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Contrary to popular belief, Nikola Jokic did not spend the entire offseason tending to his horses in Serbia. Jokic was in the weight room working on his conditioning all summer. The reigning NBA Finals MVP also casually dropped a triple-double against the LA Lakers on opening night.
In a postgame interview on "Inside the NBA," Kenny Smith asked "The Joker" how he spent his offseason. Jokic shared that he worked out six days per week to prepare his body for the long grind of an NBA campaign. He also joked about not playing basketball in about two months.
"I was in the weight room basically every day," Jokic said. "I just skipped Sundays. I was preparing my body for the season. Our body is our tool. So if your body is not ready, something's gonna happen. You're gonna injure yourself.
"I didnt skip any days in the weight room, maybe a little bit on the court. A couple days, or a month, or two months."
Nikola Jokic didn't miss a beat on opening night, dropping his first triple-double of the season. Jokic finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. He went 12-for-22 from the floor, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, with just two turnovers.
It was also the Denver Nuggets' ring and banner night, so they were motivated to put on a show. All five starters scored in double figures in their 119-107 win over the LA Lakers at home.
Jamal Murray had 21 points and six assists, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 20 points and three steals. Aaron Gordon also had a good game with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Michael Porter Jr. struggled shooting the ball, but still had 12 points.
On the other hand, LeBron James led the way for the Lakers with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Anthony Davis had 17 points in the first half, but was held scoreless in the second half.
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Charles Barkley apologizes to Nikola Jokic for TNT graphic mishap
Charles Barkley apologized to Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets and the team's fanbase for TNT's viral blunder. The network hyped up the NBA's opening night by posting a graphic featuring Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum.
The Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and LA Lakers were playing on opening night, but the Boston Celtics were not. The Nuggets had their ring and banner night on Tuesday, but TNT failed to include the reigning NBA Finals MVP, so Barkley had to issue an apology.
"You sent me that graphic and I showed it to Ernie and we just want to apologize to the Nuggets, Joker and the city of Denver," Barkley said. "That's completely stupid not having 'Joker' on that graphic. I mean, we're here all day!"
