The two-time NBA MVP was hilariously overzealous to beat Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert to the ball and secure the first possession of the game for the Nuggets.

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic left NBA fans in stitches with his antics at tip-off of Wednesday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic left NBA fans in stitches with his antics at tip-off of Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota TimberwolvesCredit: ESPN

Jokic jumped five times to get Denver the first possession of the night before the referee finally tossed the ball up in the air

Jokic jumped five times to get Denver the first possession of the night before the referee finally tossed the ball up in the airCredit: ESPN

Jokic ended the night with a 41-point triple-double

Jokic ended the night with a 41-point triple-doubleCredit: Getty
Jokic, 29, jumped for tip-off as soon as referee CJ Washington got ready to toss it up in the air.

Even though the ball stayed in the official’s hand, the 6-foot-11 kept hopping while turning around and swinging his right and then left arm.

The Nuggets star jumped five times before Washington finally threw the ball.

Amusingly, the ref did so while Jokic was mid-air, allowing Gobert to tip it first and send it Anthony Edwards’ way.

The Serbian’s antics left NBA Twitter in stitches with fans likening the sequence to a video game play gone wrong.

“He looks like someone who doesn’t know how to play 2K is controlling him,” one wrote.

“Bro smashing the triangle button,” another added.

“When you keep pushing the X button on 2k,” a third said.

 

“Why he always doing something crazy during tip-off?” one asked, adding laughing emojis.

Jokic had the last laugh, though.

‘He’s got to stop joking around,’ says Shannon Sharpe as ESPN pundit blasts star who could become ‘face of the NBA’

‘He’s got to stop joking around,’ says Shannon Sharpe as ESPN pundit blasts star who could become ‘face of the NBA’
The six-time NBA All-Star ended the night with a triple-double, his 25th of the season, registering 41 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

He went 16-for-20 (80%) from the field against the No. 1 defense in the league despite being guarded by three-time Defensive Player of the Year in Gobert for most of the clash.

“Nikola always embraces the physicality. He never shies away from it,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said after the game.

“Rudy Gobert is going to be a Hall-of-Fame player one day. Rudy Gobert is going to be regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.

“And it just speaks to how great Nikola is. I don’t think anybody in the NBA can guard Nikola 1-on-1.”

Jokic is averaging 26.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in 2023-24.

Denver’s win had huge ramifications for the Western Conference standings.

The two teams entered the matchup with the same 55-24 record, but the Timberwolves were atop the West as they led the season series 2-1.

The victory fired the Nuggets 1.0 games ahead of Minnesota with just two games left in the regular season, meaning they have all but secured the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.