Altitude TV

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Matt Brooks

All-Star Weekend was a busy one for Nikola Jokić. Between slamming home Statue of Liberty dunks and goofing around with his pal Luka Dončić, Denver's franchise player also found time to sit down with Altitude TV's Katy Winge for an awesome ultra-rare ten-minute interview. The two of them discussed a variety of topics—family, hoops, as well as what's next for him, the NBA superstar, and the Nuggets as a premier NBA franchise.

"Just spending time with the guys and being around the best players in the world," Jokić said about the All-Star festivities. "I think that's probably the best thing about this weekend."

Saturday marked the sixth time that Jokić appeared in an All-Star game. His first selection occurred way back in 2019 during Nikola's fourth NBA season. He reflected on his first-ever All-Star appearance, noting how unique his path was to getting there.

He was selected 41st overall in the 2014 Draft and is now widely regarded as the greatest second-round pick in NBA history... and perhaps the best NBA draft pick ever.

At the start, he wasn't even sure if he was going to make it. The Nuggets already had five other centers on their roster—Jusuf Nurkić, Timofey Mozgov, JaVale McGee, Joffrey Lauvergne, and J.J. Hickson—when he was drafted. He was then "stashed" overseas and red-shirted his rookie season in 2015-16. A second-round pick. A draft-and-stash. Good luck finding a more improbable rise to superstardom.

"Just knowing my history, knowing my path, I think it's a really unique path and unique way to come to the NBA. I came here to basically work out. At that moment, I was like the fifth big man or sixth big man, so it was just a nice way to reward yourself with an All-Star," Jokić told Winge. "That moment was really a privilege.&nbsp;Even now, I represent the Nuggets. I represent my hometown, my family, and that’s why I’m trying to have fun."

Since first representing Denver in the 2019 All-Star Game, he and the Nuggets have grown up a lot. His bond with star point guard, Jamal Murray, has crystallized into a full-blown kinetic offensive nucleus, culminating in the franchise's first-ever NBA championship in 2023.

"We grew up together in this league," Jokić said about his relationship with Murray. "We learned and we trust each other so, so, so much in the whole eight years or seven years of playing together."

Jokić added an NBA Finals MVP and a Western Conference Finals MVP last spring to his ever-growing trophy case that already included two regular season MVPs. He's on the hunt to add a third regular season MVP award this season... and maybe more. 'The Joker' has already cemented himself as an all-time great.

But Nikola doesn't think about that stuff. He feels it can distract you from the task at hand. He likes to stay in the moment. It sure seems like it's working for him.

"I think you cannot think about that because then you're gonna start maybe overthinking. I think you just need to win games, try to be the best you can," Jokić said on Saturday. "Sometimes it's good enough, sometimes it's not, but you at least try the best, and I think that's the mindset that I have."

Given how much he's accomplished in just nine seasons, the natural question is... what's next? He's reached the precipice of NBA stardom and greatness, but what motivates him to continue dominating?

"I think the championship is probably the top of the mountain, and you just try not to fall down," Jokić explained. "You just want to be there."

One of the things that surprised Jokić about winning the championship was just how many people it positively affected. How happy it made fans across the world. That was something he first noted during his appearance on teammate Michael Porter Jr.'s Curious Mike podcast.

Winge asked him to expand on that point during her sitdown with the six-time All-Star.

"When I saw how many people, no matter what age, no matter what culture. Like even people in Serbia. Kids. How we affected them, how they're happy, and how they're cheering for us. Maybe we brought some new Nuggets fans into the Nuggets family," Jokić explained. "I think that was something that when I looked at that as, oh, we did something nice, and we did something big."

Bringing happiness to others is a massive part of Jokić's identity. His empathy is why he's the ultimate teammate, perennially atop the leaderboard in assists. He told reporters in 2017, "Passing makes two people happy. Scoring only makes one person happy."

He disclosed to Winge that making fans happy with a championship "keeps you motivated to do it again." That's something that will fuel him as the Nuggets look to repeat this spring.

"It’s gotta be the family," Jokić said. "Hearing my daughter laugh like crazy. That’s what I like. That's something that you cannot buy. That’s something pure."

Family serves a major role in his life. It's how decompresses from the stressors of the long NBA season. That... and his horses. Jokić is an avid fan of horse racing and owns multiple horses that participate regularly in Europe.

"I think my family helps me (decompress) a lot. And my horses. My horse won today (in a) race if anybody wants to know," Jokić said with a smile. "Then, I don't think about basketball pretty much the whole day. Like, I'm talking to my friend who is driving (in a horse race), and I'm talking to my friend in Serbia about the race. Then just spending time with my family. We have a couple of kids running around, and they keep us busy. They keep us really entertained, and sometimes we have to entertain them."

In his time as a Nugget, Jokić has become more than just a champion, a multi-time MVP. He also became a father. Nikola and his wife, Natalija, welcomed their daughter in 2021. Family has played an instrumental role in his success. It's shaped him as a man.

"I think it's bigger than basketball," Jokić told Winge. "Of course, I'm thankful for basketball. Basketball gave us an amazing life. We live in a great city and all that, but family is something that is like an anchor and keeps us all together.”

Jokić is thankful for the opportunities that Denver has provided him with. In fact, he thinks the Nuggets are the perfect organization for his talents.

