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THE CROWD ROARED as confetti fluttered down from the rafters and Denver Nuggets players, coaches and staff bear-hugged each other on the court, tears dripping down sweaty cheeks. Above them, videoboards at Ball Arena in Denver blinked "2023 NBA Champions."
Amid the joy, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic surveyed the scene, still in his jersey, awaiting the usual postgame interview. It was June 12, 2023, and Jokic had just posted 28 points and 16 rebounds in an NBA Finals-clinching Game 5 win over the Miami Heat. Moments after the buzzer kicked off a citywide celebration, Jokic was asked how it felt to finally be an NBA champion.