A day after Nikola Jokic revealed that he had no idea who Deion Sanders was, it seems that Sanders’s popularity and football program haven’t quite made waves in the state of Colorado.
During the Nuggets’ media day, Jamal Murray disclosed that some of his teammates attended the Colorado-USC game at Folsom Field on Saturday.
With Sanders encouraging Joel Embiid not to backdown from any matchup against Jokic, it was interesting to see Jokić’s nonchalant response when asked about the Buffaloes’ coach.
Deion Sanders urged Sixers star Joel Embiid not to back down from a matchup against Nuggets star Nikola Jokichttps://t.co/C1PvWA4Hma
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 4, 2023
As someone who is not active on social media and clearly more focused on basketball, it is not surprising that Jokić isn’t familiar with Sanders or other sports outside of his own.
While the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes met with Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers before their training camp in Fort Collins, it is important to note that the Sixers are gearing up for a significant 2023-24 season.
With the impending departure of James Harden, Embiid may find himself shouldering a heavy offensive load, making his training in Colorado all the more crucial.
Coach Deion Sanders, known as Coach Prime, expressed his desire to see a matchup between Embiid and the reigning Finals MVP, Jokic.
During a team dinner, Sanders rallied the Sixers, emphasizing the importance of not backing down from any challenge.
Back in Sanders’s era, rivalries were commonplace, and competing against top players was the norm. For basketball, rivalries like Wilt versus Bill, Magic versus Bird, and Jordan against the Pistons added excitement to the NBA.
Nowadays, players tend to be friendlier towards each other. However, for Embiid, the opportunity to build an on-court rivalry with Jokic is something he relishes.
Hopefully, as Coach Prime mentioned, fans will witness their clash when the Sixers and Nuggets face off on January 17 and January 28, 2024.
Embiid has something to prove, especially after his playoff performance fell short compared to Jokic’s.
These dates should be circled on every fan’s calendar as they promise to be thrilling matchups.
