loved basketball. Unselfish teamwork! I still live in California, a bit north nowadays, so I rooted for the Dubs when I'd visit a friend who was a die-hard fan. That was until I got hooked by the Joker last year. Now I'm a Denver Nuggets fan. The whole team camaraderie is refreshing. I also saw the chat MPJ had with Aaron Gordon and was so impressed with how down to earth both were. I gained a lot of respect for AG when he shared how on off days he liked to be alone and write in a journal and do some self reflection. I LOVE the Nuggets! Repeat! Repeat! Repeat!

[@mja4wp]

@@athenasf Word!!! Me a Knicks fan growing up....70's

[@izzuddinfaruqi1493]

That Larry Bird punchline hits really hard ngl. Shows u how great is Nikola Jokic

[@elliotmyers625]

Jokic is incredible, but it's also a really unfair comparison. The game was so much slower and lower scoring during Bird's time that people don't understand how great he was. When you're the best player on your team, and your team only managed 88 points, it is hard to compare it to a game where the winning team scores 135. There's so many more shots, rebounds, and passes in a game now that the best players are going to absorb a lot of those stats. That's why a guy like Harden will look so much better in the history books than he really was. Jokic actually is a great comparison for Bird now. They do a lot of the same things, but the stats will end up saying that Jokic was much better.

[@luckerooni1153]

@@elliotmyers625 That's not what was happening at the time. You're talking about a bunch of other teams' stats that never showed up on Jokic' card. You clearly don't remember how ass that Nuggets team was before Jokic started. They were not dropping no 135 on anyone. Jamal Murray had not even popped off yet as a player much less Jokic.

[@elliotmyers625]

@@luckerooni1153 No, I haven't forgotten. It wasn't a slight on Jokic. He was great. My point was that all the best players today will have stats better than the players in the 80's. Years from now people will be arguing that Westbrook was better than Magic or Bird, which is absurd. Triple doubles meant something different back then.

[@harderway8568]

The Nuggets organization deserve a lot of credit, made all the right decisions, drafted Murray as 7th pick, Malik Beasley as 19th (was pretty good), found Jokic and decided to keep him over Nurk, took a risk with MPJ who had massive back issues and traded for AG, KCP and Bruce Brown. And now Watson, Braun and Zeke Nnaji all look really promising. They even took Bones Hyland who's very gifted as well. No superstars, no huge trades, just great decisions and perfect execution.

[@willhunter2271]

I really wish we would’ve kept bones it sucks he was mad he wasn’t getting enough minutes and now he’s on the clippers where he gets no minutes at all lol

[@miroslavlekanic4338]

MPJ was a risk to draft, but also to give him a good extension afterwards. I mean because of his potential back problems. But he definitely paid off! I agree with the rest of what you said.

[@mansoldworld]

All correct except Zeke... he is just not, NBA caliber.

[@stefankrunevski4673]

Also jeremi grant was great

[@riccardoesclapon549]

“He doesn’t jump out at you right away - but when you watch it over time and you understand what he’s doing and how he’s affecting the game, he jumps out at you” This was really well put

[@user-lx5jf4vi2k]

Chokic chokes in the playoffs

[@FERREIRADALMASO]

​@@user-lx5jf4vi2k yeah like brick the open 3 shot like some super star did and lose the game

[@decalibresportz5784]

​@@user-lx5jf4vi2k 4-1

[@mja4wp]

he is the most interesting player since Duncan, Bird and Walton - and if you find 'interesting' exciting then you love him

[@user-lx5jf4vi2k]

@@mja4wp Except when he CHOKES in the playoffs 🤣🤣🤣

[@jamiekoh6113]

Man that story is gold what a good storyteller lol. The way he was leading up to that climax with the Nurk comparisons beforehand only to throw in "Larry Bird" was amazing

[@mainiacjoe]

Good observation and hard agree!

[@BMTurceanuHikeRun]

as an Arsenal fan, I started to like this man. great hat. never heard him before but you can tell his education and inteligence are off the charts. he clearly knows what he does. a very good example that he is not daddy's son. he knows what to do with that fortune.

