After a very slow beginning of the offseason for the Denver Nuggets, it has picked up steam and been incredibly busy for Nikola Jokic as well as Nuggets Nation as a whole. Ranging from Serbia and Canada Olympic coverage with Jamal Murray and Jokic, to Nuggets Summer League games, to the Denver free agency signings, it is hard to keep up with everything. Here’s some Mile High Basketball news that you might have missed:
Jokic’s newest signature shoe showcases a wedding ring pocket
For years, Jokic has tied his wedding ring in his shoelaces for every basketball game that he plays. With his newest signature shoe, the BIG3 5.0 Pro PE “Joker”, he no longer has to do so! The Joker shoe has a very vibrant color wave consisting of purple, red, and neon green and has a beautifully crafted design hinting towards the villain of the same name from the DC Universe.
The coolest thing about this new signature shoe can be found on the tongue of the shoe, however. Of course there is the official Jokic logo, but the shoe also gives a shout out to his wife, Natalija, and their marriage. Both of their first names are printed on a clear pouch/pocket that he can slide his wedding ring into for games now. The pocket also has velcro to secure the ring and make it just as safe as (if not safer than) how Jokic has historically worn his wedding ring during basketball games.
It's also a pocket you can slip your wedding ring in. Jokic doesn't need to tie rings in his laces anymore 💍👟 https://t.co/S5MEokRnbS pic.twitter.com/2TUFmd7a1k
— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) July 21, 2024
Jokic flirts with a triple-double in exhibition game against Japan
Undeniably, Jokic has been Serbia’s best player in these warm-up games before the Olympics begin and that did not change against Japan’s National Team. In an eventual 119-100 Serbia victory, the 7-foot future hall-of-famer recorded 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. He also did so on an extremely efficient 8/12 shooting that included two Sombor Shuffles.
Nikola Jokic with the Sombor Shuffle to beat the 3rd quarter buzzer 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/22gV061F1a
— Jokic Muse (@_JokicMuse_) July 21, 2024
A familiar Nuggets foe, Rui Hachimura, added 29 points (65% shooting) and 4 rebounds for Japan, but his individual performance was not enough to overcome Jokic and Serbia, who led by as many as 26 points. The 3-time NBA MVP will face off with Team USA on July 28th to begin their Olympic campaign.
What jersey number will Russell Westbrook wear with the Nuggets?
The much anticipated addition of Russell Westbrook to the Denver backcourt is nearly inked and fully finalized. While this has been one of the more polarizing moves of the offseason, the low-floor, high-ceiling move could be just what the Nuggets need for their backup PG spot and bench rotation. Still, there are many questions about how Westbrook will fit with the bench unit, how he may stagger with the starters, and what he and Jokic will look like on the court together. One other big question is also looming: what jersey number will Westbrook wear for the Mile High Crew?
Thus far in his basketball career, Westbrook has worn #0 nearly every stop of the way, dating back to his days at UCLA in college. He wore #0 with the Thunder, Rockets, Lakers, and Clippers in the NBA. The only exception to this was his one season stint in Washington where he wore #4 with the Wizards, which was also his jersey number in his high school years. With that being said, both of his previous jersey numbers are currently taken by current Nuggets: Christian Braun wears #0 and Hunter Tyson wears #4.
There is a chance that one of the two young Denver players offer up their jersey number to the 2016-2017 MVP and NBA legend, however they are also not obligated to. Westbrook may also prefer a new jersey number regardless and treat it as a symbolic fresh start. If this happens, there is no strong indication so far as to which jersey number Westbrook might opt for.