Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic used to be teammates on the Denver Nuggets, and it was a somewhat awkward situation because they didn't pair well together on the floor. Jokic even came off the bench at one point during the 2016-17 season, but Nurkic ultimately requested a trade and was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers as Jokic blossomed into a star in Denver.

There are no hard feelings, though, and Jokic delivered a classy message to the injured Nurkic after the Blazers forced a Game 7 against the Nuggets with a 119-108 victory on Thursday night:

Nurkic suffered a nasty leg injury at the end of March, ending his season prematurely. The Bosnian Beast was in the midst of a career season, and some thought his injury would doom the Blazers in the playoffs.

However, Portland has rallied together and is now just one game away from the Western Conference Finals. Enes Kanter has performed admirably in Nurkic's spot despite some health issues of his own. Nurkic has made several appearances at home games, and he was cheering his team on from the bench during Game 6. His presence has provided a lift to his teammates.

Jokic clearly has respect for Nurkic and appreciates what his former teammate means to his new team. The Joker is probably disappointed he couldn't face off against Nurkic in this series, but right now he's just happy to see the Blazers center getting healthy.