[@Smsrules1]

Never heard of him lmao my boy he owns the team you're a fan of

[@BMTurceanuHikeRun]

@@Smsrules1 that doesn't mean I need to research their administrative staff and owner. IN Europe fans don't care who own the team, only about players and coaches.

[@B1izzardd]

@@BMTurceanuHikeRunthat’s not true at all. Football fans are constantly discussing owners in Europe lol

[@user-jc3pl3de8b]

Player B has better per/36 stats across the board in his 2nd year Nuggets owner: "so im assuming player A is nurkic" Analytics group: "no its larry bird....." The entire room and nuggets staff: starts dancing and screaming like they won the lottery

[@danmalic6688]

they did the MEGA one

[@Rasira2023]

he IS NOT THE OWNER OF THE NUGGETS-HIS FATHER IS THE OWNER-He was just made to manage it -DUH

[@ZOly62]

I wasn't aware of these facts, but I wrote an article in a magazine about success of Nuggets and about Nikola and his basketball IQ, its impact on the entire team and the game. I also discussed the difficult decision to part ways with Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola's game philosophy and talent. Furthermore, I noted that the MVP titles and the Nuggets' success are well-deserved, not only by the players on the court but also by the excellent coach Mike Malone, who recognized Nikola's talent, as well as the owner and supporting team. I am pleased that this video has confirmed my assumptions about the events and their success. I hope they secure another championship ring, and I wish I could witness it firsthand. Go Nugets!

[@ryandavid1235]

would love to read that article, care to share the link if it's available online?

[@ryandavid1235]

caught me off guard when I assume that player A is Nurkic but then, it's someone that is way way way out of what we're expecting!

[@TheAlex4019]

Thank you for not spoiling it

[@magmalx]

@@TheAlex4019 you are reading comments before watching the video? wtf

[@TheAlex4019]

@@magmalxyeah scrolling during watching

[@UGotSerbed]

MPJ is evolving. This bit was absolute fucking fire.

[@FamouSoon]

Damn you really tapped in that’s crazy! Good stuff

[@angelatanurdzic7508]

Michael is a really good guy, respect.

[@mark11967AD]

That’s one down to earth owner. The Larry Bird parallel is hilarious. Sometimes good things happen to good people. Nice channel MPJ keep it up 👍

[@mrfatuchi]

I am so glad that Jokic happened because now we know for 100% that Bird would be just as good as he was before nowdays and IMO better since the game is more suited for him today. There is even an interview of Bird where he says how big of a fan he is of Jokic and Nuggets and how they are his most fun team to watch. He would fit in that style of offense with no adjustment, you could just pluck him from 80s and put him in.

[@wladosu]

wow, what a story by Josh. Well done!

[@f18a]

Great interview. Josh is a stud. Here's a humble suggestion: work on your audio engineering for the video. The channels are reversed. The sound is a bit hollow. Otherwise, great.

[@MichelePonte]

If they recorded separate audio, it could have been an easy fix in post production. But of course is better to get it right before shooting

[@alexbenjaminrosenthal3989]

Was not expecting Larry Bird🤣🤣🤣

[@georgecaraga]

strange story, so many scouts without anyone noticing Nikola! it's a skillful hiding by the manager!

[@jalesbarjo4740]

you need IQ to look for high IQ players. most scouts look more for athleticism!

[@chrispaul3832]

Rafal Juc saw him

[@miloso.1042]

Why would be any manager hide his player?

[@bojanmilenkovic2043]

​@@jalesbarjo4740it's not as easy as you think...you need to know or to predict where the league is going

[@silewis9396]

​@@bojanmilenkovic2043and the players drive and personality which can also change faster than the league

[@CHASINGCARDBOARD]

GREAT EPISODE (as usual). Good stuff MPJ!

[@samghost13]

How cool is that?! Thank you so much! I have to show that to my Ballers! We are all (most of us) huge Denver Nuggets Fans! So cool!!!

[@aleksandarbastajic2782]

Amazing story!

