Nikola Joki, the Nuggets’ center and two-time NBA MVP, was ejected shortly before halftime of Monday’s game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets.
Joki’s night was cut short by two technical fouls (the other came in the first quarter) for arguing with the referees, something that superstar players typically get far more leeway on than Joki did Monday.
It was so egregious that even Pistons play-by-play man George Blaha blasted the officials, correctly stating that fans come to see the players, not the officials.
Denver’s only visit to Detroit this season. Unfortunately, fans who came to see Joki are out of luck.
Fans reacted to the ejection on social media.
According to one fan, “Here’s the thing I know that in Denver when the league’s best players come to town, ticket prices shoot up, so Detroit fans likely paid a premium for this game because Jokić was in town and this is what happened.”
Another was harsh on the NBA, saying, “I’ve been saying it for years. The NBA’s officials must be replaced. They are the absolute worst in professional sports. And they dominate the game far too often.”
“I mean, I can’t lie, it genuinely seems like the NBA referees have a vendetta against Nikola Joki,” one fan says.
Another user commented, “Great job by the NBA to never call a foul on Joki and then eject him with techs for getting ——- about it.”
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