Nikola Jokić is not done. And neither, he says, are the Denver Nuggets.
After a jarring and unexpected playoff exit that sent shockwaves through the NBA, the reigning Finals MVP didn’t sugarcoat the disappointment—but he didn’t make excuses either. Instead, Jokić delivered a message that was as measured as it was powerful: “We still have more to prove.”
The Nuggets, fresh off their first-ever NBA championship just last season, entered the 2025 playoffs with sky-high expectations. Yet despite a dominant regular season and another MVP-caliber year from Jokić, Denver’s title defense crumbled far earlier than anyone predicted. Fans were left stunned. Analysts called it a “collapse.” But for Jokić, it was a wake-up call.
“We can’t live in last year,” Jokić said in the post-game press conference. “What we did was historic, but this league moves fast. Every team is hunting you. We weren’t good enough this time, and that’s on all of us.”
Insiders say frustration is brewing quietly within the Nuggets locker room. Missed assignments, defensive breakdowns, and inconsistent bench production plagued the team throughout the series. But instead of pointing fingers, Jokić took the hit head-on—like a true leader.
“It’s easy to lead when things are going well,” he said. “The test is when they don’t.”
Sources close to the team say Jokić has already begun off-season workouts, reportedly focused on improving his conditioning and defensive lateral movement—evidence of the chip that’s now firmly back on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, speculation swirls about roster shake-ups. Will the Nuggets try to land another star? Can the current core rise again, or is change inevitable?
One thing is clear: Nikola Jokić isn’t leaving the story unfinished.
“People thought last year was the peak,” he said. “But we haven’t told the whole story yet.”
With those words, Denver’s big man didn’t just send a message to his teammates—he sent one to the entire NBA.