[@shara-la8629]

What a punch line: Larry Bird. 👏👏👏 Whoever thought of it should get serious % from a Nuggets owner.

[@mikehardingjr.1085]

Thank you Josh mpj, Colorado loves you here

[@kingncaba4984]

It’s the ‘Gunners’ cap 🧢 for me 👊🏾

[@omybaba]

very cool indeed!

[@Ravenstown52]

They own arsenal lol

[@cindycanaga2474]

MPJ, you do some great interviews! Very interesting to get to hear some of the back stories!

[@gracesoto3384]

Great interview!!!!

[@rudysifuentes7352]

Good interview Mike! Keep em coming bro always looking out for new curious Mike videos.

[@mattcantstop]

Mike, I’ve been dealing with a lot of problems with my family the past year and it’s been so challenging. And my job is incredibly less difficult and demanding than yours. I hope you are taking care of yourself these days and know that we are all here for you. It’s a heavy time for you.

[@teresitatindoy5575]

From the phillipines i love nikola jokic because is not unselfish player..

[@lovebertierose]

Jokmas! That is a sacred day - Dec 15th

[@aleksandarmilic4424]

Only the true Jokic fans know this date by heart

[@GaryFox11000]

Fantastic honest , genuine ; Nikola Jokic is really an incredible complete basketball player . Shooting , rebounding , best big center passing , basketball high I.Q. ( see's the play two seconds ahead ) Like Larry Bird . Bravo Sir ! You kept the right player ... ❤🏀🏆😃👍

[@MCHiphopotamus]

Josh Kroenke seems really nice.

[@craigspencer34]

So good - keep these coming. Love the one on Brain health. You are a natural interviewer and listener.

[@toddalexander1903]

Two boys from MIZ ❤ Josh Kroenke was my favorite hooper growing up

[@BaskeTorreeCampetti-et8lq]

Great conversation 😮

[@booJay]

Larry Bird would absolutely ABSOLUTELY destroy today's league the way Joker is. Now just imagine what MJ would do.

[@ry_an.]

MJ would have to be banned

[@lankankeys8310]

Love Michael's humility and his willingness to be all about the team. For sure, this Nuggets team play for each other and could repeat the championship. Nikola just does about everything on the floor.

[@kevingriffin9893]

Interesting perspective, great to see an owner who is relatable ~

[@IvanDjuric300]

Awesome story.

[@billiestevens318]

He was my favorite player at Missouri playing for Quinn back in the 90s

[@paulsholar9356]

It's interesting that the scouts, analysts, and commentators remark about a player's "Bball IQ" when actually they are observing a person with advanced hand-eye coordination talent. (Not sure if this can be developed as a "skill".) Coach Bob Knight remarked on video in answer to a question that he believed, as of that time, that Bird had the most elite hand-eye coordination talent in the history of basketball. Today we see players like Jokic and Doncic and a couple of others who are able to both recognize and complete assist opportunities that are of historical greatness. Jokic's passing routinely goes beyond what Bird performed. There are plenty of players (some of whom gravitate toward coaching during their careers) with the aptitude ("IQ") to grasp the deeper patterns and principles of a sport, including basketball, but who do not have the natural talent in their arms and hands to put the ball where they want, with high accuracy.

[@Ingrownpimple]

This is 🔥

[@lappin6482]

Awesome process

[@realnfnkalyan]

this is one of the craziest clips ive seen. that moment must have been wild.

[@HC-xk1iq]

Mike, please put more insightful stuff like this.

[@85delany]

it's absurd how the view changes without the microphone in the middle, it's also incredible without it being so good and everything is so clean

[@ChillNikov]

Jokic helping Denver win the 1st chip counts already like 2 or 3 championships imo. If they repeat this year we are in dynasty teritory.

[@user-pr3et9gk7z]

sure, why don't we add the same mentality to every team that won a chip..

