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Denver Nuggets: Why ‘The Joker’ is one of the worst nicknames in the NBA

By Chris Bolin

DENVER, CO - MARCH 16: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers on March 16, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - MARCH 16: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers on March 16, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Nikola Jokic deserves better. Denver Nuggets fans deserve better. Everybody needs to move on from ‘The Joker.’

There’s a long list of bad nicknames around the NBA. And there’s just as long of a list of bad ones in Denver Nuggets history.

A name on both: The Joker.

Nikola Jokic has shown that he’s one of the top 15 players in the league. And he’s definitely shown he’s deserving of a better nickname.

And he has one.

Big Honey perfectly describes Jokic. It conjures up images of honey flowing so slow and smooth — much like Jokic finessing his way to the basket in the post.

And though Jokic — and a few others — prefer “The Joker,” you just can’t help but like the way ”Big Honey” rolls off the tongue.

Jokic was dubbed “The Joker” by Mike Miller a few years ago. And I’ll admit, it has some merit.

Jokic does have a certain trickery to his game — whether it be the way he finds a seemingly impossible angle for a pass or shot or how he still takes over game without moving faster or jumping higher than anybody else in the building.

But let’s be honest: it’s lazy. It’s not just a coincidence that “Joker” is strikingly similar to Jokic. But it’s not even pronounced the same way.

It adds confusion to Big Honey’s — apparently — already hard to pronounce last name. More than a handful of announcers and fans alike have butchered Jokic’s name.

“The Joker” is definitely in the bottom tier of NBA nicknames — along with Scary Terry (Terry Rozier) and Count Blockula (Hassan Whiteside).

“Scary Terry” may have taken less thought that “The Joker” — and the nickname unfortunately rose to prominence during the Celtics playoff run last year.

Related Story. Denver Nuggets Playoff Tracker. light

”Count Blockula” on the other hand is just bad. And with how Whiteside has responded to the huge contract the Heat gave him, does he really deserve a nickname?

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