"I talked to somebody like a week or two ago. If I can pick some team right now and be able to, I’d pick the Denver Nuggets for sure. Just because I think the story is amazing. It’s so unique," Jokić said.

He's a pretty mild-mannered guy and that lines up with the franchise, which operates in silence. They both put their heads down and work without being braggadocious. Consider that strategy golden; the Larry O'Brien trophy currently resides in the halls of Ball Arena.

"We’re quiet giants. The Denver Nuggets, we don’t make noise. We’re kind of like a wave," Jokić said about the franchise. "We’re just quiet."

Jokić turned 29 on Monday. 28 brought him a massive highlight in his life.

"On a professional basis, I think it's got to be the championship," Jokić said. "We made history. First time ever. We’re going to be remembered. We put legacy on our names. It's really unique."

His goals for 29 are unsurprisingly modest. The quiet giant just wants good health for his family. Oh, and for his horses to win some races.

"I don't have big goals and big dreams. I want small, like my family to be healthy. My horses to win races. Some small victories," Jokić said. "I don't need nothing big and great. I'm happy with the small victories."

You can watch the full sit-down between Winge and Jokić via our YouTube channel below:

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Nikola Jokić on the Denver Nuggets: 'We're quiet giants'

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DENVER—Today, Altitude TV announced that on Friday, Oct. 25, the Denver Nuggets home opener vs. the Phoenix Suns will be broadcast locally on KTVD (Chan. 20). Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.  For the first time in more than thirty years, the Denver Nuggets will appear on a local over-the-air network broadcast.

“We are outraged that our fans aren’t able to enjoy their hometown teams in action,” said Kroenke Sports &amp; Entertainment EVP/COO Matt Hutchings. “We’re committed to doing everything we can to reach an agreement with Comcast, DIRECTV and DISH Network.  In the interim, we have purchased air time on Channel 20 to broadcast the Denver Nuggets home opener on Friday.  We’re excited to be able to provide this to our fans as they join in us in celebrating Mile High Basketball.”

“We also recognize that Colorado Avalanche fans are equally frustrated. We are actively pursuing a similar broadcast opportunity for our Avalanche fans. It’s a travesty that all sports fans can’t enjoy the Nuggets and Avs games as we enter these highly-anticipated seasons.”

Currently, Altitude Sports continues its attempts to negotiate with three former Altitude cable and satellite carriers, Comcast, DIRECTV and DISH Network, who have dropped Altitude from their lineups. Altitude’s contracts with Comcast, DIRECTV and DISH Network expired at the end of August, and although Altitude has tried to negotiate with each of the Big Three carriers to enter into new agreements on the same terms and conditions under which each of them has carried Altitude uninterrupted for these past 15 years, the Big Three chose instead to drop Altitude.

“We are pleased to be working with our long-time partners at Kroenke Sports &amp; Entertainment to bring the Denver Nuggets home opener to their fans here in Colorado,” said President &amp; GM KUSA/KTVD Mark Cornetta.  “We have enjoyed a strong working relationship with Kroenke Sports &amp; Entertainment and that is why it was an easy decision to work with them on bringing this home opener to Denver television.  We are excited to help kickoff their 2019/2020 season.”

We encourage all fans to sign the petition to bring back their hometown teams. www.altitudesports.com/blocked.

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Altitude TV to Broadcast Nuggets Home Opener on KTVD Local (Channel 20)

Altitude announced today that it will broadcast 81 Denver Nuggets regular season games on the network during the 2014-2015 NBA season.  Game coverage begins on October 29 with the Nuggets playing the Detroit Pistons.  All Nuggets games will feature the Nuggets Courtside pre-game show before the game as well as the Nuggets Locker Room Report immediately following the game.

Chris Marlowe and Scott Hastings will return as the play-by-play and color analyst for all Nuggets broadcasts.  Blake Olson, Maya Starks and Todd Romero will share studio host and sideline reporting duties.  Bill Hanzlik and Maya Starks will provide pre-game and post-game analysis.

Altitude will utilize its second channel, ALT2, for 10 Nuggets games this season, all of which are denoted on the schedule found below.  A complete list of channel numbers can be found on our website www.altitude.tv.

In addition to Altitude’s game coverage, Altitude will also bring back the Nuggets Fastbreak, a weekly
Nuggets magazine show.  Join our Altitude talent team as we take an in-depth look at the Nuggets organization with player and coach interviews and profiles; and other behind-the-scenes activities for the franchise.  The series will include the Nuggets Top Ten Plays of the Week.  The show debuts regularly on Thursday’s at 6:00 p.m. throughout the season, however, this year’s Season Preview episode will debut October 23 at 6 p.m.  Additionally, fans can get fired-up for the 2014-2015 season with the 1-hour Denver Nuggets Dancers Auditions, airing throughout September and October.  Web exclusive content will be available on our website throughout the season.

On the radio side, Jason Kosmicki will handle play-by-play duties for all Nuggets games and Mark Bertagnolli will be your studio host.   All Nuggets preseason games will be broadcast live on 950AM with all regular season games being broadcast on the Altitude Radio Network. A complete list of radio broadcasts and stations for the Altitude Radio Network is available at www.altitude.tv.

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Altitude Sports Announces Denver Nuggets Broadcast Schedule

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