(Video) Nikola Jokic Breaking Own Promise With Tantrum Against Chicago Bulls Goes Viral

Nikola Jokic appears to have broken his resolution of not yelling at the referees before the start of the season

(Video) Nikola Jokic Breaking Own Promise With Tantrum Against Chicago Bulls Goes Viral

Nikola Jokic broke his own promise (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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The game on Monday night was supposed to be a routine win for Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets as they took on the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls, 6-6 in their first 12 games, went to overtime against the Utah Jazz the previous night and lost with their main players playing heavy minutes.

It may have been a close game as the Nuggets went down 130-127, but there is no beating around the bush. This was a bad loss for them as it was the end of their seven-game win streak. The Bulls bench scored 66 points while the Nuggets bench players scored a total of nine points. This was about the Bulls players stepping up to the occasion and the team failing to capitalize on a battered opponent.

It is easy to be critical of teams, as they often go through ups and downs in the regular season but the Nuggets deserve some criticism for their performance. Jokic did what he always does and bagged another triple-double. But he and his teammates did not help themselves defensively as they struggled to contain the Bulls’ offense.

During the fourth quarter when the Nuggets were down 116-113, Jokic broke a resolution he made before the season got underway. Jokic foul-baited Vucevic at the three-point line for three free-throws. It was a late call by the referee after the Nuggets star jumped and screamed at the referee for a whistle.

Resolution made by Nikola Jokic at the beginning of the season has been broken

Before the 2025-26 season got underway, Nikola Jokic stated that his new season’s resolution is to be more “zen” and stop complaining to the referees. His new approach to dealing with the referees was to not let his emotions get the better of him this year. If anything, revert that energy back to the floor.

It’s commonplace in the league for stars to plead their case with the referees for a call that may not swing in their favor. Jokic, of course, has had his fair share of those moments in the past throughout his now-decade-long career. And it was no different on Monday night against the Bulls as he was seen pleading to the referee for a foul.

It may have been a dominant performance offensively from the center scoring 36 points to go along with 18 rebounds and 13 assists, as he is currently averaging a triple-double this season. But it was the defense where they were severely lacking.

Nikola Jokic criticized the Nuggets for their loss

It was a disappointing and a shocking loss for the Nuggets as they slipped to 10-3 for the season but remain second in the Western Conference, with just one win ahead of the Houston Rockets and behind the defending champions, Oklahoma City Thunder.

Nikola
Nikola Jokic (Image credits – The Alpena News)

After the game, Jokic was unhappy and critical of the team’s performance at the press conference:

We started slow. We could not make the shots. Second-half, they were scoring a lot, even in the first-half. It seemed like they were always one step ahead, pushing the pace, attacking downhill, we were kinda just there. We tried a little bit of everything to stop them.

It was a lazy, lethargic, and out of character defensive performance from the Nuggets who have been so good on both sides of the floor so far this season. They will be looking to get back to their winnings ways as they take on struggling New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

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