Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix claiming that the Denver Nuggets weren’t “very interesting” was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The Nuggets, who have since gone on to win this year’s NBA Finals, were tired of the perceived lack of respect from the national media.
And it wasn’t just Mannix. The persistent criticism of Nikola Jokić from FS1’s Nick Wright drew the ire of fans and the team’s play-by-play man Chris Marlowe, who thanked the “naysayers” at last week’s championship parade, making sure to name-drop Wright among others.
Wright joined DenverSports.com’s Schelerth and Evans show on Tuesday and was presented with the opportunity to throw flowers at Jokić and admit how wrong he was about the Nuggets.
Nuggets fans had gripes with a lot of national media members, but maybe none more than @getnickwright. He was a good sport to join @markschlereth and @MikeEvans1043, giving Nikola Jokic credit while also claiming he wasn't wrong | by @PetersenWill https://t.co/gRUg8JNlYZ
— Denver Sports (@DenverSportsCom) June 20, 2023
“I can throw flowers at Nikola Jokić without really being wrong,” Wright said. “What I wanted is what we have demanded out of every great, all-time great, which Jokić now is, show it to me on a deep playoff run. And the fact that folks were so upset that he was held to literally the same standard that every other all-time great was held to, I found laughable.
“Now, was my initial assertion three years ago that he was the worst MVP since Dave Cowens, was that incorrect? Yeah, that was wrong. Was my frustration that he was going to win a second straight MVP when his team was a sixth seed. Was that wrong? No, I don’t think it was…Was the skepticism that he would be able to do it over four rounds, was that, well-founded? Maybe. Did he prove he could? Unequivocally.”
So, while Wright did offer Jokić his flowers–somewhat—he made sure to use James Harden as an example of players who show up for the regular season, but not the playoffs. That appears to be his reasoning for holding Jokić to that standard.
“Jokić now has answered that question,” Wright continued. “He now is one of the 25 greatest players ever. He now is one of the best eight centers of all time. Now, he gets all of it, because now he has done it. I just didn’t want to prematurely anoint a guy who had been past Round 2 once. And people can be mad about it, but that’s where I was and that is the standard to which I will hold every great player because that is the standard that our forefathers think of the great players.”
But Wright wasn’t done. He took aim at the Nuggets, their fans, and their broadcaster, who called Wright out personally.
“I don’t think that was unfair,” he said. “I think Denver fans, and their coach and their broadcaster, take your victory lap. You guys won. You’re the champion. You have unequivocally one of the two best players in the world and most people think the best player in the world. The grievances? Get over it, all of them. Get over it!”
Wright referred to what he perceives as constant whining from the fanbase and those associated with the organization as “embarrassing.” Needless to say, he didn’t exactly endear himself to Nuggets fans when given the opportunity to make amends. Yes, he gave Jokić his flowers, but he won’t be receiving any from Denver sports fans, or Christmas cards for that matter.
[Barrett Sports Media, DenverSports.com]
