Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Micah Nori, who previously worked with the Serbian center in the Summer League, is part of the coaching staff for the opposing team.
It will be Micah Nori who leads the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first game because head coach Chris Finch underwent knee surgery after getting injured next to the court due to contact with one of his players. It turns out that Mike Conley was the one who injured him, but that detail is less relevant to this story.
Micah Nori worked in Mike Malone‘s coaching staff from 2015 until 2018. During this time, he had the opportunity to collaborate with the Serbian center who was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the 2014 NBA Draft as the 41st pick.
“He still sends me gifs of Forrest Gump running GIF’s because he says that’s all he did in the Summer League his first year when he arrived. Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris, and Jusuf Nurkić were also central figures at that time.
“I didn’t even know his name then. That says something about what kind of coach I was (laughs). Then Nikola Jokic approached me asking if I would set up some plays for him. I told him that motivation is everything that will drive him and pave his path to success. I would have been grateful just for a ‘thank you.’ Now, he’s the best player in the world and on his way to winning a third MVP award, and he hasn’t even mentioned my name,” Micah Nori shared with a smile.