Newest Denver Nugget involved in massive bar fight while overseas

Some of the hostility towards the Nuggets from media and fans has cooled off in recent days as the team has made a couple of signings and the youngsters get ready for Summer League. Attention has shifted away from roster deficiencies and irritation at letting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk and refocused on veteran guards to fill the final roster spot - like Russell Westbrook.

The Nuggets' first move in free agency was signing veteran big man Dario Saric. Saric is a nice floor spacer and passer on offense who should fit in nicely with what the Nuggets do. His defense and rebounding are major question marks, and the two-year, $10.6 million contract seems a little steep. Still, Denver badly needed a reliable veteran bench big man and Saric was the best available option.]

During the free agency period, Saric has been playing in Greece for the Croatian National Team, trying to qualify for the Olympics. He played very well, but the team fell in the final qualifying game and will not be going to the Paris Olympics later this month.

Dario Saric involved in brawl near Athens, Greece

But Saric and some of his Croatian teammates made headlines for their actions off the court following the game as they were involved in a bar fight in Athens around 5:30 AM local time. Saric and fellow NBA big man Ivica Zubac were seen on video in a violent altercation with locals at a nightclub just hours after the loss.

Zubac was seen throwing punches and leaving covered in blood, while Saric was being choked and dragged to the ground. TMZ has published the video and so far there has been no further reporting on the incident. It’s unclear if there is currently any police or legal involvement or if any injuries were sustained.

It was an ugly scene and not exactly what the Nuggets want to see from their fresh new signing, someone they are counting on heavily this upcoming season. But these things happen and surely this won’t be the last time an NBA player gets into a scrap. Tensions were clearly high after an intense battle for an Olympic spot and things escalated.

Hopefully, this is the end of the story and something that we’ve forgotten about by the time we see Saric in training camp. But these certainly aren’t the best optics for Saric or the Nuggets as they try to win back the faith of fans.