[@SCHMUNKERS]

@@user-pr3et9gk7zdid other teams have such great team chemistry + jokic?? Dont think so, stop hating

[@user-pr3et9gk7z]

@@SCHMUNKERS wow great rebuttal

[@SCHMUNKERS]

@@user-pr3et9gk7z yeah it is great if thats all you have to say

[@winstonchurchill9467]

Warriors??? ​@@SCHMUNKERS

[@jamessifsof6901]

If you wonder how Denver is so successful, start at the top. Good show.

[@Andreas_Dim]

Great analysis from the Critical Drinker!!

[@coronazac]

Great video Mike see yall on Monday game 2 section 134 row 1

[@br3fl3]

What a great story, no wonder he gets compared to Bird so often

[@togfanatic3781]

crazy man

[@user-tr3ov6iw1b]

'Player is A is Larry Bird' I didnt see that coming 😮

[@RiFLEisFortuna]

Binging with Josh

[@edgartellez7445]

I have two tickets from jokics first game as a full time starter from Dec 15th 2015 against Portland help me get them signed

[@Bangpaulxu]

❤❤❤ much love from China

[@glennscott8622]

Nuggets / Avs have a fantastic ownership group, typically the third generation of wealth is flawed, he seems to be grounded and capable. Also watching MPJ mature into a solid team oriented guy has been a joy. His natural talent was never in doubt, it was always growing past knucklehead and getting his back well. Happy for him. The Nuggets play beautiful basketball.

[@whoever_81]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson rolled into one + special Joker sauce. The best of the best. A basketball unicorn and a wonderful guy!

[@pigheadleader1953]

The situation is exactly like finding a big diamond on the ground, but at the first glance, you will think it is a big glass.😁

[@deyzunasbunker]

RIP audio...

[@eb2354]

Hands down the BEST 2nd round prospect ever drafted. Its 2024 and 29 teams are still depressed about it 😂

[@dandandkl9048]

Denver is the current Chicago Bulls of the 80s-90s dominance! They were astute enough to draft Porter Jr. knowing he dropped in the draft because of his college back issues. Great organization, plus Jamal Murray also drafted.

[@mikeottersole]

As A Spurs fan since the 70s, Jokic reminds me of the previous NBA center who was exceptional at scoring, passing, and defense. Tim Duncan. I have to say it. Go Wemby!

[@zacharyellis4843]

Hey Josh how bout actually let the locals watch the regular season?

[@TheDARTCONGBASIS]

Do what the suns are doing and make it free on airwaves. No one is pays $120 a month for Altitude TV now so Josh is not losing any money.

[@moneyatslander]

Love the Gunners hat

[@dioncena1992]

*padayon lang*

[@Dame-Dame-Dame]

Yawaa uy

[@dioncena1992]

@@Dame-Dame-Dame dili man gud ko maka balo mu ininglis mao magbinisaya nalang ta.hahaha

[@gmiejuneislanderpajo1764]

ataya..abi nako ang player A kay si Nurkic, c Larry Bird man diay..beri gud ning management sa nuggets!!

[@andregeogarcia4216]

holy shit!!!!

[@ronaldtrinidad3270]

Loving the Gunners cap

[@dons4557]

Moved to denver at 2017. Glad I witnessed the rise of jokic.

[@gusvanwes6192]

I really want to know what the difference is between jokic in practice vs the game

[@bbrp1450]

The next few weeks’ guest include.. -Rocky (the Nuggets mascot) -Mr Holbrook ( retired Nuggets usher) - The Portino brothers ( Nuggets season ticket holders since 2016)

[@milevolidiscord4334]

MPJ sits on the right, sound is on the left. Josh sits on the left, sound is on the right. I'm confused.

[@raz_van__]

damn, the sound mix is so weird, i wish I could listen to this thing..MPJ on my left headphone, Kosh Kroenke on the right..anyway, go nuggs! timberwolves coming up, we know it's gonna be a great series, fingers crossed for the nuggs tho!

[@TM-gu1qh]

Why didn’t you ask him to get the nuggets on all cable providers?

