There is no doubting that Nikola Jokic is one of the best players, if not outright the best, in the NBA at present. The Denver Nuggets star is so impactful at worst and downright unstoppable at best. On Saturday afternoon, not even a matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs could slow down the three-time MVP.
Jokic, in a 136-134 win over the Spurs in overtime, put up 40 points, eight rebounds, and 13 assists, outdueling Wembanyama who had a 34-18-7 performance in the defeat. While Jokic being great is not up for debate, some do not enjoy watching the Nuggets star play.
Some believe that Jokic has a habit of exaggerating contact, and commentary crew analyst and former head coach Stan Van Gundy outright called the Nuggets star out for flopping after receiving contact from Keldon Johnson during a rebounding battle in the second quarter.
“This is not a foul. This is after the play. He goes down, grabs his throat. He wasn't hit in the throat area. Somebody should tell him the Academy Awards already happened this year. He's going to have to wait until next year to get one of those. I like Nikola Jokic, but that was just an acting job,” Van Gundy said, via BrickCenter on X (formerly Twitter).
Stan Van Gundy called out Jokic for flopping:
"Somebody should tell him the Academy Awards already happened this year." pic.twitter.com/ZkLUSKp7BP
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 4, 2026
Nuggets' Nikola Jokic is all about winning
As eye-roll inducing as it may be, working the officials is part of life in the NBA, especially for superstar players. There isn't an easier way to generate point for one's team than to get free throws, and the Nuggets star knows this.
Be that as it may, Jokic is not afraid of ruffling a few feathers, even though it's blatant how often he exaggerates contact in hopes of drawing a whistle. The Nuggets star may want to add a bit of subtlety to his acting game so he could perfect it.