[@nanotech2080]

Jeeeeeesuuus wtf is up with the audio, cmon man

[@allanedwards2347]

Any Larry fan would tell you Nikola is Bird 2.0. Larry's a legit 6'10 but listed 6'9 to play the 3. Nikola has the advantage of todays faster offensive friendly game and obviously having a true center 7foot body in a league of stretch 5's. Larry would demolish in today's game. Numbers off the charts with a green light on deep 3's. Would be a 6'10 Jokic only he'd have steph gravity coming into the league today...

[@kiwavy]

Stop drinking the Kool Aid

[@dfire1029]

All credit to tim connelly

[@JanKonarskiStanislaw]

hey mike audio is messed

[@alexanderfournier7292]

is it just me or is this a better pod than old man and the three lol.

[@silewis9396]

In this segment yes this is top tier but there are a whole lot of podcasts that don't come close to Old man and the three so I wouldn't single out that one.

[@alexanderfournier7292]

@@silewis9396 He's the best interviewer I've seen (better than even JJ). He asks thoughtful questions and lets his guests speak , without interruption. Maybe the production quality is much higher... but MPJ clearly has a knack for this... much more than playoff P, draymond or some of those other guys trying to spin podcasts.

[@bssL25]

Its crazy to me. I am not that big a fan of NBA analytics and I wouldn't call myself someone who watches even 3 games a week, but even I could tell Nikola was a monster early in his career. He was just so efficient and he was skilled at making reads and had confidence in his shot. The only thing for me at the time was, can he handle pressure? Because that is an intangible trait and cannot be measured. As we see now, with the benefit of hindsight, yes. He can. So they made a good choice. Obviously.

[@Present4]

Any Dude wearing an Arsenal hat gets my respect.

[@carlosjr5921]

i just think of curious george when i see who uploaded this video

[@stanvanillo9831]

what is wth the panning. Hard to listen to this on headphones

[@danmalic6688]

better numbers than larry as a total rookie.....take that nikola's haters

[@user-pr3et9gk7z]

per 36. You know how many players have good stats per 36, but they rarely translate once they get the actual minutes on court...be better

[@nizarelhor1968]

Alright, I might catch some heat for this. However, MPJ's jumper and confidence together with his hight reminds me of Drazen. I understand that the legend was elite, but if MPJ keeps going, I do see him being capable of being a similar menace

[@NemoElohemi]

Dražen Petrović was one and only! No MPJ will ever be like him. Wrong genetics.

[@nizarelhor1968]

@@NemoElohemi That he was!

[@shavin2310]

Cool gunners hat

[@isaiahagudajr.123]

They own arsenal too

[@Ravenstown52]

Fix the sound mixing please

[@dyskover]

As smart and big and strong and good as Joker is, and he's top 3 in my book, I think Victor will surpass even Nikola. When he does, we won't be making too many comparisons to anyone.

[@pikiwiki]

"that was when the Warriors were on their ascension"

[@omer88banus76]

first we loved Sacramento because of Divac and Pedja Stojakovic. now we love Denver because of the entire organization and because of Jokic. We wish Denver all the best and good luck in the competition for the ring. now, if we take the ring, we can easily do it next year as well

[@Slide4Diddy]

I wish my dad gave me a NBA team.

[@samtvmedia5066]

Woah lol thats dope

[@cruztube23]

Imagine an analytics team being (that) creative... Compare two players, don't mention their name and one of them is Larry Bird. Genius.

[@ViNCEMiSFiT]

Do Jontay next 😂🤣

[@kristinastan6939]

❤

[@nikolaanthony4468]

Jokic 1 ring means more than Lebrons 4, or KDs 2

[@notimportant3686]

that might actually be true... plus the performance through the entire playoffs was historically incredible... it's not just the victory itself

[@daniel1508verena]

100 %

[@blkmtl96]

Well he's only just getting started. LeBron and KD days are over, no more rings for either one

[@user-fv2yb6pe1i]

sometimes it is not what you do but rather how you do it

[@daniel1508verena]

KD and LBJ only get it done with other All-Stars, MVPs, SUPER-TEAMS.....pathetic !!! This one Ring means definitely more!!